Rab GTPases and the unusual secretory pathway of plasmodium

A detailed analysis of some of the unusual features of secretory protein trafficking in Plasmodium has been hindered by the paucity of markers available for identifying the different compartments of the parasite's secretory apparatus. Gary Ward, Lew Tilney and Gordon Langsley here outline what is currently known about the secretory pathways of Plasmodium falciparum, and discuss how the recent description of a family of parasite rab genes is being used to generate a set of compartment-specific markers. They illustrate this point by describing studies with PfRab6, an established Golgi marker in other eukaryotic cells, which argue in favor of a functional Golgi in Plasmodium spp.