Molecular mechanism of MexR-mediated regulation of MexAB–OprM efflux pump expression inPseudomonas aeruginosa

Abstract
To elucidate the molecular mechanism by which the MexR repressor regulates expression of the MexAB–OprM efflux pump, we investigated MexR and the mexRmexA intergenic DNA (mexOP) interaction, and transcription of the mexA–lacZ reporter gene containing different lengths of mexOP. Homogeneously purified MexR bound specifically to mexOP proximal to mexR. The mexOPlacZ fusion gene lacking the region immediately proximal to mexR showed minimum enzyme activity, thereby suggesting that a promoter element is located between mexR and the MexR-binding sites. These observations explain the mechanism of self-regulation of mexR expression as well as low and elevated expression of MexAB–OprM in the wild-type strain and nalB-type mutant, respectively, of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

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