PTEX helps efficiently traffic haemoglobinases to the food vacuole in Plasmodium falciparum

Abstract

A key element of Plasmodium biology and pathogenesis is the trafficking of ~10% of the parasite proteome into the host red blood cell (RBC) it infects. To cross the parasite-encasing parasitophorous vacuole membrane, exported proteins utilise a channel-forming protein complex termed the Plasmodium translocon of exported proteins (PTEX). PTEX is obligatory for parasite survival, both in vitro and in vivo, suggesting that at least some exported proteins have essential metabolic functions. However, to date only one essential PTEX-dependent process, the new permeability pathways, has been described. To identify other essential PTEX-dependant proteins/processes, we conditionally knocked down the ..