Protein targeting from malaria parasites to host erythrocytes.
Malaria is caused by obligate intracellular parasites, which live in host erythrocytes and remodel these cells to provide optimally for their own needs. Plasmodium falciparum, responsible for malaria in humans, transports many proteins into erythrocytes which help the parasite survive in the host. The recent discovery of a host cell-targeting sequence present in both soluble and transmembrane P. falciparum proteins provoked a discussion on the potential mechanisms of parasite protein entry into infected erythrocytes which is summarized here.
University of Cambridge, Cambridge Institute for Medical Research and Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Cambridge CB2 2XY, UK. kbr20@cam.ac.uk
Karin
K
Römisch
D000818:Animals; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000469:parasitology*; D006801:Humans; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000097:blood / Q000469:parasitology*; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000378:metabolism*; D021382:Protein Sorting Signals; D021381:Protein Transport; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*
D008565:Membrane Proteins; D021382:Protein Sorting Signals; D015800:Protozoan Proteins