Model of PfEMP1 trafficking to the surface of P falciparum–parasitized erythrocytes. PfEMP1 and KAHRP carry protein export element (PEXEL) motifs that enable them to traverse the PVM, perhaps in association with specific translocases or helper proteins. In knobs, KAHRP binds the ATS of PfEMP1 and ties it to actin-spectrin-band 4.1 in the cytoskeleton.⁵