title: Is the multidrug transporter a flippase?
abstract: The phenomenon of multidrug resistance is correlated with the presence of a membrane protein, P-glycoprotein, which pumps a wide variety of drugs out of cells thus reducing their toxicity. However, the mechanism of this pumping action remains unclear. In this article, we suggest that several properties of the multidrug transporter may be explained if it acts as a 'flippase' to transport drugs from the inner leaflet of the lipid bilayer to the outer or to the external medium.
authors.affiliation: Imperial Cancer Research Fund Laboratories, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, UK.
authors.forename: C F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Higgins
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Gottesman
mesh_terms: D020168:ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Member 1; D000818:Animals; D001693:Biological Transport, Active; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D004351:Drug Resistance / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007473:Ion Channels / Q000502:physiology*; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000502:physiology*; D008954:Models, Biological; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D020168:ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Member 1; D001798:Blood Proteins; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D007473:Ion Channels; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins