scholarly journals A Broad-Specificity Multidrug Efflux Pump Requiring a Pair of Homologous SMR-Type Proteins

2000 ◽  
Vol 182 (8) ◽  
pp. 2311-2313 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donald L. Jack ◽  
Michael L. Storms ◽  
Jason H. Tchieu ◽  
Ian T. Paulsen ◽  
Milton H. Saier

ABSTRACT The Bacillus subtilis genome encodes seven homologues of the small multidrug resistance (SMR) family of drug efflux pumps. Six of these homologues are paired in three distinct operons, and coexpression in Escherichia coli of one such operon,ykkCD, but not expression of either ykkC orykkD alone, gives rise to a broad specificity, multidrug-resistant phenotype including resistance to cationic, anionic, and neutral drugs.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yaojun Tong ◽  
Nuo Sun ◽  
Xiangming Wang ◽  
Qi Wei ◽  
Yu Zhang ◽  
...  

AbstractClinical use of antimicrobials faces great challenges from the emergence of multidrug resistant (MDR) pathogens. The overexpression of drug efflux pumps is one of the major contributors to MDR. It is considered as a promising approach to overcome MDR by reversing the function of drug efflux pumps. In the life-threatening fungal pathogen Candida albicans, the major facilitator superfamily (MFS) transporter Mdr1p can excrete many structurally unrelated antifungals, leading to multidrug resistance. Here we report a counterintuitive case of reversing multidrug resistance in C. albicans by using a natural product berberine to hijack the overexpressed Mdr1p for its own importation. Moreover, we illustrate that the imported berberine accumulates in mitochondria, and compromises the mitochondrial function by impairing mitochondrial membrane potential and mitochondrial Complex I. It results in the selective elimination of Mdr1p overexpressed C. albicans cells. Furthermore, we show that berberine treatment can prolong the mean survival time (MST) of mice with a blood-borne dissemination of Mdr1p overexpressed multidrug resistant candidiasis. This study provided a potential direction of novel anti-MDR drug discovery by screening for multidrug efflux pump converters.


2006 ◽  
Vol 50 (9) ◽  
pp. 2971-2975 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rupa A. Udani ◽  
Stuart B. Levy

ABSTRACT MarA47Yp from Yersinia pestis, showing 47% identity to Escherichia coli MarA in its N terminus, caused resistance to antibiotics and to organic solvents when expressed in both E. coli and Y. pestis. Resistance was linked to increased expression of the AcrAB multidrug efflux pump. In four of five spontaneous multidrug-resistant mutants of Y. pestis independently selected by growth on tetracycline, the marA47 Yp gene was overexpressed. The findings suggest that marA47 Yp is a marA ortholog in Y. pestis.


2009 ◽  
Vol 53 (8) ◽  
pp. 3582-3584 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hong Bin Kim ◽  
Minghua Wang ◽  
Chi Hye Park ◽  
Eui-Chong Kim ◽  
George A. Jacoby ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT The genes for multidrug efflux pump OqxAB, which is active on fluoroquinolones, were found in human clinical isolates on a plasmid in Escherichia coli and on the chromosome of Klebsiella pneumoniae. IS26-like sequences flanked the plasmid-mediated oqxAB genes, suggesting that they had been mobilized as part of a composite transposon.


2020 ◽  
Vol 202 (22) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tanisha Teelucksingh ◽  
Laura K. Thompson ◽  
Georgina Cox

ABSTRACT Bacteria harness an impressive repertoire of resistance mechanisms to evade the inhibitory action of antibiotics. One such mechanism involves efflux pump-mediated extrusion of drugs from the bacterial cell, which significantly contributes to multidrug resistance. Intriguingly, most drug efflux pumps are chromosomally encoded components of the intrinsic antibiotic resistome. In addition, in terms of xenobiotic detoxification, bacterial efflux systems often exhibit significant levels of functional redundancy. Efflux pumps are also considered to be highly conserved; however, the extent of conservation in many bacterial species has not been reported and the majority of genes that encode efflux pumps appear to be dispensable for growth. These observations, in combination with an increasing body of experimental evidence, imply alternative roles in bacterial physiology. Indeed, the ability of efflux pumps to facilitate antibiotic resistance could be a fortuitous by-product of ancient physiological functions. Using Escherichia coli as a model organism, we here evaluated the evolutionary conservation of drug efflux pumps and we provide phylogenetic analysis of the major efflux families. We show the E. coli drug efflux system has remained relatively stable and the majority (∼80%) of pumps are encoded in the core genome. This analysis further supports the importance of drug efflux pumps in E. coli physiology. In this review, we also provide an update on the roles of drug efflux pumps in the detoxification of endogenously synthesized substrates and pH homeostasis. Overall, gaining insight into drug efflux pump conservation, common evolutionary ancestors, and physiological functions could enable strategies to combat these intrinsic and ancient elements.


