Understanding the Translocation of Fluoroquinolones through OmpC using the Metadynamics

The outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria such as Escherichia coli acts as a selective permeable barrier between cell and external environment. Water filled outer membrane proteins called as porins were identified for exchange of hydrophilic solutes and hydrophilic antibiotics. One of the most abundant outer membrane porins in E. coli is OmpC and many studies revealed that down-regulation or mutation of this porin shows reduced accumulation of antibacterials in bacterial cells [1]. Fluoroquinolones, used since 1980, are the most common treatment for urinary tract infection caused by E.