A secretory hexokinase plays an active role in the proliferation of .

The microsporidian is an obligate intracellular parasite of , that lost its intact tricarboxylic acid cycle and mitochondria during evolution but retained its intact glycolysis pathway. hexokinase (NbHK) is not only a rate-limiting enzyme of glycolysis but also a secretory protein. Indirect immunofluorescence assays and recombinant HK overexpressed in BmN cells showed that NbHK localized in the nucleus and cytoplasm of host cell during the meront stage. When matured, NbHK tended to concentrate at the nuclei of host cells. Furthermore, the transcriptional profile of implied it functioned during proliferation stages. A knock-down of effectively suppressed the proliferation of indicating that NbHK is an important protein for parasite to control its host.