Abstract
Tripartite resistance nodulation and cell division multidrug efflux pumps span the periplasm and are a major driver of multidrug resistance among Gram-negative bacteria. The periplasm provides a distinct environment between the inner and outer membranes of Gram-negative bacteria. Cations, such as Mg(2+), become concentrated within the periplasm and, in contrast to the cytoplasm, its pH is sensitive to conditions outside the cell. Here, we reveal an interplay between Mg(2+) and pH in modulating the dynamics of the periplasmic adaptor protein, AcrA, and its function within the prototypical AcrAB-TolC multidrug efflux pump from Escherichia coli. In the absence of Mg(2+), AcrA becomes increasingly plastic within acidic conditions, but when Mg(2+) is bound this is ameliorated, resulting in domain specific organisation in neutral to weakly acidic regimes. We establish a unique histidine residue directs these structural dynamics and is essential for sustaining pump efflux activity across acidic, neutral, and alkaline conditions. Overall, we propose Mg(2+) conserves the structural mobility of AcrA to ensure optimal AcrAB-TolC function within rapid changing environments commonly faced by the periplasm during bacterial infection and colonization. This work highlights that Mg(2+) is an important mechanistic component in this pump class and possibly across other periplasmic lipoproteins.