Pexel/VTS: a protein-export motif in erythrocytes infected with malaria parasites.

The trafficking of proteins from the malaria parasite into the erythrocyte host has an important role in both the adaptation by the parasite of its immediate environment and the pathophysiology of disease. The molecular basis of these trafficking processes, particularly export from the parasitophorous vacuole (PV), is poorly understood and a matter of some controversy. In this article, we highlight two recent, independent reports that have provided new insights into protein translocation across the PV membrane, characterizing a novel signalling motif as a key signature in cataloguing the parasite secretome.