title: Protozoan parasite aquaporins.
abstract: Protozoan parasites are a major threat to human health with millions of fatalities worldwide, especially in nonindustrialized countries. Currently, there is no cure for many of these parasitic diseases. Consequently, there is an imperative to find treatment targets and develop novel drugs based on the proteins encoded in the genomes of these parasites. Aquaporins, members of membrane proteins discovered and characterized within the past 20 years, are the mechanism through which water is transported through living membranes. The presence of aquaporins explains disease etiology related to water physiology and presents new pharmacogenomic targets. In this article, we review the literature on aquaporins found in Apicomplexan, Kinetoplastida and Microsporidia parasites as potential drug targets. Furthermore, by analyzing protein motion dynamics, we identify impediments that need to be surmounted for developing effective drugs targeting the aquaglyceroporin of Plasmodium falciparum, the causative agent of the most fatal form of human malaria.
authors.affiliation: Department of OBGYN, New York University School of Medicine, Bellevue Hospital Center, New York, NY 10016, USA. fadiea01@nyu.edu
authors.forename: Ahmed
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fadiel
authors.forename: Raphael D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Isokpehi
authors.forename: Nejla
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Stambouli
authors.forename: Adel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hamza
authors.forename: Amel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Benammar-Elgaaied
authors.forename: Trudy Johnson
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Scalise
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000962:Antimalarials / Q000627:therapeutic use; D020346:Aquaporins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D056890:Eukaryota / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000472:pathogenicity; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000962:Antimalarials; D020346:Aquaporins; D015800:Protozoan Proteins