PHGDH and malaria: The SERA multigene family has been identified solely in the genus Plasmodium among all the apicoplexan parasites, with the only exception being Theileria, a closely related protozoan parasite of cattle [13].The SERAs are highly conserved among the plasmodium species, especially in the putative protease domain, suggesting that the functions of these proteases are specific to malaria parasites.