Toxoplasma: the next 100 years

It has been 100 years since Toxoplasma gondii was initially described in Tunis by Nicolle and Manceaux (1908) in the tissues of the gundi (Ctenodoactylus gundi) and in Brazil by Splendore (1908) in the tissues of a rabbit. T. gondii is a ubiquitous, Apicomplexan parasite of warm-blooded animals that can cause several clinical syndromes including encephalitis, chorioretinitis and congenital infection. Due to the extensive repertoire of applicable experimental techniques available for this pathogen it has become a model organism for the study of intracellular pathogens. Data obtained from genome-wide expression studies, including ChIP on chip and proteomics surveys, are refining our understanding of the genetic networks involved in the developmental biology of this pathogen as well as the interactions of the parasite with its host. This review addresses recent advances in our understanding of the developmental biology and host–pathogen relationships of T. gondii.