Abstract
Background
Both intrinsic and acquired multidrug resistance play an important role in the insurgence of tuberculosis. Detailed knowledge of the molecular basis of drug recognition and transport by multidrug transport systems is required for the development of new antibiotics that are not extruded or of inhibitors that block the multidrug transporter and allow traditional antibiotics to be effective.
Materials and Methods
We have undertaken the inventory of the drug transporters subfamily, included in the major facilitator superfamily (MFS), encoded by the complete genome of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB). These proteins were identified on the basis of their characteristic stretches of amino acids and transmembrane segments (TMS) number.
Conclusions
Genome analysis and searches of homology between the identified transporters and proteins characterized in other organisms revealed 16 open reading frames encoding putative drug efflux pumps belonging to MFS. In the case of two of them, we also have demonstrated that they function as drug efflux proteins.
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Acknowledgments
This research was supported by MURST-COFIN-1998 and by the European Union research project “Quality of Life and Management of Living Resources” (Contract N° QLK2-CT-2000-01761) and by Fondo d′Ateneó per la Ricerca 2002 (F.A.R.). J.A.A. is a recipient of a “Programa Ramon y Cajal” research fellowship (Spanish Ministry of Science and Technology). P.E.A.S. was supported by CAPES (Brazilian Ministry of Education).
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De Rossi, E., Arrigo, P., Bellinzoni, M. et al. The Multidrug Transporters Belonging to Major Facilitator Superfamily (MFS) in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Mol Med 8, 714–724 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03402035
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03402035