This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowReprints and Permissions
Right arrow Copyright Information
Right arrow Books from ASM Press
Right arrow MicrobeWorld
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by de Koning, H. P.
Right arrow Articles by Barrett, M. P.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by de Koning, H. P.
Right arrow Articles by Barrett, M. P.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, May 2004, p. 1515-1519, Vol. 48, No. 5
0066-4804/04/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/AAC.48.5.1515-1519.2004
Copyright © 2004, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

The Trypanocide Diminazene Aceturate Is Accumulated Predominantly through the TbAT1 Purine Transporter: Additional Insights on Diamidine Resistance in African Trypanosomes

Harry P. de Koning,* Laura F. Anderson, Mhairi Stewart, Richard J. S. Burchmore, Lynsey J. M. Wallace, and Michael P. Barrett

Institute of Biomedical and Life Sciences, Division of Infection and Immunity, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, United Kingdom

Received 26 September 2003/ Returned for modification 9 December 2003/ Accepted 20 January 2004

Resistance to diminazene aceturate (Berenil) is a severe problem in the control of African trypanosomiasis in domestic animals. It has been speculated that resistance may be the result of reduced diminazene uptake by the parasite. We describe here the mechanisms by which [3H]diminazene is transported by Trypanosoma brucei brucei bloodstream forms. Diminazene was rapidly accumulated through a single transporter, with a Km of 0.45 ± 0.11 µM, which was dose dependently inhibited by pentamidine and adenosine. The Ki values for these inhibitors were consistent with this transporter being the P2/TbAT1 adenosine transporter. Yeast expressing TbAT1 acquired the ability to take up [3H]diminazene and [3H]pentamidine. TbAT1-null mutants had lost almost all capacity for [3H]diminazene transport. However, this cell line still displayed a small but detectable rate of [3H]diminazene accumulation, in a nonsaturable manner. We conclude that TbAT1 mediates [3H]diminazene transport almost exclusively and that this explains the observed diminazene resistance phenotypes of TbAT1-null mutants and field isolates.


* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Institute of Biomedical and Life Sciences, Division of Infection and Immunity, Joseph Black Building, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, United Kingdom. Phone: (44) 0141-330-3753. Fax: (44) 0141-330-3753. E-mail: H.de-Koning{at}bio.gla.ac.uk.


Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, May 2004, p. 1515-1519, Vol. 48, No. 5
0066-4804/04/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/AAC.48.5.1515-1519.2004
Copyright © 2004, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.




This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Mathis, A. M., Bridges, A. S., Ismail, M. A., Kumar, A., Francesconi, I., Anbazhagan, M., Hu, Q., Tanious, F. A., Wenzler, T., Saulter, J., Wilson, W. D., Brun, R., Boykin, D. W., Tidwell, R. R., Hall, J. E. (2007). Diphenyl Furans and Aza Analogs: Effects of Structural Modification on In Vitro Activity, DNA Binding, and Accumulation and Distribution in Trypanosomes. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 51: 2801-2810 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Bridges, D. J., Gould, M. K., Nerima, B., Maser, P., Burchmore, R. J. S., de Koning, H. P. (2007). Loss of the High-Affinity Pentamidine Transporter Is Responsible for High Levels of Cross-Resistance between Arsenical and Diamidine Drugs in African Trypanosomes. Mol. Pharmacol. 71: 1098-1108 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Lanteri, C. A., Stewart, M. L., Brock, J. M., Alibu, V. P., Meshnick, S. R., Tidwell, R. R., Barrett, M. P. (2006). Roles for the Trypanosoma brucei P2 Transporter in DB75 Uptake and Resistance. Mol. Pharmacol. 70: 1585-1592 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Mathis, A. M., Holman, J. L., Sturk, L. M., Ismail, M. A., Boykin, D. W., Tidwell, R. R., Hall, J. E. (2006). Accumulation and Intracellular Distribution of Antitrypanosomal Diamidine Compounds DB75 and DB820 in African Trypanosomes.. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 50: 2185-2191 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Stewart, M. L., Boussard, C., Brun, R., Gilbert, I. H., Barrett, M. P. (2005). Interaction of Monobenzamidine-Linked Trypanocides with the Trypanosoma brucei P2 Aminopurine Transporter. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 49: 5169-5171 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Geiser, F., Luscher, A., de Koning, H. P., Seebeck, T., Maser, P. (2005). Molecular Pharmacology of Adenosine Transport in Trypanosoma brucei: P1/P2 Revisited. Mol. Pharmacol. 68: 589-595 [Abstract] [Full Text]