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Promiscuity in multidrug recognition and transport:
the bacterial MFS Mdr transporters
Author(s) -
Lewinson Oded,
Adler Julia,
Sigal Nadejda,
Bibi Eitan
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
molecular microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.857
H-Index - 247
eISSN - 1365-2958
pISSN - 0950-382X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2958.2006.05254.x
Subject(s) - major facilitator superfamily , multiple drug resistance , biology , transporter , computational biology , promiscuity , microbiology and biotechnology , genetics , gene , drug resistance , ecology
Summary Multidrug (Mdr) transport is an obstacle to the successful treatment of cancer and infectious diseases, and it is mediated by Mdr transporters that recognize and export an unusually broad spectrum of chemically dissimilar toxic compounds. Therefore, in addition to its clinical significance, the Mdr transport phenomenon presents intriguing and challenging mechanistic queries. Recent studies of secondary Mdr transporters of the major facilitator superfamily (MFS) have revealed that they are promiscuous not only regarding their substrate recognition profile, but also with respect to matters of energy utilization, electrical and chemical flexibility in the Mdr recognition pocket, and surprisingly, also in their physiological functions.