Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40140375›Full record

ArticleNature communications2025

Molecular basis of the functional conflict between chloroquine and peptide transport in the Malaria parasite chloroquine resistance transporter PfCRT.

John D Tanner, Sashika N Richards, Ben Corry

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. A Multidimensional Analysis of the Bimodal Piperaquine Response inbioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2026
    Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
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

3 authors.

John D TannerResearch School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3914-3116
Sashika N RichardsResearch School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8401-7042
Ben CorryResearch School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia. ben.corry@anu.edu.au.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6324-442X

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The Plasmodium falciparum chloroquine resistance transporter (PfCRT) is a key protein contributing to resistance against the antimalarial chloroquine (CQ). Mutations such as K76T enable PfCRT to transport CQ away from its target in the parasite's digestive vacuole, but this comes at a cost to its natural peptide transport function. This creates fitness costs which can drive changes to drug susceptibility in parasite populations, but the molecular basis of this is not well understood. To investigate, here we run 130 μs of molecular dynamics simulations of CQ-sensitive and CQ-resistant PfCRT isoforms with CQ and peptide substrates. We identify the CQ binding site and characterized diverse peptide binding modes. The K76T mutation allows CQ to access the binding site but disrupts peptide binding, highlighting the importance of cavity charge in determining substrate specificity. This study provides insight into PfCRT polyspecific peptide transport and will aid in rational, structure-based inhibitor design.

Indexed as

AntimalarialsChloroquineDrug ResistanceMembrane Transport ProteinsPeptidesPlasmodium falciparumProtozoan ProteinsBinding SitesBiological TransportHumansMalaria, FalciparumMolecular Dynamics SimulationMutationProtein BindingAntimalarialsChloroquineMembrane Transport ProteinsPeptidesPfCRT protein, Plasmodium falciparumProtozoan Proteins

Identifiers

PMID40140375
PMCPMC11947230

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Registered trials

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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.