Open AccessMycobacterial cell wall: Structure and role in natural resistance to antibiotics
Author(s) -
Jarlier Vincent,
Nikaido Hiroshi
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
fems microbiology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.899
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1574-6968
pISSN - 0378-1097
DOI - 10.1111/j.1574-6968.1994.tb07194.x
Subject(s) - cell wall , porin , lipid ii , antibiotics , cell , cell permeability , microbiology and biotechnology , biophysics , lipid bilayer , cell membrane , bacterial cell structure , chemistry , drug resistance , cell envelope , permeation , bilayer , bacteria , biochemistry , biology , bacterial outer membrane , membrane , peptidoglycan , escherichia coli , gene , genetics
Mycobacteria show a high degree of intrinsic resistance to most antibiotics and chemotherapeutic agents. The low permeability of the mycobacterial cell wall, with its unusual structure, is now known to be a major factor in this resistance. Thus hydrophilic agents cross the cell wall slowly because the myobacterial porin is inefficient in allowing the permeation of solutes and exists in low concentration. Lipophilic agents are presumably slowed down by the lipid bilayer which is of unusually low fluidity and abnormal thickness. Nevertheless, the cell wall barrier alone cannot produce significant levels of drug resistance, which requires synergistic contribution from a second factor, such as the enzymatic inactivation of drugs.