Structures of the wild-type MexAB-OprM tripartite pump reveal its complex formation and drug efflux mechanism

Nat Commun. 2019 Apr 3;10(1):1520. doi: 10.1038/s41467-019-09463-9.

Abstract

In Pseudomonas aeruginosa, MexAB-OprM plays a central role in multidrug resistance by ejecting various drug compounds, which is one of the causes of serious nosocomial infections. Although the structures of the components of MexAB-OprM have been solved individually by X-ray crystallography, no structural information for fully assembled pumps from P. aeruginosa were previously available. In this study, we present the structure of wild-type MexAB-OprM in the presence or absence of drugs at near-atomic resolution. The structure reveals that OprM does not interact with MexB directly, and that it opens its periplasmic gate by forming a complex. Furthermore, we confirm the residues essential for complex formation and observed a movement of the drug entrance gate. Based on these results, we propose mechanisms for complex formation and drug efflux.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacokinetics
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology
  • Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / chemistry*
  • Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / metabolism
  • Crystallography, X-Ray
  • Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial
  • Membrane Transport Proteins / chemistry*
  • Membrane Transport Proteins / metabolism
  • Models, Molecular
  • Protein Conformation
  • Protein Interaction Domains and Motifs
  • Protein Subunits / chemistry
  • Pseudomonas aeruginosa / drug effects
  • Pseudomonas aeruginosa / metabolism
  • Structure-Activity Relationship

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins
  • Membrane Transport Proteins
  • MexA protein, Pseudomonas aeruginosa
  • MexB protein, Pseudomonas aeruginosa
  • OprM protein, Pseudomonas aeruginosa
  • Protein Subunits