The cell cycle is a fundamental process in biology: all living organisms must be able to generate new cells. Accordingly, this process has been studied in exquisite detail in model organisms such as unicellular yeasts and mammalian cells. From these studies, a model of 'conventional' binary cell division was formed. However, as horizons expand beyond these model organisms, it has become clear that binary division is not the only mode of cell replication.
Early-diverging eukaryotic microbes often divide by ‘unconventional’ means, such as schizogony in malaria parasites. In fact, microbial cell cycles are so diverse as to raise the question: ‘Does a 'conventional' cell cycle actually exist?’
Understanding the full breadth of eukaryotic cell cycles at a cellular and molecular level is clearly of basic biological interest. It is also highly important to global One Health because many eukaryotic microbes are major parasites of humans and animals, causing diseases such as malaria, toxoplasmosis, avian coccidiosis and African sleeping sickness. Targeting the unusual cell cycles of such parasites is a potential avenue for parasite-specific drug therapy.
Article topics may include (but are not limited to):
• The molecular and cellular biology of 'unconventional' cell cycles in eukaryotic microbes such as: Apicomplexa (Plasmodium, Babesia, Toxoplasma, Cryptosporidium, Eimeria, Theileria, etc.), Kinetoplastids (Trypanosoma, Leishmania, etc.), other parasitic or free-living alveolata and atypical fungal species;
• Discussion of - and hypotheses concerning - the similarities and differences in cell cycle biology in these various microbes.
In this Research Topic, we welcome the following article types: Original Research, Brief Research Report, Hypothesis and Theory, Perspective, and Review.
The cell cycle is a fundamental process in biology: all living organisms must be able to generate new cells. Accordingly, this process has been studied in exquisite detail in model organisms such as unicellular yeasts and mammalian cells. From these studies, a model of 'conventional' binary cell division was formed. However, as horizons expand beyond these model organisms, it has become clear that binary division is not the only mode of cell replication.
Early-diverging eukaryotic microbes often divide by ‘unconventional’ means, such as schizogony in malaria parasites. In fact, microbial cell cycles are so diverse as to raise the question: ‘Does a 'conventional' cell cycle actually exist?’
Understanding the full breadth of eukaryotic cell cycles at a cellular and molecular level is clearly of basic biological interest. It is also highly important to global One Health because many eukaryotic microbes are major parasites of humans and animals, causing diseases such as malaria, toxoplasmosis, avian coccidiosis and African sleeping sickness. Targeting the unusual cell cycles of such parasites is a potential avenue for parasite-specific drug therapy.
Article topics may include (but are not limited to):
• The molecular and cellular biology of 'unconventional' cell cycles in eukaryotic microbes such as: Apicomplexa (Plasmodium, Babesia, Toxoplasma, Cryptosporidium, Eimeria, Theileria, etc.), Kinetoplastids (Trypanosoma, Leishmania, etc.), other parasitic or free-living alveolata and atypical fungal species;
• Discussion of - and hypotheses concerning - the similarities and differences in cell cycle biology in these various microbes.
In this Research Topic, we welcome the following article types: Original Research, Brief Research Report, Hypothesis and Theory, Perspective, and Review.
