Functional and immunological insights from the three-dimensional structures of Plasmodium surface proteins

Malaria is a major global health problem and is caused by the unicellular parasite Plasmodium. Plasmodial surface proteins have important roles in host cell invasion and are responsible for antigenic diversity in this organism. Knowledge of the three-dimensional structure of surface proteins can facilitate our understanding their biological function, and contribute to the development of therapeutic and vaccine strategies against malaria. Structural studies allow rational drug design when ligand- or receptor-binding sites are identified and characterized. Analysis of the three-dimensional distribution of protective antibody epitopes and polymorphic residues can facilitate vaccine candidate optimization. With this in mind, some Plasmodium surface-protein structures have determined by X-ray crystallography or nuclear magnetic resonance.