Parasite Secretory Molecules in Host-Parasite Interaction

Abstract

A cross-talk between the host and the parasites is fundamentally important to understand pathophysiology of the diseases they cause. During the adaptationdriven co-evolution of both the host and the parasites, the familiar ‘arms race’ takes place. Over the years, host–parasite interactions have been studied extensively from both the host and parasitic points of view, which led to new insights into novel strategies exploited by the parasites to manipulate host–parasite cross-talk. Such molecular strategies used by different parasites attacking their hosts often share many similarities. Parasites secrete a number of effector molecules to invade and create the habitat for growth inside the host, as well as to evade the host defense mechanisms. An overview is presented on these parasite secretorymolecules used by both intra- and extracellular parasites during host-parasite interactions in important parasitic diseases. Questions with regard to new direction of research that are needed to discover the generic and specific molecular strategies used by the parasite to invade, survive, and growinside their hosts, and to finally discover parasitic molecular mechanism associated with their development are also discussed.