2001 ◽  
Vol 45 (5) ◽  
pp. 1515-1521 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hui Wang ◽  
Joann L. Dzink-Fox ◽  
Minjun Chen ◽  
Stuart B. Levy

ABSTRACT The genetic basis for fluoroquinolone resistance was examined in 30 high-level fluoroquinolone-resistant Escherichia coliclinical isolates from Beijing, China. Each strain also demonstrated resistance to a variety of other antibiotics. PCR sequence analysis of the quinolone resistance-determining region of the topoisomerase genes (gyrA/B, parC) revealed three to five mutations known to be associated with fluoroquinolone resistance. Western blot analysis failed to demonstrate overexpression of MarA, and Northern blot analysis did not detect overexpression of soxS RNA in any of the clinical strains. The AcrA protein of the AcrAB multidrug efflux pump was overexpressed in 19 of 30 strains of E. colitested, and all 19 strains were tolerant to organic solvents. PCR amplification of the complete acrR (regulator/repressor) gene of eight isolates revealed amino acid changes in four isolates, a 9-bp deletion in another, and a 22-bp duplication in a sixth strain. Complementation with a plasmid-borne wild-type acrR gene reduced the level of AcrA in the mutants and partially restored antibiotic susceptibility 1.5- to 6-fold. This study shows that mutations in acrR are an additional genetic basis for fluoroquinolone resistance.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessie M. Griffith ◽  
Preston J. Basting ◽  
Katarina M. Bischof ◽  
Erintrude P. Wrona ◽  
Karina S. Kunka ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTExperimental evolution was conducted withEscherichia coliK-12 W3110 in the presence of carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP), an uncoupler of the proton motive force (PMF). Cultures were serially diluted daily 1:100 in broth medium containing 20-150 μM CCCP at pH 6.5 or at pH 8.0. After 1,000 generations, all populations showed 5- to 10-fold increase in CCCP resistance. Sequenced isolates showed mutations inemrABor in its negative repressormprA; the EmrAB-TolC multidrug efflux pump confers resistance to CCCP and nalidixic acid. Deletion ofemrAabolished the CCCP resistance of these strains. One CCCP-evolved isolate lackedemrAormprAmutations; this strain (C-B11-1) showed mutations in drug efflux regulatorscecR(ybiH) (upregulates drug pumps YbhG and YbhFSR) andgadE(upregulates drug pumpmdtEF). AcecR∷kanRdeletion conferred partial resistance to CCCP. A later evolved descendant of the C-B11 population showed mutations inybhR(MDR efflux). Another isolate showedacrB(MDR efflux pump). TheacrBisolate was sensitive to chloramphenicol and tetracycline, which are effluxed by AcrAB. Other mutant genes in CCCP-evolved strains includeadhE(alcohol dehydrogenase),rng(ribonuclease G), andcyaA(adenylate cyclase). Overall, experimental evolution revealed a CCCP fitness advantage for mutations increasing its own efflux via EmrA; and for mutations that may decrease proton-driven pumps that efflux other drugs not present (cecR, gadE, acrB, ybhR). These results are consistent with our previous report of drug sensitivity associated with evolved tolerance to a partial uncoupler (benzoate or salicylate).IMPORTANCEThe genetic responses of bacteria to depletion of proton motive force, and their effects on drug resistance, are poorly understood. Our evolution experiment reveals genetic mechanisms of adaptation to the PMF uncoupler CCCP, including selection for and against various multidrug efflux pumps. The results have implications for our understanding of the gut microbiome, which experiences high levels of organic acids that decrease PMF. Organic acid uncouplers may select against multidrug resistance in evolving populations of enteric bacteria.


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