PURPOSE:
Porins are outer membrane protein (OMP) that form water filled channels that permit the diffusion of small hydrophilic solutes like β-lactam antibiotics across the outer membrane. Two major porins that facilitate diffusion of antimicrobials have been described in Klebsiella
spp. and
Escherichia coli
. The present study was carried out to examine the role of porins among Extended Spectrum β-Lactamase (ESBL) and AmpC β-Lactamase positive strains of
Klebsiella spp. and
E.coli.
METHODS:
Preparation of OMP from phenotypically characterized clinical isolates
K.pneumoniae and E.coli and the separation of the proteins by sodium dodecyl sulfate - polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis were performed as per a previously described procedure.
RESULTS:
OMP analysis revealed that cefoxitin and ceftazidime resistance was mediated by loss of a porin Omp K35 in the isolates of
K.pneumoniae and
E.coli.
CONCLUSIONS:
Loss of porin mediated resistance mechanism against cefoxitin was observed among the multidrug resistant
K.pneumoniae and
E.coli.
