Multiple sequence alignment of SlAlba proteins with a well-characterized Alba homolog from the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum highlighted the evolutionary conservation of RPP-20-like family Alba proteins from a unicellular parasite and a flowering plant, particularly the presence of similar amino acid residues in the hexapeptide motif at the start of the Alba domain and in the TKKP-tetrapeptide motif of the first loop (L1), which are related to the DNA binding affinity of the Alba domain (Fig. 3). The gene discussed is AFM; the disease is malaria.