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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2013 Nov 18.
Published in final edited form as: Trends Parasitol. 2013 Jan 30;29(3):10.1016/j.pt.2012.12.005. doi: 10.1016/j.pt.2012.12.005

Figure 2. Schematic model of melarsoprol and pentamidine transport in T. brucei.

Figure 2

The schematic shows known and putative mechanisms. Both drugs are thought to enter trypanosomes via the P2 and AQP2 transporters; the weight of the arrows reflects relative contribution to uptake. The presence of the AQP2 gene appears to correlate with HAPT1 activity but it is as yet not certain that AQP2 codes for this activity. The P-type H+ ATPases (HA1-3) may provide a proton motive force that drives pentamidine uptake. Melarsen oxide forms a toxic adduct with trypanothione (TSH), known as Mel T, which inhibits TSH synthesis and is also removed from the cell via the ABC transporter, MRPA. An additional low affinity pentamidine transport activity (not shown) may contribute to transport at pentamidine at concentrations above 0.1 μM [29].