The s48/45 six-cysteine proteins: mediators of interaction throughout the Plasmodium life cycle.

摘要: During their life cycle Plasmodium parasites rely upon an arsenal of proteins that establish key interactions with the host and vector, between parasite sexual stages, purpose ensuring infection, reproduction proliferation. Among these is a group secreted or membrane-anchored known as six-cysteine (6-cys) family. This small but important family only 14 members thus far identified, each stage-specifically expressed during cycle. 6-cys often localise at surface interface are conserved in different species. The unifying feature s48/45 domain, presumably involved adhesion structurally related to Ephrins, ligands Eph receptors. most prominent currently under functional investigation being pursued vaccine candidates. In this review, we examine what about family, structure function, discuss future research directions.