Efflux pumps send antibiotics such as tetracycline, which binds to the 30S subunit of bacterial ribosomes, out of the bacterial cells, enabling them to grow in the presence of antibiotics. Which of the following therapeutic approaches will be least effective?
A) Switch to an antibiotic that is not a substrate of the efflux pump.
B) Augment the treatment with an efflux inhibitor.
C) Increase the concentration of tetracycline.
D) Augment the treatment with an ATP synthase inhibitor.
E) None of the above approaches will be effective.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Increasing the concentration of tetracycline will not be effective as the efflux pump will still pump out the antibiotic, even at higher concentrations. The most effective approach would be to switch to an antibiotic that is not a substrate of the efflux pump or to augment the treatment with an efflux inhibitor. Augmenting the treatment with an ATP synthase inhibitor is also not an effective approach as it targets a different bacterial metabolic pathway, and may not impact the efflux pumps.

Efflux Pumps Send Antibiotics Such as Tetracycline, Which Binds to the 30S