Bacterial electron-transport chain proteins (Bacterial ETC)

Bacterial electron-transport chain (ETC) proteins are a diverse group of membrane-bound enzymes and electron carriers responsible for generating the proton motive force required for ATP synthesis. These proteins, including NADH dehydrogenases, cytochrome complexes, and terminal oxidases, facilitate the transfer of electrons from donors to acceptors, a process vital for bacterial growth and survival under various environmental conditions (Cook et al., 2014). In many pathogens, such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the ETC is highly flexible, allowing the bacteria to persist in dormant or low-oxygen states. Because bacterial ETC components often differ significantly from their human mitochondrial counterparts—such as the presence of NADH dehydrogenase type II (NDH-2) or cytochrome bd oxidase—they represent attractive targets for the development of narrow-spectrum antibiotics (Yano et al., 2011). Drugs like bedaquiline, which targets ATP synthase, and telacebec, which targets the cytochrome bcc complex, have demonstrated the clinical efficacy of targeting this system to treat multi-drug resistant infections (Andries et al., 2005; Pethe et al., 2013).

Other names

Bacterial respiratory chainBacterial oxidative phosphorylation systemBacterial electron transport chain

Inhibition of specific respiratory complexes such as the cytochrome bcc complex (QcrB) or NADH:quinone oxidoreductase (NDH-2), or the inhibition of the F1F0-ATP synthase. These actions disrupt the proton motive force and deplete cellular ATP levels, ultimately leading to bacterial cell death (Cook et al., 2014; Andries et al., 2005).