Plasmodium vivax: Merozoites, invasion of reticulocytes and considerations for malaria vaccine development

Several Plasmodium vivax merozoite proteins have been characterized over the past few years, including two that bind specifically to reticulocytes. Here, Mary Galinski and John Barnwell examine P. vivax merozoites and constituent molecules that are involved in host cell selection and invasion, and that also are viewed as malaria vaccine candidates. They also discuss how knowledge of the reticulocyte-binding proteins furthers the development of a conceptual framework for malaria merozoite invasion at the molecular level, not only for P. vivax, but for all species of the parasite.