The structures of MsbA: Insight into ABC transporter-mediated multidrug efflux

Abstract 

ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters are integral membrane proteins that couple ATP hydrolysis to the transport of various molecules across cellular membranes. Found in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes, a sub-group of these transporters are involved in the efflux of hydrophobic drugs and lipids, causing anti-microbial and chemotherapeutic multidrug resistance. In this review, we examine recent structural and functional analysis of the ABC transporter MsbA and implications on the mechanism of multidrug efflux.

Abbreviations: ABC, ATP binding cassette, ICD, intercellular domain, LPS, lipopolysaccharide, MDR, multidrug resistance, NBD, nucleotide binding domain, P-gp, P-glycoprotein, TMD, transmembrane binding domain, EM, electron microscopy

Keywords: Multidrug resistance, ABC transporter, Membrane protein, X-ray crystallography, MsbA, P-glycoprotein, LmrA