Mechanistic Insights into Autophagy like Process and Physiological Role of Autophagy in P. falciparum

After establishing that basal and starvation-induced autophagy supports invasion and development of the parasite, by studying in detail the modulation of two autophagy-related proteins ATG8 and ATG5, we have investigated the functions of other autophagy proteins too, PfATG18 and the putative PfATG1.

•PfATG18 is involved in non-canonical as well as canonical functions; which are

•Vacuole fission and fusion

•Autophagy

•Hemoglobin trafficking