title: Differences in trans-stimulated chloroquine efflux kinetics are linked to PfCRT in Plasmodium falciparum.
abstract: The mechanism underpinning chloroquine drug resistance in the human malarial parasite Plasmodium falciparum has remained controversial. Currently discussed models include a carrier or a channel for chloroquine, the former actively expelling the drug, the latter facilitating its passive diffusion, out of the parasite's food vacuole, where chloroquine accumulates and inhibits haem detoxification. Here we have challenged both models using an established trans-stimulation efflux protocol. While carriers may demonstrate trans-stimulation, channels do not. Our data reveal that extracellular chloroquine stimulates chloroquine efflux in the presence and absence of metabolic energy in both chloroquine-sensitive and -resistant parasites, resulting in a hyperbolic increase in the apparent initial efflux rates as the concentration of external chloroquine increases. In the absence of metabolic energy, the apparent initial efflux rates were comparable in both parasites. Significant differences were only observed in the presence of metabolic energy, where consistently higher apparent initial efflux rates were found in chloroquine-resistant parasites. As trans-stimulation is characteristic of a carrier, and not a channel, we interpret our data in favour of a carrier for chloroquine being present in both chloroquine-sensitive and -resistant parasites, however, with different transport modalities.
authors.affiliation: Hygiene Institut, Abteilung Parasitologie, Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 324, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Cecilia P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Sanchez
authors.forename: Petra
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rohrbach
authors.forename: Jeremy E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: McLean
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Fidock
authors.forename: Wilfred D
authors.initials: WD
authors.lastname: Stein
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lanzer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002738:Chloroquine / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D004351:Drug Resistance; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000469:parasitology; D005947:Glucose / Q000494:pharmacology; D007700:Kinetics; D008239:Lysine / Q000235:genetics; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics; D010271:Parasites / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D013912:Threonine / Q000235:genetics; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; C416369:PfCRT protein, Plasmodium falciparum; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; D013912:Threonine; D002738:Chloroquine; D005947:Glucose; D008239:Lysine