Description | Outer membrane channel protein MctB in Mycobacterium tuberculosis is part of a Cu resistance mechanism that ensures low intracellular Cu levels in the bacterium. Human resistance to bacteria, mediated via IFN-gamma mediated activation of macrophages, may involve the use of reactive Cu(1) in the presence of hydrogen peroxide, since activated Cu is toxic to bacteria. IFN-gamma stimulates the trafficking of the Cu transporter ATP7a to the vesicles that fuse with phagosomes and these phagosomes are found to have a high Cu content and an increased bactericidal activity against E.coli. Using MctB, Mycobacterium tuberculosis may limit the amount of excess Cu within it whole in the host [ ]. MctB is involved copper resistance, but it is unclear whether it plays a direct role in copper efflux []. | Name | Copper transporter MctB |
Short Name | MctB | Type | Family |