Multidrug and toxin extrusion protein 2 is a

protein Proteins are large biomolecules and macromolecules that comprise one or more long chains of amino acid residue (biochemistry), residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms, including Enzyme catalysis, catalysing metab ...

which in humans is encoded by the ''SLC47A2''

gene In biology, the word gene has two meanings. The Mendelian gene is a basic unit of heredity. The molecular gene is a sequence of nucleotides in DNA that is transcribed to produce a functional RNA. There are two types of molecular genes: protei ...

Function

This gene encodes a protein belonging to a family of transporters involved in the excretion of toxic electrolytes, both endogenous and exogenous, through urine and bile. This transporter family shares homology with the bacterial MATE (

multi antimicrobial extrusion protein Multi-antimicrobial extrusion protein (MATE) also known as multidrug and toxin extrusion or multidrug and toxic compound extrusion is a family of proteins which function as drug/sodium or proton antiporters. Function The MATE proteins in bact ...

or multidrug and toxic compound extrusion) protein family responsible for drug resistance. This gene is one of two members of the MATE transporter family located near each other on chromosome 17. Alternatively, spliced transcript variants encoding different isoforms have been identified for this gene.

Discovery

The multidrug efflux transporter NorM from '' V. parahaemolyticus,'' which mediates resistance to multiple antimicrobial agents (

norfloxacin Norfloxacin, sold under the brand name Noroxin among others, is an antibiotic An antibiotic is a type of antimicrobial substance active against bacteria. It is the most important type of antibacterial agent for fighting pathogenic bacteri ...

kanamycin Kanamycin A, often referred to simply as kanamycin, is an antibiotic used to treat severe bacterial infections and tuberculosis. It is not a first line treatment. It is used by mouth, injection into a vein, or injection into a muscle. Kanamy ...

ethidium bromide Ethidium bromide (or homidium bromide, chloride salt homidium chloride) is an intercalating agent commonly used as a fluorescent tag (nucleic acid stain) in molecular biology laboratories for techniques such as agarose gel electrophoresis. It ...

etc.), and its homologue from '' E. coli'' were identified in 1998. NorM seems to function as a drug/sodium

antiporter An antiporter (also called exchanger or counter-transporter) is an integral membrane protein that uses secondary active transport to move two or more molecules in opposite directions across a phospholipid membrane. It is a type of cotransporte ...

, which is the first example of Na⁺-coupled multidrug efflux transporter discovered. NorM is a prototype of a new transporter family, and Brown ''et al''. named it the multidrug and toxic compound extrusion family. The X-ray structure of the NorM was determined to be 3.65 Å, revealing an outward-facing conformation with two portals open to the outer leaflet of the membrane and a unique topology of the predicted 12 transmembrane helices distinct from any other known multidrug resistance transporter.

Function

Discovery

References

Further reading