Translation and post-translational modifications in Plasmodium

Malaria is one of the most important human parasitic diseases in the world, affecting about 400 million people and killing about I million children every year. Our relationship with the malarial parasite has been a long one on the evolutionary scale, and the methods adopted by the parasite to thrive and colonize our bodies are truly fascinating. In order to control the disease, it is of fundamental importance to understand the biology of the parasite. In this review we discuss certain unique features in the parasite translation machinery. We also discuss the various post-translational modifications of Plasmodium proteins, that may result in the modulation of their function.