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Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. doi:10.1128/AAC.01481-06
Copyright (c) 2007, American Society for Microbiology and/or the Listed Authors/Institutions. All Rights Reserved.

An early response to environmental stress involves regulation of OmpX and OmpF, two Enterobacterial outer membrane pore-forming channels

UMR-MD1, IFR48, Facultés de Médecine et de Pharmacie, Université de la Méditerranée, Marseille, France

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. Email: Jean-Marie.Pages{at}medecine.univ-mrs.fr.

	Abstract

Bacterial adaptation to external stresses and toxic compounds is a key step in the emergence of multi-drug resistant strains that are a serious threat to human health. Although some of the proteins and regulators involved in antibiotic resistance mechanisms have been described, no information is available to date concerning the early bacterial response to external stresses. Here we report that the expression of ompX, encoding an outer membrane protein, is increased during early exposure to drugs or environmental stresses. At the same time, the level of ompF porin expression is noticeably affected. Because of their role in membrane permeability, these data suggest that OmpF and OmpX are involved in the control of the penetration of antibiotics such as -lactams and fluoroquinolones through the Enterobacterial outer membrane. Consequently, the early control of ompX and ompF induced by external stresses may represent a preliminary response to antibiotics thus triggering the initial bacterial line of defence against antibiotherapy.