Exported chaperones/co-chaperones of P. falciparum: Interaction with host proteins, and relevance for intra-erythrocytic survival of the parasite

疟疾寄生虫侵入成熟的人类红细胞后，将大量蛋白质转运到宿主细胞，然后这些蛋白质在宿主细胞中参与各种过程，如抗原变异、营养获取和宿主细胞的结构修饰。我们以前的工作集中在阐明蛋白质运输到宿主红细胞所需的信号和所涉及的机制。在最近的一项研究中，我们已经确定了一个家庭的寄生虫编码的热休克蛋白40蛋白出口到宿主红细胞，并参与蛋白质运输过程。在这个当前的项目中，我们的目标是进一步研究这个蛋白质家族，通过表征它们在人类红细胞内的相互作用伙伴，深入了解它们在红细胞重塑中的作用，从而了解寄生虫的生存。

Having invaded the mature human erythrocyte, malaria parasites transport a large number of proteins to the host cell, where these proteins are then involved in diverse processes such as antigenic variation, nutrient acquisition and structural modifications of the host cell. Our previous work has concentrated on elucidating both the signals required for protein traffic to the host erythrocyte, and the mechanisms involved. In a recent study, we have identified a family of parasite-encoded Hsp40 proteins which are exported to the host erythrocyte, and implicated in protein transport processes. In this current project, we aim to further our studies of this protein family by characterising their interaction partners within the human erythrocyte, to gain insight into their role in erythrocyte remodelling and thus parasite survival.