Impact of fungal drug transporters on fungicide sensitivity, multidrug resistance and virulence

• Published in: Pest management science Vol. 62; no. 3; pp. 195 - 207
• Main Authors: de Waard, Maarten A, Andrade, Alan C, Hayashi, Keisuke, Schoonbeek, Henk-jan, Stergiopoulos, Ioannis, Zwiers, Lute-Harm
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chichester, UK John Wiley & Sons, Ltd 01-03-2006; Wiley; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: ABC transporters; Agriculture; Ascomycota - drug effects; Ascomycota - pathogenicity; Ascomycota - physiology; Aspergillus nidulans; Aspergillus nidulans - drug effects; Aspergillus nidulans - physiology; atp-binding cassette; ATP-binding cassette transporters; azole antifungal agents; Biological and medical sciences; Biological Evolution; Botrytis - drug effects; Botrytis - physiology; Botrytis cinerea; Candida albicans - drug effects; Candida albicans - physiology; candida-albicans; Control; Drug Resistance, Multiple, Fungal - physiology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Fungal plant pathogens; Fungal Proteins - physiology; Fungi; fungicides; Fungicides, Industrial - pharmacology; Humans; multidrug resistance; Multidrug Resistance-Associated Proteins - genetics; Multidrug Resistance-Associated Proteins - physiology; Mycosphaerella graminicola; natural toxic compounds; pathogen mycosphaerella-graminicola; penicillium-digitatum; Pesticides; Phytopathology. Animal pests. Plant and forest protection; Plant Diseases; Plant pathology; Proteins; Resistance to control; venturia-inaequalis; yeast abc proteins; multidrug resistance; ATP-binding cassette transporters; Plant pathogen; Botrytis cinerea; Virulence; Pesticides; Fungicide; Fungi; Mycosphaerella graminicola; Sensitivity resistance; Aspergillus nidulans; fungicides; Ascomycetes; ABC transporters; Fungi Imperfecti; Pesticide resistance; ABC transporter; Thallophyta
• ISSN: 1526-498X; 1526-4998
• DOI: 10.1002/ps.1150

Drug transporters are membrane proteins that provide protection for organisms against natural toxic products and fungicides. In plant pathogens, drug transporters function in baseline sensitivity to fungicides, multidrug resistance (MDR) and virulence on host plants. This paper describes drug transporters of the filamentous fungi Aspergillus nidulans (Eidam) Winter, Botrytis cinerea Pers and Mycosphaerella graminicola (Fückel) Schroter that function in fungicide sensitivity and resistance. The fungi possess ATP‐binding cassette (ABC) drug transporters that mediate MDR to fungicides in laboratory mutants. Similar mutants are not pronounced in field resistance to most classes of fungicide but may play a role in resistance to azoles. MDR may also explain historical cases of resistance to aromatic hydrocarbon fungicides and dodine. In clinical situations, MDR development in Candida albicans (Robin) Berkhout mediated by ABC transporters in patients suffering from candidiasis is common after prolonged treatment with azoles. Factors that can explain this striking difference between agricultural and clinical situations are discussed. Attention is also paid to the risk of MDR development in plant pathogens in the future. Finally, the paper describes the impact of fungal drug transporters on drug discovery. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry