Protein Trafficking to Apical Organelles of Malaria Parasites - Building an Invasion Machine

Malaria is caused by four species of apicomplexan protozoa belonging to the genus Plasmodium. These parasites possess a specialized collection of secretory organelles called rhoptries, micronemes and dense granules (DGs) that in part facilitate invasion of host cells. The mechanism by which the para...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Traffic (Copenhagen, Denmark) Denmark), 2008-02, Vol.9 (2), p.176-186
Main Authors: Kats, Lev M, Cooke, Brian M, Coppel, Ross L, Black, Casilda G
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
dense granules
Erythrocytes - metabolism
Erythrocytes - parasitology
Humans
malaria
Merozoites - physiology
micronemes
Models, Biological
Organelles - metabolism
Plasmodium
Plasmodium - physiology
Protein Sorting Signals - physiology
protein trafficking
protein transport
Protein Transport - physiology
regulated secretion
rhoptries
Secretory Vesicles - metabolism
Secretory Vesicles - parasitology
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Summary:Malaria is caused by four species of apicomplexan protozoa belonging to the genus Plasmodium. These parasites possess a specialized collection of secretory organelles called rhoptries, micronemes and dense granules (DGs) that in part facilitate invasion of host cells. The mechanism by which the parasite traffics proteins to these organelles as well as regulates their secretion has important implications for understanding the invasion process and may lead to development of novel intervention strategies. In this review, we focus on emerging data about trafficking signals, mechanisms of biogenesis and secretion. At least some of these are conserved in higher eukaryotes, suggesting that rhoptries, micronemes and DGs are related to organelles such as secretory lysosomes that are well known to mainstream cell biologists.
ISSN:1398-9219
1600-0854
DOI:10.1111/j.1600-0854.2007.00681.x