The Pexel motif is necessary for export of soluble proteins in P. falciparum. The reporter is exported only when fused to the N terminus of KAHRP (A) or GBP130 (B) including the complete Pexel motif. Representative cells expressing the exported reporter are shown in ring stage (left), early (center), and late trophozoites (right). Note that KAHRP-GFP is already exported into the host cell in early stages, whereas GBP130-YFP is retained in the parasitophorous vacuole and released after development into mature trophozoite stages, perhaps because of its unusually recessed or embedded signal sequence.

Marti M, Good RT, Rug M, Knuepfer E, Cowman AF. Targeting malaria virulence and remodeling proteins to the host erythrocyte. Science. 2004 306(5703):1930-3. Copyright 2010.