Ablation of a maternal Cryptosporidium mRNA-binding protein results in sterile sporozoites.

Conditional ablation of the maternal RNA-binding protein F-RBP in Cryptosporidium parvum causes rapid cure in vivo by producing oocysts that release sporozoites unable to invade host cells.

• Why it matters: Female gene expression during parasite sex is poorly understood, yet it is essential for forming infectious oocysts and sporozoites that sustain transmission.
• What they did: Using the Cryptosporidium Single Cell Atlas, the study identified F-RBP as an early female-identity marker, calibrated transcriptional pseudotime, and tested conditional F-RBP loss in vitro and in vivo.
• The result: F-RBP is dispensable for sex determination and early female development in vitro, but essential in vivo, where its loss links to defective sporozoite infectivity and sterile sporozoites.

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