PfCCp proteins of Plasmodium falciparum: gametocyte-specific expression and role in complement-mediated inhibition of exflagellation.

The sexual phase of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum is essential for transmission of the disease and is accompanied by the co-ordinated expression of sexual stage proteins. Six of these proteins belong to a highly conserved apicomplexan family of multi-domain adhesion proteins, termed PfCCps. PfCCp1, PfCCp2 and PfCCp3 are co-dependently expressed in the parasitophorous vacuole associated with the gametocyte plasma membrane.