Role of putative loops 2 and 3 in imipenem passage through the specific porin OprD of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Mutant proteins with eight amino acid deletions in putative surface loops 2 and 3 of the imipenem-specific porin OprD of Pseudomonas aeruginosa failed to reconstitute imipenem susceptibility in an oprD-deficient background. The loop 3 deletion prevented the ability of imipenem to inhibit KCl conductance through the OprD channel, as previously shown for a loop 2 deletion. This suggests that both loops 2 and 3 have a role in imipenem binding to the OprD channel.