title: Parasite aquaporins: current developments in drug facilitation and resistance.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although being situated in a niche, research on parasite aquaporins is a lively field that has provided new insight into basic aquaporin structure-function relationships and physiological roles of water and solute transport. Moreover, it bears the potential to find novel approaches to antiparasitic chemotherapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Here, we summarize the current knowledge about the structure and substrate selectivity of aquaporins from protozoan and helminth parasites, review the current views on their physiological roles, and discuss their potency for chemotherapy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Parasite aquaporins fulfill highly diverse tasks in the physiology of the various organisms, yet their general protein structure is well conserved. Aquaporins are directly (antimonials) and indirectly (melarsoprol, pentamidine) linked to the uptake of antiparasitic drugs. Unfortunately, drug-like aquaporin inhibitors are still missing.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Aquaporins expression levels determine the degree of parasite resistance against certain drugs. Further studies on parasite aquaporins may provide data about overcoming drug resistance mechanisms or even spark novel treatments. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Aquaporins.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Physiology, Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel, Germany.
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: Pharmaceutical Institute, Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel, Germany.
authors.forename: Ellen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mak
authors.affiliation: Pharmaceutical Institute, Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel, Germany.
authors.forename: Binghua
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Pharmaceutical Institute, Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel, Germany. Electronic address: ebeitz@pharmazie.uni-kiel.de.
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Beitz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D020346:Aquaporins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D008958:Models, Molecular; D010271:Parasites / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D020346:Aquaporins
keywords: Antimonials; Aquaporin; Glycerol; Parasite; Pentamidine; Water