Structures of Neisseria gonorrhoeae MtrR-operator complexes reveal molecular mechanisms of DNA recognition and antibiotic resistance-conferring clinical mutations.

ABSTRACT: Mutations within the mtrR gene are commonly found amongst multidrug resistant clinical isolates of Neisseria gonorrhoeae, which has been labelled a superbug by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. These mutations appear to contribute to antibiotic resistance by interfering with the ability of MtrR to bind to and repress expression of its target genes, which include the mtrCDE multidrug efflux transporter genes and the rpoH oxidative stress response sigma factor gene. However, the DNA-recognition mechanism of MtrR and the consensus sequence within these operators to which MtrR binds has remained unknown. In this work, we report the crystal structures of MtrR bound to the mtrCDE and rpoH operators, which reveal a conserved, but degenerate, DNA consensus binding site 5'-MCRTRCRN4YG

SUBMITTER: Beggs GA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8053128 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature