<i>Toxoplasma gondii</i> PROP1 is critical for autophagy and parasite viability during chronic infection

It is estimated that up to a third of the human population is chronically infected with <i>Toxoplasma gondii</i>; however, little is known about how this parasite persists long term within its hosts. Autophagy is a self-eating pathway that has recently been shown to play a key role in parasite persistence, yet few proteins that carry out this process during <i>T. gondii</i> chronic infection are known. Here, we provide evidence for a non-redundant role of TgPROP1, a protein important in the early steps of the autophagy pathway. Genetic disruption of TgPROP1 resulted in impaired autophagy and chronic infection of mice. Our results reveal a critical role for TgPROP1 in autophagy and underscore the importance of this pathway in parasite persistence.