ABSTRACT
In malaria parasites, as in higher eukaryotic cells, proteinases are probably involved in numerous physiological events, including the interactions that occur upon invasion of the parasite into a host cell, that is between sporozoite and hepatocyte and between merozoite and erythrocyte. The latter process, in particular, represents potential for novel chemotherapy. The specific recognition of an erythrocyte by a merozoite (Hadley et al., 1986; Schrével et al., 1986), the subsequent reorientation of the merozoite with its apex in contact with the erythrocyte membrane (Bannister et al., 1975; Dvorak et al., 1975) and the internalization of the merozoite via a moving junction (Aikawa et al., 1979), imply the involvement of very specific molecules such as receptors of glycoconjugates, translocator molecules and selective proteinases.
