Analysis of Plasmodium vivax Chloroquine Resistance Transporter Mutant Isoforms

Biochemistry. 2017 Oct 17;56(41):5615-5622. doi: 10.1021/acs.biochem.7b00749. Epub 2017 Sep 26.

Abstract

Chloroquine (CQ) resistance (CQR) in Plasmodium falciparum malaria is widespread and has limited the use of CQ in many regions of the globe. Malaria caused by the related human parasite P. vivax is as widespread as is P. falciparum malaria and has been treated with CQ as extensively as has P. falciparum, suggesting that P. vivax parasites have been selected with CQ as profoundly as have P. falciparum parasites. Indeed, a growing number of clinical reports have presented data suggesting increased P. vivax CQR. Cytostatic (growth inhibitory) CQR for P. falciparum is caused by Plasmodium falciparum chloroquine resistance transporter (PfCRT) mutations, and it has been proposed that mutations in the PvCRT orthologue may simliarly cause P. vivax CQR via increasing CQ transport from the P. vivax digestive vacuole. Here we report the first quantitative analysis of drug transport mediated by all known mutant isoforms of Plasmodium vivax chloroquine resistance transporter (PvCRT) in order to test the protein's potential link to growing P. vivax CQR phenomena. Small, but statistically significant, differences in the transport of CQ and other quinoline antimalarial drugs were found for multiple PvCRT isoforms, relative to wild type PvCRT, suggesting that mutations in PvCRT can contribute to P. vivax CQR and other examples of quinoline antimalarial drug resistance.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Substitution
  • Antimalarials / metabolism*
  • Antimalarials / pharmacology
  • Biological Transport
  • Cell Membrane / drug effects
  • Cell Membrane / metabolism
  • Chloroquine / metabolism*
  • Chloroquine / pharmacology
  • Colony Count, Microbial
  • Drug Resistance
  • Humans
  • Malaria, Vivax / drug therapy
  • Malaria, Vivax / parasitology
  • Membrane Transport Proteins / chemistry
  • Membrane Transport Proteins / genetics
  • Membrane Transport Proteins / metabolism*
  • Models, Molecular*
  • Mutagenesis, Site-Directed
  • Mutation*
  • Plasmodium vivax / drug effects
  • Plasmodium vivax / growth & development
  • Plasmodium vivax / isolation & purification
  • Plasmodium vivax / metabolism*
  • Primaquine / metabolism
  • Primaquine / pharmacology
  • Protein Conformation
  • Protein Isoforms / chemistry
  • Protein Isoforms / genetics
  • Protein Isoforms / metabolism
  • Protozoan Proteins / chemistry
  • Protozoan Proteins / genetics
  • Protozoan Proteins / metabolism*
  • Recombinant Proteins / chemistry
  • Recombinant Proteins / metabolism
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae / drug effects
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae / growth & development
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae / metabolism
  • Tritium

Substances

  • Antimalarials
  • Crt-o protein, Plasmodium vivax
  • Membrane Transport Proteins
  • Protein Isoforms
  • Protozoan Proteins
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • Tritium
  • Chloroquine
  • Primaquine