The pathway of hemoglobin degradation in malaria parasites

Hemoglobin degradation in malaria parasites appears to be a vital and massive undertaking during introerythrocytic development. An ordered pathway exists that efficiently cotobolizes hemoglobin to yield amino acids that the parasite uses as a nutrient source, and that co-ordinates the resultant heme into a remarkable crystalline structure called hemozoin. Daniel Goldberg and Andrew Slater explain that the enzymes involved are specific and present prime targets for chemotherapeutic intervention.