A novel Plasmodium-specific prodomain fold regulates the malaria drug target SUB1 subtilase.

Subtilase SUB1, a proteolytic enzyme required for the exit of malarial parasites from host cells, represents a promising target for anti-malarial drugs. Here, Giganti et al. report the structure of Plasmodium SUB1 and identify an essential domain involved in calcium-dependent activation of the enzyme.