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Mode of action of levamisole and pyrantel, anthelmintic resistance, E153 and Q57

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 July 2007

R. J. MARTIN  and
A. P. ROBERTSON
R. J. MARTIN*
Affiliation:
Department of Biomedical Sciences, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, 50011, USA.
A. P. ROBERTSON
Affiliation:
Department of Biomedical Sciences, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, 50011, USA.
*
Corresponding author: Martin, R. J. Email: rjmartin@iastate.edu
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Summary

Here we review molecular information related to resistance to the cholinergic anthelmintics in nematodes. The amount of molecular information available varies between the nematode species, with the best understood so far being C. elegans. More information is becoming available for some other parasitic species. The cholinergic anthelmintics act on nematode nicotinic acetylcholine receptors located on somatic muscle cells. Recent findings demonstrate the presence of multiple types of the nicotinic receptors in several nematodes and the numerous genes required to form these multimeric proteins. Not only are the receptors the product of several genes but they are subject to modulation by several other proteins. Mutations altering these modulatory proteins could alter sensitivity to the cholinergic anthelmitics and thus lead to resistance. We also discuss the possibility that resistance to the cholinergic anthelmintics is not necessarily the result of a single mutation but may well be polygenic in nature. Additionally, the mutations resulting in resistance may vary between different species or between resistant isolates of the same species. A list of candidate genes to examine for SNPs is presented.

Keywords

Levamisolepyrantelmode of actionanthelmintic resistanceE153 and Q57
Type
Research Article
Information
Parasitology , Volume 134 , Special Issue 8: MARKERS FOR ANTHELMINTIC RESISTANCE , August 2007 , pp. 1093 - 1104
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2007

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