Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37454114›Full record

ArticleNature communications2023

pH-dependence of the Plasmodium falciparum chloroquine resistance transporter is linked to the transport cycle.

Fiona Berger, Guillermo M Gomez, Cecilia P Sanchez, Britta Posch, Gabrielle Planelles, Farzin Sohraby, Ariane Nunes-Alves, Michael Lanzer

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed
2.3field-weighted citation impact, top 11% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed, 10 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Biochemistry · 2026
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Fiona BergerCenter of Infectious Diseases, Parasitology, Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 324, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.
Guillermo M GomezCenter of Infectious Diseases, Parasitology, Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 324, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.ORCID 0000-0001-7868-472X
Cecilia P SanchezCenter of Infectious Diseases, Parasitology, Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 324, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.
Britta PoschCenter of Infectious Diseases, Parasitology, Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 324, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.
Gabrielle PlanellesINSERM, Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Unité 1138, CNRS ERL8228, Université Pierre et Marie Curie and Université Paris-Descartes, Paris, 75006, France.
Farzin SohrabyInstitute of Chemistry, Technische Universität Berlin, Straße des 17. Juni 135, 10623, Berlin, Germany.
Ariane Nunes-AlvesInstitute of Chemistry, Technische Universität Berlin, Straße des 17. Juni 135, 10623, Berlin, Germany. ferreira.nunes.alves@tu-berlin.de.ORCID 0000-0002-5488-4732
Michael LanzerCenter of Infectious Diseases, Parasitology, Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 324, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany. michael.lanzer@med.uni-heidelberg.de.ORCID 0000-0002-0220-6526
Heidelberg University · DETechnische Universität Berlin · DECentre National de la Recherche Scientifique · FR

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The chloroquine resistance transporter, PfCRT, of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum is sensitive to acidic pH. Consequently, PfCRT operates at 60% of its maximal drug transport activity at the pH of 5.2 of the digestive vacuole, a proteolytic organelle from which PfCRT expels drugs interfering with heme detoxification. Here we show by alanine-scanning mutagenesis that E207 is critical for pH sensing. The E207A mutation abrogates pH-sensitivity, while preserving drug substrate specificity. Substituting E207 with Asp or His, but not other amino acids, restores pH-sensitivity. Molecular dynamics simulations and kinetics analyses suggest an allosteric binding model in which PfCRT can accept both protons and chloroquine in a partial noncompetitive manner, with increased proton concentrations decreasing drug transport. Further simulations reveal that E207 relocates from a peripheral to an engaged location during the transport cycle, forming a salt bridge with residue K80. We propose that the ionized carboxyl group of E207 acts as a hydrogen acceptor, facilitating transport cycle progression, with pH sensing as a by-product.

Indexed as

AntimalarialsMalaria, FalciparumChloroquineDrug ResistanceHumansHydrogen-Ion ConcentrationMembrane Transport ProteinsPlasmodium falciparumProtozoan ProteinsAntimalarialsChloroquineMembrane Transport ProteinsPfCRT protein, Plasmodium falciparumProtozoan Proteins

Identifiers

PMID37454114
PMCPMC10349806
OpenAlexW4384407676

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.