- A-Z
- Endocytobiosis and ...
- Volume 23 (2012) - ...
- The apicoplast of t...
- Autor(in)
- Seitenbereich
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091-095
- Schlagwort(e)
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Protein trafficking, symbiosis, P. falciparum, malaria, apicomplexa
- Zusammenfsg.
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The human malaria parasite P. falciparum contains a four-membrane bound plastid which was obtained by secondary endosymbiosis. This so-called apicoplast has become the object of intense research interest, as it contains biosynthetic pathways which are essential for parasite survival. As most of the symbiont genes have been transferred to the nuclear genome, proteins des-tined for the apicoplast must be post-translationally targeted back to the apicoplast to reach their site of action. In the past decade, great steps have been made in understanding how this process occurs, and the molecular players involved. In this article we review current literature on trafficking to the apicoplast, and highlight open questions in understanding how the parasite “feeds” proteins to its plastid.