Roles of xenobiotic transporters in cellular physiology
Xenobiotic transporters play a major role in the multidrug resistance by extruding antibiotics or biocides out of the cell. Recent discoveries support the notion that at least some xenobiotic transporters have specific physiological substrates because these transporters have been shown to have roles in bacterial virulence. In this study, we will identify "natural substrates" of xenobiotic transporters in order to understand physiological functions of transporters. This knowledge should promote the development of novel inhibitors or strategies that could counteract the contribution of transporters to drug resistance and virulence.
