The Plasmodium circumsporozoite protein

Though the circumsporozoite protein (CSP) is the major surface protein of the Plasmodium sporozoite, and the basis for the currently used malaria vaccines, many questions regarding its function and structure remain open.CSP has a conserved domain structure among all Plasmodium species and is important for sporozoite formation, migration, and invasion, with no clear binding partners known.Proteolytic processing of CSP is essential for its function as are dynamic changes to its conformation, but only one domain has so far been crystallized and the enzymes processing CSP are unknown. The circumsporozoite protein (CSP) is one of the most studied proteins of the malaria parasite. It is the target of the only licensed malaria vaccines and is essential for sporozoite formation and infectivity. Yet, the mechanisms by which CSP functions and its interactions with other proteins are only beginning to be understood. Here we review the current state of knowledge of CSP structure and function, as sporozoites develop in the mosquito and establish infection in the mammalian host, and outline outstanding questions that need to be addressed. The circumsporozoite protein (CSP) is one of the most studied proteins of the malaria parasite. It is the target of the only licensed malaria vaccines and is essential for sporozoite formation and infectivity. Yet, the mechanisms by which CSP functions and its interactions with other proteins are only beginning to be understood. Here we review the current state of knowledge of CSP structure and function, as sporozoites develop in the mosquito and establish infection in the mammalian host, and outline outstanding questions that need to be addressed.