Cloning and Functional Heterologous Expression of Transporters

Abstract

Progress in molecular biology and advanced cell culture techniques has allowed identifying, isolating and expressing genes encoding membrane proteins which affect the transmembrane passage of drugs and drug candidates. Such membrane proteins, also called drug transporters or carriers, are not only involved in multi-drug resistance but also play a major role in intestinal absorption, passage of the blood-brain or blood-placenta barrier, as well as hepatic and renal elimination. Here, an overview of techniques suitable for the isolation of coding sequences of such drug transporters will be given. This is followed by a section dedicated to the in vitro expression of these sequences as it is required to study their function.