How tuberculosis bacteria move fats and drugs across their membranes
Official title: Intermembrane transport of lipids and metabolites by mycobacterial MmpL protein complexes
Funded at University of Oklahoma · NIH-11238489 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project aims to uncover how Mycobacterium tuberculosis uses MmpL proteins to transport lipids and drugs, with the goal of helping people with drug-resistant tuberculosis.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Oklahoma NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Norman, United States) |
| Project start | December 1, 2024 |
| Project end | November 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $768,433 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AI187294-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11238489 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
This project does not enroll patients; its results are most relevant to people with active or drug-resistant tuberculosis who may benefit from future drugs informed by these findings.
✕Less likely to help
People without tuberculosis or with infections caused by non-mycobacterial organisms are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this specific project.
What this research studies
Researchers will study three MmpL transporter proteins (MmpL3, MmpL5 and MmpL7) that help mycobacteria move fats, metabolites, and drug molecules across their cell envelopes. In the lab they will measure what each transporter moves, re-create transporter complexes with their partner proteins, and determine their molecular structures to see how they work. The work uses purified proteins, biochemical assays, and structural methods to map how transport and drug interactions happen. Findings are intended to point to new targets for medicines that could overcome antibiotic resistance in TB.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could identify new molecular targets and guide development of antibiotics that work against drug-resistant tuberculosis.
How similar studies have gone: Related basic and drug-discovery studies have pointed to MmpL transporters as promising drug targets and some inhibitors show preclinical promise, but detailed transport mechanisms are still being worked out.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Oklahoma
Norman, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Zgurskaya, Helen I — University of Oklahoma
- Study coordinator: Zgurskaya, Helen I
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.