A host-targeting signal is detected in the virulence membrane protein PfEMP1. (B) Schematic representation of a PfEMP1 minigene–GFP chimera containing PfEMP1 domain (orange) with the MEME motif as well as transmembrane and cytosolic domain (amino acids 1521 to 2042 from PfEMP1 AAB09769.1) (yellow, brown, and blue). (C) Projections (0-) of live cells expressing the PfEMP1 minigene–GFP chimera with no change (a), nine-residue replacement (triangle) of FFRWFSEWS in signal with AASTDIAST (b), and deletion of the 203-to-321 fragment (c), as detected by digitized fluorescence microscopy. Export of green fluorescence is primarily to ‘‘spots’’ (possibly reflecting clefts) in the erythrocyte in (a). This export is blocked by either replacement of indicated residues in the predicted signal or loss of the fragment (containing the motif). p, parasite; e, erythrocyte. Scale bars, 5 mm.

Hiller NL, Bhattacharjee S, van Ooij C, Liolios K, Harrison T, Lopez-Estraño C, Haldar K. A host-targeting signal in virulence proteins reveals a secretome in malarial infection. Science. 2004 306(5703):1934-7.