Do efflux pumps act as pores ?

Most probably not, as :

Higgins et al, Trends Biochem Sci (1992) 17:18-21

Wadkins et al, Biochem Biophys Acta (1993) 1153:225-236

Bolhuis et al, EMBO J (1996) 15:4239-4245

Ashida et al, J Theor Biol (1998) 195:219-232

• Most of pump substrates are liposoluble enough to penetrate in the bilayer

• Substrate or inhibitor molecules can compete with lipophilic fluorophores for  insertion in the membrane.

• Lipophilic fluorophores are substrates of pumps.

• The rates and kinetics of efflux are not directly related to the cytosolic drug content

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