Evidence that the electron dense vesicles within the erythrocyte cytosol transport PfEMP1 and PFEMP3 to the erythrocyte membrane. Trophozoite stage IRBC were processed for immunoelectron microscopy and probed with a rabbit a-PfEMP1 IgG followed by a goat a-rabbit IgG coupled to 15 nm gold. PfEMP1 is distributed on knobs (K) (A, short arrow), on electron dense vesicles that appear to fuse with the red blood cell membrane (E–G, short arrow) and among coated, electron dense vesicles in the erythrocyte cytosol (B,C, short arrow). Trophozoite stage IRBC were processed for immunoelectron microscopy and probed with a rat PfEMP3 IgG followed by a goat a-rat IgG coupled to 10 nm gold. PfEMP3 is distributed on electron dense vesicles that appear to fuse with the parasite plasma membrane (I, arrowhead), on the cytoplasmic leaflet of electron dense vesicles within the erythrocyte cytosol (K) and on knobs (J, arrowhead). Scale bar = 100 nm.

Taraschi TF, Trelka D, Martinez S, Schneider T, O'Donnell ME. Vesicle-mediated trafficking of parasite proteins to the host cell cytosol and erythrocyte surface membrane in Plasmodium falciparum infected erythrocytes. Int J Parasitol. 2001 31:1381-1391. Copyright Elsevier 2010.