ATP-binding cassette multidrug transporters in Indian-rock oyster Saccostrea forskali and their role in the export of an environmental organic pollutant tributyltin

ATP-binding cassette (ABC) multidrug transporters confer resistance in human cancer cells as well as in pathogenic microorganisms by mediating the extrusion of various chemotherapeutic drugs out of the cell. In aquatic invertebrates, the presence of ABC transporters which are involved in the multi-xenobiotic resistance has been demonstrated. However, most studies have been confined to the MDR1 subfamily. In the present study, we characterized the expression and localization of the ABC multidrug transporters including MDR1, MRP1 and BCRP subfamily in the Indian-rock oyster Saccostrea forskali. To our knowledge, these data represent one of the first reports on the orthologues of MRP1 and BCRP in marine invertebrates. Furthermore, the observations of (i) the expression of the ABC multidrug proteins in detoxifying tissues; (ii) the induction of these transporters upon exposure to an environmental organic pollutant tributyltin (TBT); and (iii) the concentration-dependent inhibition of rhodamine efflux by TBT imply a possible role of these proteins in the export of TBT. Our findings along with previous studies suggest that the ABC multidrug transporters act as a detoxifying mechanism of various toxic agents including TBT in aquatic organisms.