SUN-domain proteins of the malaria parasite are essential for proper nuclear division and DNA repair.

Unlabelled: The protozoan parasite , which is responsible for the deadliest form of human malaria, accounts for over half a million deaths a year. These parasites proliferate in human red blood cells by consecutive rounds of closed mitoses called schizogony. Their virulence is attributed to their ability to modify the infected red cells to adhere to the vascular endothelium and to evade immunity through antigenic switches.