PfMDR1 Transport Rates Assessed in Intact Isolated Plasmodium falciparum Digestive Vacuoles Reflect Functional Drug Resistance Relationship with pfmdr1 Mutations

Simon N, Voigtländer C, Kappes B, Rohrbach P, Friedrich O (2022)

Publication Type: Journal article, Original article

Publication year: 2022

Journal

Pharmaceuticals MDPI

Book Volume: 15

Article Number: 202

Journal Issue: 2

DOI: 10.3390/ph15020202

Abstract

Drug resistance often emerges from mutations in solute transporters. Single amino acid exchanges may alter functionality of transporters with ‘de novo’ ability to transport drugs away from their site of action. The PfMDR1 transporter (or P-glycoprotein 1) is located in the membrane of the digestive vacuole (DV), functions as an ATP-dependent pump, and transports substrates into the DV. In this study, four strains of Plasmodium falciparum, carrying various pfmdr1 gene mutations, were analysed for their transport characteristics of Fluo-4 in isolated DVs of parasites. To obtain quantitative estimates for PfMDR1 DV surface expression, PfMDR1 protein amounts on each strain’s DV membrane were evaluated by quantitative ELISA. Fluo-4, acting as a substrate for PfMDR1, was applied in DV uptake assays (‘reverse Ca2+ imaging’). Viable DVs were isolated from trophozoite stages with preserved PfMDR1 activity. This newly developed assay enabled us to measure the number of Fluo-4 molecules actively transported into isolated DVs per PfMDR1 molecule. The drug-resistant strain Dd2 presented the highest transport rates, followed by K1 and the drug-sensitive strain 3D7, compatible with their copy numbers. With this assay, an evaluation of the probability of resistance formation for newly developed drugs can be implemented in early stages of drug development.

Authors with CRIS profile

Nina Simon Lehrstuhl für Medizinische Biotechnologie Cornelia Voigtländer Lehrstuhl für Medizinische Biotechnologie Bärbel Kappes Lehrstuhl für Medizinische Biotechnologie Oliver Friedrich Lehrstuhl für Medizinische Biotechnologie

Involved external institutions

McGill University CA Canada (CA)

How to cite

APA:

Simon, N., Voigtländer, C., Kappes, B., Rohrbach, P., & Friedrich, O. (2022). PfMDR1 Transport Rates Assessed in Intact Isolated Plasmodium falciparum Digestive Vacuoles Reflect Functional Drug Resistance Relationship with pfmdr1 Mutations. Pharmaceuticals, 15(2). https://doi.org/10.3390/ph15020202

MLA:

Simon, Nina, et al. "PfMDR1 Transport Rates Assessed in Intact Isolated Plasmodium falciparum Digestive Vacuoles Reflect Functional Drug Resistance Relationship with pfmdr1 Mutations." Pharmaceuticals 15.2 (2022).

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