Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 17, 2026

In vitro Investigation of the MexAB Efflux Pump From Pseudomonas aeruginosa
13:40

In vitro Investigation of the MexAB Efflux Pump From Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Published on: February 18, 2014

The ABC family of multidrug transporters in microorganisms

H W van Veen1, W N Konings

  • 1Department of Microbiology, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Kerklaan, The Netherlands. h.w.van.veen@biol.rug.nl

Biochimica Et Biophysica Acta
|August 7, 1998
PubMed

Insights

Microbial multidrug transporters, similar to human P-glycoprotein (Pgp) and MRP1, are ATP-binding cassette (ABC) proteins. This review explores their similarities, mechanisms, and roles in antibiotic resistance.

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Molecular Biology
  • Microbiology

Background:

  • Multidrug transporters, including P-glycoprotein (Pgp) and MRP1, are ABC proteins that confer drug resistance in humans.
  • These transporters expel a wide array of toxic compounds from cells.
  • In microorganisms, similar transporters are crucial for antibiotic resistance in pathogens.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review microbial ATP-binding cassette (ABC)-type multidrug transporters.
  • To summarize functional and structural similarities between microbial and human transporters.
  • To elucidate the molecular mechanisms and physiological roles of these microbial transporters.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of microbial ABC-type multidrug transporters.
  • Comparative analysis of functional and structural data.
  • Examination of molecular mechanisms and physiological roles.

Main Results:

  • Homologs of human Pgp and MRP have been identified in various microorganisms.
  • These microbial transporters share functional and structural similarities with their human counterparts.
  • Evidence suggests significant roles in conferring antibiotic resistance.

Conclusions:

  • Microbial ABC-type multidrug transporters are functionally and structurally analogous to human Pgp and MRP.
  • Understanding their molecular mechanisms is key to combating microbial drug resistance.
  • These transporters play vital physiological roles in microorganisms.

More Related Videos

Small-Scale Plasma Membrane Preparation for the Analysis of Candida albicans Cdr1-mGFPHis09:44

Small-Scale Plasma Membrane Preparation for the Analysis of Candida albicans Cdr1-mGFPHis

Published on: June 13, 2021

Characterizing Multidrug Efflux Systems in Acinetobacter baumannii Using an Efflux-Deficient Bacterial Strain and a Single-Copy Gene Expression System05:06

Characterizing Multidrug Efflux Systems in Acinetobacter baumannii Using an Efflux-Deficient Bacterial Strain and a Single-Copy Gene Expression System

Published on: January 5, 2024

Related Concept Videos

Membrane Transporters01:31

Membrane Transporters

Transporters are essential membrane transport proteins with functions related to cell nutrition, homeostasis, communication, etc. Approximately 7% of all genes in the human genome code for transporters or transporter-related proteins.
Transporters are mainly composed of alpha-helices, built from bundles of ten or more helices traversing the plasma membrane. The solute-binding sites are located midway, where some of the helices are broken or distorted, making space for the binding site through...
ATP Driven Pumps I: An Overview01:27

ATP Driven Pumps I: An Overview

ATP-driven pumps, also known as transport ATPases, are integral membrane proteins. They have binding sites for ATP located on the membrane's cytosolic side and the ion-conducting domain in the transmembrane region. These pumps use the free energy released from ATP hydrolysis to move the solutes across cell membranes against an electrochemical gradient.
There are four main types of ATP-driven pumps - P-type, V-type, F-type, and ABC transporter. All these pumps are of varying complexities and are...
ABC Transporters: Exporter01:31

ABC Transporters: Exporter

ATP-binding cassette or ABC transporter is the largest superfamily of integral membrane proteins. The transporters have transmembrane-binding domains (TMDs) and nucleotide-binding domains (NBDs). The TMDs are specific to their substrates, whereas the NBDs are similar to engines that complete ATP hydrolysis to complete the substrate transport. They can be full transporters consisting of two TMDs and NBDs, half transporters with one TMD and NBD, while some encoded with a single TMD or NBD are...
ABC Transporters: Importer01:27

ABC Transporters: Importer

ATP-binding cassette or ABC transporters are a class of ATP-driven pumps that hydrolyze ATP to move solutes across the membrane. They can be grouped into importers and exporters. While exporters are present in all domains of life, importers exist only in bacteria and some plants.
In bacteria, based on the number of transmembrane helices and the chemical nature of their substrates, the ABC importers can be divided into three types:
Carrier-Mediated Transport01:06

Carrier-Mediated Transport

Carrier-mediated transport is a pivotal process in drug absorption, particularly for lipid-insoluble drugs, and encompasses facilitated diffusion and active transport. Facilitated diffusion allows drugs to move along their concentration gradient without energy expenditure, while active transport utilizes ATP to drive drug movement against this gradient.
Active transport involves two types of membrane-spanning transporters: uptake and efflux. Uptake transporters are expressed in the small...
Pharmacogenetics of Drug Transporters: P-Glycoprotein and Solute Carrier Transporters01:16

Pharmacogenetics of Drug Transporters: P-Glycoprotein and Solute Carrier Transporters

The pharmacogenetics of drug transporters is increasingly recognized as a critical factor influencing interindividual variability in drug absorption, distribution, and elimination. These membrane-bound proteins regulate drugs' movement across cellular barriers by actively pumping them out (efflux) or facilitating their uptake (influx). Among the major transporter families, ATP-binding cassette (ABC) and solute carrier (SLC) transporters play particularly prominent roles. Genetic polymorphisms...