title: Drug transport and drug resistance in African trypanosomes.
abstract: Drug resistance in African trypanosomes has been studied for almost a hundred years. Beginning with Paul Ehrlich's work that led to the chemoreceptor hypothesis, reduction of net drug uptake has emerged as the most frequent cause of resistance. This review, therefore, focuses on trypanosomal drug transporter genes. TbAT1 encodes purine permease P2, which mediates influx of melarsoprol and diamidines. Disruption of TbAT1 in Trypanosoma brucei reduced sensitivity to these trypanocides. TbMRPA encodes a putative trypanothione-conjugate efflux pump, and overexpression of TbMRPA in T. brucei causes melarsoprol resistance. It will be important to determine the role of TbAT1 and TbMRPA in sleeping sickness treatment failures.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cell Biology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Pascal
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mäser
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lüscher
authors.forename: Ronald
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kaminsky
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001692:Biological Transport / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics; D004351:Drug Resistance / Q000187:drug effects*; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D013557:Switzerland; D014344:Trypanocidal Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D014347:Trypanosoma brucei gambiense / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D016833:Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014353:Trypanosomiasis, African / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D014344:Trypanocidal Agents