FIG 5.

Model of the existence of MmpS5-mediated anchoring of MmpL5 to the outer membrane of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Monomeric MmpL5 is freely mobile on the inner membrane (IM). MmpS5 facilitates the assembly of MmpL5 into a homotrimer and anchors the trimeric MmpL5 to the outer membrane (OM) or an unknown hypothetical outer membrane protein (OMP). For simplicity, the peptidoglycan layer is abbreviated, and MmpS5 is depicted to bind MmpL5 evenly. Two putative pathways of drug entry into MmpL5 are shown.