Invasion of vertebrate cells by Toxoplasma gondii.

Toxoplasma gondii actively invades its host cell rather than entering by conventional phagocytosis. Invasion is powered by a microfilament-based motility system in the parasite that leads to invagination of the host cell plasma membrane to form a novel intracellular vacuole. This vacuole resists fusion with the endocytic network of the host cell and provides a protective environment for replication of the parasite.