title: A polymorphic drug pump in the malaria parasite.
abstract: The human malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, has long been known to have a homologue of the human 'multidrug resistance' P-glycoprotein. P-glycoprotein is an ABC transporter that pumps drugs from multidrug-resistant cancer cells. The malaria parasite's P-glycoprotein homologue, Pgh1, is known to influence the sensitivity of malaria parasites to a diverse range of antimalarial drugs, but the mechanism by which it does so has remained obscure. In a new paper, Sanchez et al. report the successful functional expression of Pgh1 in Xenopus laevis oocytes and provide the first direct demonstration of the ability of Pgh1 to transport drugs. The work provides important new insights into the mechanism by which Pgh1 influences malaria parasite drug sensitivity.
authors.affiliation: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia. kevin.saliba@anu.edu.au
authors.forename: Kevin J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Saliba
authors.forename: Adele M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Lehane
authors.forename: Kiaran
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kirk
mesh_terms: D018528:ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D000962:Antimalarials / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004351:Drug Resistance / Q000235:genetics*; D017125:Genes, Protozoan; D009865:Oocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014982:Xenopus laevis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D018528:ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters; D000962:Antimalarials; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; C059987:mdr gene protein, Plasmodium