Intracellular parasites from the genus Plasmodium reside and multiply in a variety of cells during their development. After invasion of human erythrocytes, asexual stages from the most virulent malaria parasite, P. falciparum, drastically change their host cell and export remodelling and virulence proteins. Recent data demonstrate that a specific NH(2)-terminal signal conserved across the genus Plasmodium plays a central role in this export process.