Parasitic cell escape had been thought to be solely mediated by perforin-like protein (PLP1) released by the parasite; however, the detailed molecular mechanism remained largely unknown.

Dr. Yuta Tachibana and Prof. Masahiro Yamamoto (also affiliated with the Immunology Frontier Research Center) of the Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, in collaboration with universities in Switzerland, the United States, and Japan, identified a novel factor, MIC11, using in vivo CRISPR screening. They demonstrated that MIC11, in cooperation with PLP1, facilitates disruption of the host cell membrane and promotes parasite escape.
(online publishing in Nat Commun. on April 4, 2026)

Contact

Prof. MasahiroYamamoto

myamamotobiken.osaka-u.ac.jp

Immunoparasitology