Bhattacharjee, SouvikStahelin, Robert V.Haldar, Kasturi2025-06-122025-06-122012Bhattacharjee S, Stahelin RV, Haldar K. Host targeting of virulence determinants and phosphoinositides in blood stage malaria parasites. Trends Parasitol. 2012;28(12):555-562. doi:10.1016/j.pt.2012.09.004https://hdl.handle.net/1805/48635Blood stage malaria parasites target a 'secretome' of hundreds of proteins including virulence determinants containing a host (cell) targeting (HT) signal, to human erythrocytes. Recent studies reveal that the export mechanism is due to the HT signal binding to the lipid phosphatidylinositol-3-phosphate [PI(3)P] in the parasite endoplasmic reticulum (ER). An aspartic protease plasmepsin V which cleaves a specialized form of the HT signal was previously thought to be the export mechanism, but is now recognized as a dedicated peptidase that cleaves the signal anchor subsequent to PI(3)P binding. We discuss a model of PI(3)P-dependent targeting and PI(3)P biology of a major human pathogen.en-USPublisher PolicyMalariaPhosphoinositidesHost-targetingPathogenic secretionExportBlood cellsEndoplasmic reticulumArticle