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What is an 'apicoplast'?
What is an 'apicoplast'?
The apicoplast is a unique, essential, non-photosynthetic plastid-like organelle thought to be the product of two consecutive endosymbiotic events. As a consequence of symbiosis, a large number of genes from the original organisms were lost resulting in the apicoplast harboring a minimal genome.
Replication
DNA replication forms the basis of life. We are trying to decipher the molecular mechanism of the apicoplast replisome (the macromolecular machinery performing replication) and its implications in the larger context of pathogenesis.Â
Damage tolerance and repair
The hostile environment encountered by apicomplexans inside the host emphasizes the necessity of DNA damage tolerance and repair in these parasites. We are interested to understand the interplay between replication and repair/damage tolerance in the apicoplast.
Genome organisation
The circular apicoplast genome has to undergo at least 40-fold compaction to fit inside the apicoplast. We are studying the molecular mechanism of how the genome fits efficiently into the organelle while allowing DNA transactions to continue.
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