title: PfCRT-mediated drug transport in malarial parasites.
abstract: A wide range of drug transport studies using intact infected red blood cells, isolated malarial parasites, heterologous expression systems, and purified protein, combined with elegant genetic experiments, have suggested that chloroquine transport by the Plasmodium falciparum chloroquine resistance transporter (PfCRT) is a key aspect of the molecular mechanism of quinoline antimalarial drug resistance. However, many questions remain. This short review summarizes data that have led to drug channel versus drug pump hypotheses for PfCRT and suggests ways in which recent contrasting interpretations might be reconciled.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Department of Biochemistry and Cellular and Molecular Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057, United States. roepep@georgetown.edu
authors.forename: Paul D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Roepe
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000962:Antimalarials / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002738:Chloroquine / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004351:Drug Resistance; D006801:Humans; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000188:drug therapy*; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D009154:Mutation; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000962:Antimalarials; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; C416369:PfCRT protein, Plasmodium falciparum; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; D002738:Chloroquine