Lesson plan

Smet

SmeT is a transcriptional repressor protein of 24.6 kDa, found in the pathogenic bacteria Stenotrophomonas maltophilia. SmeT is responsible for the regulation of the Multidrug Resistance (MDR) efflux pump, SmeDEF, that gives the bacteria resistance to several antibiotics including macrolides, TMP/SMX, tetracycline, chloramphenicol, quinolones, and erythromycin. SmeT is encoded 223 bp upstream of SmeDEF, with just 56 base pairs between their transcription start sites and an overlapping region between the promoters. The production of the SmeT protein downregulates its own transcription, along with that of the efflux pump by sterically hindering the binding of RNA Polymerase to the DNA. SmeDEF was the first MDR pump discovered in the S. maltophilia species. The pump is named by its different parts: SmeE, the transporter itself that spans the plasma membrane, SmeF, the protein on the outer portion of the membrane, and SmeD, a membrane fusion protein. On general purpose media and no selectors, the genes for MDR pumps are typically not expressed, and the repressor is found bound to the DNA. In fact, mutations in SmeT that lead to overexpression of SmeDEF can pose fitness challenges to the bacteria. However, this overexpression has been identified in the bacterium and may pose a threat to our health.

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Article summary

SmeT is a transcriptional repressor protein of 24.6 kDa, found in the pathogenic bacteria Stenotrophomonas maltophilia. SmeT is responsible for the regulation of the Multidrug Resistance (MDR) efflux pump, SmeDEF, that gives the bacteria resistance to several antibiotics including macrolides, TMP/SMX, tetracycline, chloramphenicol, quinolones, and erythromycin. SmeT is encoded 223 bp upstream of SmeDEF, with just 56 base pairs between their transcription start sites and an overlapping region between the promoters. The production of the SmeT protein downregulates its own transcription, along with that of the efflux pump by sterically hindering the binding of RNA Polymerase to the DNA. SmeDEF was the first MDR pump discovered in the S. maltophilia species. The pump is named by its different parts: SmeE, the transporter itself that spans the plasma membrane, SmeF, the protein on the outer portion of the membrane, and SmeD, a membrane fusion protein. On general purpose media and no selectors, the genes for MDR pumps are typically not expressed, and the repressor is found bound to the DNA. In fact, mutations in SmeT that lead to overexpression of SmeDEF can pose fitness challenges to the bacteria. However, this overexpression has been identified in the bacterium and may pose a threat to our health.

Key claims

  1. date of birth: 1966 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95

Discussion questions

  1. Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
  2. The record states that the date of birth is "1966". What evidence would count against this claim?
  3. Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
  4. If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?

Bibliography

  1. Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1352089963

Key claims and bibliography are generated from the same tracked claims and sources as the article page.