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Presence of a Na + /H + exchanger in acidocalcisomes of Leishmania donovani and their alkalization by anti‐leishmanial drugs
Author(s) -
Vercesi Anibal E.,
Rodrigues Claudia O.,
Catisti Rosana,
Docampo Roberto
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
febs letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.593
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1873-3468
pISSN - 0014-5793
DOI - 10.1016/s0014-5793(00)01531-3
Subject(s) - chemistry , leishmania donovani , vacuole , leishmania , biochemistry , cytoplasm , parasite hosting , world wide web , computer science
Acidocalcisomes are acidic vacuoles present in trypanosomatids that contain most of the cellular calcium. The data presented here demonstrate that Leishmania donovani acidocalcisomes possess a Na + /H + exchanger. 3,5‐Dibutyl‐4‐hydroxytoluene, in the concentration range of 0–20 μM, inhibited the Na + /H + exchanger, and strongly stimulated the activity of the vacuolar H + ‐ATPase responsible for vacuolar acidification. As occurs with Na + , the cationic anti‐leishmanial drugs pentamidine, WR‐6026, and chloroquine promoted a fast and extensive alkalization of the L. donovani acidocalcisomes.