Human erythrocytes lacking various blood group determinants were susceptible to invasion by Plasmodium falciparum including Duffy-negative erythrocytes that are refractory to invasion by Plasmodium knowlesi. Erythrocytes treated with trypsin or neuraminidase had reduced susceptibility of P. falciparum and normal susceptibility to P. knowlesi. Chymotrypsin treatment (0.1 mg/ml) blocked invasion only by P. knowlesi. The differential effect of enzymatic cleavage of determinats from the erythrocyte surface on invasion by these parasites suggests that P. falciparum and P. knowlesi interact with different determinants on the erythrocyte surface.