Parasite protein pirates host cytoskeletal modulator during invasion.

Host cytoskeletal rearrangements are an essential yet poorly understood component of Cryptosporidium invasion. Guérin et al. demonstrate that actin rearrangements occur immediately during adherence and capture a unique mechanism of invasion using live-cell imaging. The authors identify a parasite-secreted effector, ROP1, recruited by a host protein, LMO7, involved in pathogenesis.