A novel route for ATP acquisition by the remnant mitochondria of Encephalitozoon cuniculi

Life without mitochondria: Microsporidia 'borrow' their ATP The micosporidia, including the parasite Encephalitozoon cuniculi that is an opportunistic pathogen in humans, have undergone extreme genomic and cellular reduction. Instead of mitochondria, they contain remnant organelles known as mitosomes. Somehow, these organisms need to get hold of ATP, and now there is evidence that E. cuniculi uses bacterial-like transport proteins to 'steal' ATP from the cytosol of its eukaryotic host.