Identification and localisation of phosphoinositide lipids in intracellular microsporidian parasites using novel quantitative electron microscopic affinity methods

A major portion of human beings are infected with parasites called microporidia that live inside our gut cells. They are implicated in increasing the mutation rate and potentially increasing the risk of cancer. They are also important causes of disease when the immune system is weakened as in AIDS. The genome of these organisms predicts proteins that synthesise important membrane lipids called phosphoinositides. We will find out if and where in the cell these lipids are made using sensitive electron microscope techniques. By identifying the phosphoinositide types, the proteins that make them will become potential drug targets against these organisms.