ATP2B4 and malaria: To investigate how systemic abrogation of PMCA4 expression, and the associated alterations in RBC properties, affected the course of blood-stage malaria, the PMCA4−/− and WT littermate mice were infected with P. chabaudi parasites, a species of rodent Plasmodium that predominantly infects mature erythrocytes (normocytes) and which causes recrudescing and chronic malarial disease [22, 23].