Microtubules: dynamics, drug interaction and drug resistance in Leishmania

Microtubules are cytoskeletal polymers essential for the survival of all eukaryotes. These proteins are the proposed cellular targets of many anticancerous, antifungal and antihelminthic drugs. Sufficient differences exist between the microtubules of kinetoplastid parasites like Leishmania and humans to explore the selective targeting of these proteins for therapeutic purposes. This review describes the basic structure of microtubules and its dynamics in general, with specific insights into leishmanial microtubules, the salient features of microtubule-drug interactions including the specificity of certain drugs for parasitic microtubules. Chemotherapy against leishmanial parasites is failing because of the emergence of drug resistant strains. The possible mechanisms of resistance to antimicrotubule agents along with insights into the role of microtubules in mediating drug resistance in Leishmania are discussed.