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Abstract
Protozoan parasites of the phylum Apicomplexa include pathogens such as Plasmodium,
Toxoplasma and Cryptosporidium. They have been shown to contain a vestigial nonphotosynthetic
plastid, the apicoplast, which might have arisen by secondary endosymbiosis. Little
is known about the function of the apicoplast but the parasites exhibit delayed cell
death when their apicoplast is impaired. The discovery of the apicoplast opens an
unexpected opportunity to link current fundamental research on plant and algal plastids
to the physiology of apicomplexans. For example, the apicoplast might provide new
targets for innovative drugs that act as herbicides and do not affect the mammalian
host.