Role of efflux pumps and intracellular thiols in natural antimony resistant isolates of Leishmania donovani.

ABSTRACT:

Background

In view of the recent upsurge in the phenomenon of therapeutic failure, drug resistance in Leishmania, developed under natural field conditions, has become a great concern yet little understood. Accordingly, the study of determinants of antimony resistance is urgently warranted. Efflux transporters have been reported in Leishmania but their role in clinical resistance is still unknown. The present study was designed to elucidate the mechanism of natural antimony resistance in L. donovani field isolates by analyzing the functionality of efflux pump(s) and expression profiles of known genes involved in transport and thiol based redox metabolism.

Methodology/principal findings

We selected 7 clinical isolates (2 sensitive and 5 resistant) in addition to laboratory sen

SUBMITTER: Rai S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3775726 | biostudies-literature | 2013

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature