Additional PfCRT mutations driven by selective pressure for improved fitness can result in the loss of piperaquine resistance and altered Plasmodium falciparum physiology

Malaria elimination efforts in Southeast Asia have been hindered by multidrug-resistant Plasmodium falciparum. High-grade resistance to piperaquine (PPQ, used in combination with dihydroartemisinin) is associated with PfCRT mutations that arose in strains expressing the PfCRT Dd2 isoform, which mediates resistance to the related 4-aminoquinoline chloroquine (CQ). The PPQ-resistant PfCRT haplotype Dd2 + F145I mediates the highest level resistance but causes a significant growth defect in intra-erythrocytic parasites. Recently, three separate mutations (F131C, I347T and C258W) have been observed on Dd2 + F145I PfCRT either during extended parasite culture or in Southeast Asian isolates no longer subject to PPQ pressure. Competitive growth assays with pfcrt-edited parasites reveal that these compensatory mutations reduce the fitness defect caused by F145I. PPQ survival assays on edited lines show a loss of PPQ resistance in two of the three variants, including the field mutant (C258W). The latter restores CQ resistance. None of these variants alter parasite susceptibility to the first-line partner drug, mefloquine. Utilizing drug transport assays with purified PfCRT isoforms reconstituted into proteoliposomes, we identify differences in mutant PfCRT-mediated transport of PPQ and CQ. Molecular dynamics energy minimization calculations predict that these same mutations cause small but significant conformational changes in PfCRT regions implicated in drug interactions. Metabolomic analyses of isogenic parasite lines reveal differences in hemoglobin-derived peptide accumulation as a hallmark of PfCRT variation. These studies highlight the transient nature of PPQ resistance upon removal of drug pressure and suggest a strategy for employing this drug as part of multiple first-line therapies.

Automated summary

Efforts to eliminate malaria in Southeast Asia have been hampered by multidrug-resistant Plasmodium falciparum. A specific mutation in the PfCRT gene is associated with high-grade resistance to piperaquine, a commonly used antimalarial drug. This mutation not only causes resistance but also affects the growth of the parasite. Recent studies have found additional mutations that compensate for the growth defect caused by the original mutation. Removing drug pressure results in the loss of resistance, highlighting the transient nature of piperaquine resistance.