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Toxoplasma gondii undergoes a complex life cycle characterized by alternating developmental stages. The genetic reprogramming mechanisms driving these stage transitions remain largely unknown. In this study, we identified the AP2 factor AP2X-1 as a critical regulator important for T. gondii growth and life cycle progression. Our findings suggest that AP2X-1 functions as a repressor by modulating the function or influencing the association of the HDAC3/MORC complex at the promoters of bradyzoite- and sexual stage-specific genes, leading to chromatin compaction, restricting DNA accessibility and thereby repressing the transcription of genes required for bradyzoite formation and sexual commitment. Deletion of ap2X-1 significantly reduced T. gondii virulence and its ability to form brain cysts. These findings reveal a previously unknown regulatory pathway controlling sexual development in T. gondii , providing new insights into its underlying mechanisms.