biology

Multi-antimicrobial extrusion protein

Multi-antimicrobial extrusion protein is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Multi-antimicrobial extrusion protein rather than just read about it. In short: Multi-antimicrobial extrusion protein (MATE) also known as multidrug and toxin extrusion or multidrug and toxic compound extrusion is a family of proteins which function as drug/sodium or proton antiporters. Function The MATE proteins in bacteria, archaea and eukaryotes function as fundamental transporters of metabolic and xenobiotic organic cations.

Key takeaways

Multi-antimicrobial extrusion protein belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Multi-antimicrobial extrusion protein to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Multi-antimicrobial extrusion protein from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Function The MATE proteins in bacteria, archaea and eukaryotes function as fundamental transporters of metabolic and xenobiotic organic cations.

Structure These proteins are predicted to have 12 alpha-helical transmembrane regions, some of the animal proteins may have an additional C-terminal helix. The X-ray structure of the NorM was determined to 3.65 Å, revealing an outward-facing conformation with two portals open to the outer leaflet of the membrane and a unique topology of the predicted 12 transmembrane helices distinct from any other known multidrug resistance transporter.

Discovery The multidrug efflux transporter NorM from V. parahaemolyticus which mediates resistance to multiple antimicrobial agents (norfloxacin, kanamycin, ethidium bromide etc.) and its homologue from E. coli were identified in 1998. NorM seems to function as drug/sodium antiporter which is the first example of Na+-coupled multidrug efflux transporter discovered. NorM is a prototype of a new transporter family and Brown et al. named it the multidrug and toxic compound extrusion family. NorM is nicknamed "Last of the multidrug transporters" because it is the last multidrug transporter discovered functionally as well as structurally.

Genes The following human genes encode MATE proteins:

SLC47A1 SLC47A2

See also Solute carrier family Resistance-Nodulation-Cell Division Superfamily (RND)

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Multi-antimicrobial extrusion protein

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Multi-antimicrobial extrusion protein claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Multi-antimicrobial extrusion protein before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Multi-antimicrobial extrusion protein ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Multi-antimicrobial extrusion protein

In research: Multi-antimicrobial extrusion protein appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Multi-antimicrobial extrusion protein in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Multi-antimicrobial extrusion protein is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Extrusion, Membrane protein stubs, Protein families, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Multi-antimicrobial extrusion protein outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Multi-antimicrobial extrusion protein in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Multi-antimicrobial extrusion protein means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
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Frequently asked questions

What is Multi-antimicrobial extrusion protein in simple terms?

Multi-antimicrobial extrusion protein (MATE) also known as multidrug and toxin extrusion or multidrug and toxic compound extrusion is a family of proteins which function as drug/sodium or proton antiporters. Function The MATE proteins in bacteria, archaea and eukaryotes function as fundamental tran…

Why does Multi-antimicrobial extrusion protein matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Multi-antimicrobial extrusion protein?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Multi-antimicrobial extrusion protein.