| Definition: |
A protein complex that acts as a protein trafficking machinery and is responsible for the export of proteins across the parasitophorous (symbiont-containing) vacuolar membrane and into the human host cell. The PTEX complex is located in the vacuole membrane. It is ATP-powered, and comprises heat shock protein 101 (HSP101; a ClpA/B-like ATPase from the AAA+ superfamily, of a type commonly associated with protein translocons), a parasite protein termed PTEX150, and exported protein 2 (EXP2). EXP2 is the potential channel, as it is the membrane-associated component of the core PTEX complex. Two other proteins, PTEX88 and thioredoxin 2 (TRX2), were also identified as PTEX components. |