What is it about?
Our research looks at how certain proteins in bacteria help them get rid of toxic substances, including drugs. These proteins are called small multidrug resistance exporters. We found that specific spots on these proteins decide which substances they can transport. Understanding this helps us learn how bacteria resist drugs, which is a big problem when treating infections. By knowing which parts of the protein are important, we can work on making better antibiotics and treatments to fight drug-resistant bacteria. Our goal is to help in the fight against these tough infections.
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Why is it important?
Our research is unique because it uncovers how specific spots on bacterial proteins, called small multidrug resistance exporters, determine which drugs these bacteria can expel. This discovery is timely and crucial as it sheds light on the mechanisms behind bacterial drug resistance, a major global health issue. Drug resistance is a common behavior in bacteria, but we have yet to find effective ways to circumvent, fix, or even slow it down. By identifying these key protein spots, our work can guide the development of new antibiotics and treatments that effectively target and overcome drug-resistant bacteria. This could make a significant difference in the fight against infections that no longer respond to current drugs, ultimately improving patient outcomes and public health.
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This page is a summary of: Peripheral positions encode transport specificity in the small multidrug resistance exporters, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, June 2024, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2403273121.
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