Aminoglycoside-inducible expression of the mexAB-oprM multidrug efflux operon in Pseudomonas aeruginosa: Involvement of the envelope stress-responsive AmgRS two-component system

Exposure of P. aeruginosa to the aminoglycoside (AG) paromomycin (PAR) induced expression of the PA3720-armR locus and the mexAB-oprM multidrug efflux operon that AmgR controls, although PAR induction of mexAB-oprM was independent of armR. Multiple AGs promoted mexAB-oprM expression and this was lost in the absence of the amgRS locus encoding an aminoglycoside-activated envelope stress-responsive 2-component system (TCS). Purified AmgR bound to the mexAB-oprM promoter region consistent with this response regulator directly regulating expression of the efflux operon. The thiol-active reagent, diamide, which, like AGs, promotes protein aggregation and cytoplasmic membrane damage also promoted AmgRS-dependent mexAB-oprM expression, a clear indication that the MexAB-OprM efflux system is recruited in response to membrane perturbation and/or circumstances that lead to this. Despite the AG and diamide induction of mexAB-oprM, however, MexAB-OprM does not appear to contribute to resistance to these agents.