Background: Trypanosoma brucei is a primitive parasitic protozoan that thrives in diverse environments such as the midgut of the tsetse fly and the blood of a mammalian host. For an adequate adaptation to these environments, the parasite´s aquaglyceroporins play an important role. Methods and Results: In order to test their ability to transport trivalent arsenic and antimony, we expressed the three known Trypanosoma brucei aquaglyceroporins (TbAQPs) in the heterologous systems of yeast null aquaporin mutant and Xenopus laevis oocytes. For both expression systems, we found a pH dependent intracellular accumulation of As(III) or Sb(III) mediated by all of the three TbAQPs, with the exception of TbAQP1-As(III) uptake. Additionally, we observed that Trypanosoma brucei aquaglyceroporins allow the passage of As(III) in both directions. Conclusion: Taken together, these results demonstrated that T. brucei aquaglyceroporins can serve as entry routes for As(III) and Sb(III) into the parasitic cell, and that this uptake is pH sensitive. Therefore, aquaporins of protozoan parasites may be considered useful as a vehicle for drug delivery.

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