Genetic Variability of the AcrAB-TolC Multidrug Efflux Pump Underlies SkQ1 Resistance in Gram-Negative Bacteria

SkQ1, a novel antibiotic targeting bacterial bioenergetics, is highly effective against both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. However, some gram-negative bacteria, such as Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae, are highly resistant to it. In different gram-negative bacteria, this resistance is associated with the identity of their AcrB transporter protein sequence with the sequence of the AcrB protein from E. coli. SkQ1 is expelled from E. coli cells by the AcrAB-TolC multidrug efflux pump. In this study, we demonstrate that SkQ1 resistance in E. coli, in contrast to chloramphenicol resistance, does not depend on the presence of the multidrug efflux pump accessory protein AcrZ.