Traffic jams: Protein transport in Plasmodium falciparum

Protein targeting in malaria parasites is a complex process, involving seve ral cellular compartments that distinguish these cells from more familiar s ystems, such as yeast or mammals. At least a dozen distinct protein destina tions are known. The best studied of these is the vestigial chloroplast (th e apicoplast), but new tools promise rapid progress in understanding how Pl asmodium falciparum and related apicomplexan parasites traffic proteins to their invasion-related organelles, and how they modify the host by traffick ing proteins into its cytoplasm and plasma membrane. Here, Giel van Dooren and colleagues discuss recent insights into protein targeting ilia the secr etory pathway in this fascinating and important system. This topic emerged as a major theme at the Molecular Approaches to Malaria conference, Lorne, Australia, 2-5 February 2000.