title: Molecular epidemiology of malaria in Yaoundé, Cameroon. III. Analysis of chloroquine resistance and point mutations in the multidrug resistance 1 (pfmdr 1) gene of Plasmodium falciparum.
abstract: It has been postulated that chloroquine resistance may be associated with a single point mutation at codon 86 of the Plasmodium falciparum multidrug resistance 1 (pfmdr 1) gene. Using a simple and rapid molecular technique involving polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism, the frequency of the Asn-to-Tyr mutation associated with chloroquine resistance was established among 129 clinical isolates obtained from indigenous patients in Yaoundé, Cameroon. The results showed that 110 of 129 isolates display a mutant codon. The other clinical isolates had either a pure wild-type Asn-86 codon (n = 12) or mixed Asn/Tyr alleles (n = 7). In vitro drug assays were performed to compare the genotype and phenotype in 102 clinical isolates. Of these isolates, 86 displayed pure Tyr-86 mutant codon; 48 (56%) mutant isolates were chloroquine-resistant (50% inhibitory concentration [IC50] > 100 nM), as expected, but 38 (44%) mutant isolates were chloroquine-sensitive (IC50 < 100 nM). Three chloroquine-resistant isolates and seven chloroquine-sensitive parasites carried a wild-type Asn-86 codon. Mixed alleles were found in six isolates (four chloroquine-sensitive and two chloroquine-resistant isolates). Our results did not confirm previous observations on the possible association between chloroquine resistance phenotype and genotype based on the pfmdr 1 gene.
authors.affiliation: Institut Français de Recherche Scientifique pour le Développement en Coopération (ORSTOM) and Laboratoire de Recherches sur le Paludisme, Organisation de Coordination pour la lutte contre les Endémies en Afrique Centrale, Yaoundé, Cameroon.
authors.forename: L K
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Basco
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ringwald
mesh_terms: D018528:ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters; D000818:Animals; D000962:Antimalarials / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002738:Chloroquine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017125:Genes, Protozoan; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics; D017354:Point Mutation; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D018528:ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters; D000962:Antimalarials; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; C059987:mdr gene protein, Plasmodium; D002738:Chloroquine