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The Twists and Turns of Maurer’s Cleft Trafficking in P. falciparum ‐Infected Erythrocytes
Author(s) -
Tilley Leann,
Sougrat Rachid,
Lithgow Trevor,
Hanssen Eric
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
traffic
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.677
H-Index - 130
eISSN - 1600-0854
pISSN - 1398-9219
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0854.2007.00684.x
Subject(s) - biology , plasmodium falciparum , microbiology and biotechnology , cytoplasm , parasite hosting , golgi apparatus , transport protein , malaria , immunology , endoplasmic reticulum , computer science , world wide web
The malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum , invades the red blood cells (RBCs) of its human host and initiates a series of morphological rearrangements within the host cell cytoplasm. The mature RBC has no endogenous trafficking machinery; therefore, the parasite generates novel structures to mediate protein transport. These include compartments called the Maurer’s clefts (MC), which play an important role in the trafficking of parasite proteins to the surface of the host cell. Recent electron tomography studies have revealed MC as convoluted flotillas of flattened discs that are tethered to the RBC membrane, prompting speculation that the MC could, in one respect, represent an extracellular equivalent of the Golgi apparatus. Visualization of both resident and cargo proteins has helped decipher the signals and routes for trafficking of parasite proteins to the MC and beyond.