TY - JOUR
T1 - The glucose transporter PfHT1 is an antimalarial target of the HIV protease inhibitor lopinavir
AU - Kraft, Thomas E.
AU - Armstrong, Christopher
AU - Heitmeier, Monique R.
AU - Odom, Audrey R.
AU - Hruz, Paul W.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
Copyright © 2015, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.
PY - 2015/10/1
Y1 - 2015/10/1
N2 - Malaria and HIV infection are coendemic in a large portion of the world and remain a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Growing resistance of Plasmodium species to existing therapies has increased the need for new therapeutic approaches. The Plasmodium glucose transporter PfHT is known to be essential for parasite growth and survival. We have previously shown that HIV protease inhibitors (PIs) act as antagonists of mammalian glucose transporters. While the PI lopinavir is known to have antimalarial activity, the mechanism of action is unknown. We report here that lopinavir blocks glucose uptake into isolated malaria parasites at therapeutically relevant drug levels. Malaria parasites depend on a constant supply of glucose as their primary source of energy, and decreasing the available concentration of glucose leads to parasite death. We identified the malarial glucose transporter PfHT as a target for inhibition by lopinavir that leads to parasite death. This discovery provides a mechanistic basis for the antimalarial effect of lopinavir and provides a direct target for novel drug design with utility beyond the HIV-infected population.
AB - Malaria and HIV infection are coendemic in a large portion of the world and remain a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Growing resistance of Plasmodium species to existing therapies has increased the need for new therapeutic approaches. The Plasmodium glucose transporter PfHT is known to be essential for parasite growth and survival. We have previously shown that HIV protease inhibitors (PIs) act as antagonists of mammalian glucose transporters. While the PI lopinavir is known to have antimalarial activity, the mechanism of action is unknown. We report here that lopinavir blocks glucose uptake into isolated malaria parasites at therapeutically relevant drug levels. Malaria parasites depend on a constant supply of glucose as their primary source of energy, and decreasing the available concentration of glucose leads to parasite death. We identified the malarial glucose transporter PfHT as a target for inhibition by lopinavir that leads to parasite death. This discovery provides a mechanistic basis for the antimalarial effect of lopinavir and provides a direct target for novel drug design with utility beyond the HIV-infected population.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84942279501&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1128/AAC.00899-15
DO - 10.1128/AAC.00899-15
M3 - Article
C2 - 26248369
AN - SCOPUS:84942279501
VL - 59
SP - 6203
EP - 6209
JO - Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy
JF - Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy
SN - 0066-4804
IS - 10
ER -