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Multidrug resistance pumps in bacteria: variations on a theme
1Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge 02139.
Trends in Biochemical Sciences
|March 1, 1994
Summary
Multidrug resistance pumps (MDRs) in bacteria, like those in Escherichia coli, may have evolved from drug efflux pumps losing specificity. This suggests a common origin for bacterial MDRs across different gene families.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Molecular Biology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Multidrug resistance pumps (MDRs) are prevalent in bacteria, with at least seven identified in Escherichia coli alone.
- MDRs originate from three distinct gene families.
- The major facilitator family constitutes the most common type of MDR and shares similarities with specific antibiotic extrusion pumps.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the evolutionary origins of multidrug resistance pumps in bacteria.
- To explore the relationship between major facilitator superfamily pumps and antibiotic extrusion pumps.
- To propose a unifying hypothesis for the emergence of multidrug resistance.
Main Methods:
- Comparative analysis of MDR gene families.
- Examination of structural and functional similarities between different MDR types.
- Bioinformatic analysis of bacterial resistance mechanisms.
Main Results:
- The most common MDRs in bacteria belong to the major facilitator family.
- These MDRs exhibit close structural and functional relationships with specific antibiotic efflux pumps, such as the tetracycline/H+ antiporter.
- Evidence suggests a high frequency of independent evolution for MDRs across various bacterial species.
Conclusions:
- The widespread presence and independent evolution of MDRs suggest a common underlying mechanism.
- Multidrug resistance may arise from a loss of specificity in ancestral hydrophobic-drug efflux pumps.
- This evolutionary pathway provides a plausible explanation for the diverse yet related nature of bacterial MDRs.