A Plasmodium vinckei cysteine proteinase shares unique features with its Plasmodium falciparum analogue.

The gene encoding a cysteine proteinase of the murine malaria parasite Plasmodium vinckei has been identified and characterized. The gene encodes a papain-family proteinase that shares unique features with a previously described P. falciparum cysteine proteinase. We hypothesize that both enzymes mediate the hydrolysis of hemoglobin, and perhaps other Plasmodium-specific functions.