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

疟原虫侵入成熟的人红细胞后，将大量蛋白质运送到宿主细胞，然后这些蛋白质参与宿主细胞的抗原变异、营养获取和结构修饰等多种过程。我们以前的工作主要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寄生虫编码的Hsp40蛋白家族，这些蛋白出口到宿主红细胞，并参与蛋白质运输过程。在目前的项目中，我们的目标是通过表征它们在人类红细胞内的相互作用伙伴来进一步研究这个蛋白质家族，以深入了解它们在红细胞重塑和寄生虫生存中的作用。

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.