Microbiology news and views
J. Mol. Micro. Biotechnol. 3: 219-224
Genetic Organization and Regulation of Antimicrobial Efflux Systems Possessed by
Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Neisseria
meningitidis
William M. Shafer, Wendy L. Veal, Eun-Hee Lee, Leticia Zarantonelli, Jacqueline T. Balthazar, and Corinne Rouquette
Efflux pumps can make a significant contribution to the capacity of bacteria to resist the action of
antibiotics. Certain efflux pumps also recognize antimicrobial agents that are present in their respective hosts and
their ability to export toxic agents could enhance bacterial survival during infection prior to appearance of cellular
or humoral host defensive systems. This review is concerned with the principal efflux pumps possessed by
two closely related strict human pathogens, Neisseria
gonorrhoeae and Neisseria meningitidis.
Specific emphasis is placed on the organization of the structural genes encoding the
mtr and far efflux pumps, the
substrates (often host-derived) recognized by these pumps, and the
cis- and trans-acting transcriptional factors that
regulate efflux pump gene expression in gonococci and meningococci. The overriding theme of this review is that
the efflux pumps possessed by these pathogens likely contribute to their pathogenic mechanisms by providing
a means to escape a number of antimicrobial compounds that bathe mucosal surfaces.
Full article [pdf]
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