title: Maurer's clefts--a novel secretory organelle?
abstract: During intra-erythrocytic development, the human malarial parasite Plasmodium falciparum extensively remodels its adopted cellular home by exporting proteins beyond the confines of its own plasma membrane, but is, however, faced with a major problem: the lack of an endogenous protein trafficking machinery within the host erythrocyte. Thus, in order to export proteins the parasite has to install its own protein export system within the host erythrocyte. A growing body of evidence suggests that Maurer's clefts, parasite-derived membranous structures in the cytosol of the host cell, are a crucial component of this protein sorting and trafficking machinery. In this review we summarize our current understanding of the ultra-structure of Maurer's clefts and their role in protein transport process.
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Hygiene Institute, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 324, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Jude M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Przyborski
authors.forename: Hannes
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wickert
authors.forename: Georg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Krohne
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lanzer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003600:Cytosol / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D004910:Erythrocyte Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006801:Humans; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000469:parasitology; D015388:Organelles / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000378:metabolism*; D021381:Protein Transport; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015800:Protozoan Proteins