Complement evasion by apicomplexans: Convergent strategies across diverse parasites.

Authors

Sofía Espinosa-Hernández, Carlos J Ramírez-Flores

Published in

PLoS pathogens. Volume 22. Issue 7. Pages e1014435. Epub Jul 17, 2026.

Abstract

Apicomplexan parasites encounter the complement system during extracellular stages of infection, where it imposes a major barrier to survival. Complement activation promotes pathogen elimination through opsonization, inflammation, and membrane attack complex (MAC) formation. To persist, apicomplexans deploy mechanistically distinct but functionally convergent strategies that modulate complement activity instead of fully inhibiting it. These include rapid invasion to limit extracellular exposure, recruitment of host complement regulatory proteins, surface shielding to prevent MAC insertion, and direct interference with complement activation. A central feature of these strategies is the regulation of C3 deposition and processing, which determines downstream effector outcomes. Here, we define a unifying framework for complement evasion across apicomplexans based on these four mechanisms.

PMID:
42467713
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 18 Jul 2026.

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