Bacterial resistance to antibiotics as a function of outer membrane permeability.
The outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria serves as barrier to permeation. Transport across this barrier often occurs through channels created by porins. Changes in these porins can account for antibiotic resistance. The combination of a permeability barrier and beta-lactamases in the periplasmic space leads to a situation in which concentrations, at the target, of even third-generation cephalosporins, can be significantly decreased.
Nikaido
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Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, Berkeley 94720.
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000502:physiology*; D002463:Cell Membrane Permeability; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents