Manganese exporter

The Manganese Exporter Family is a member of the Lysine Exporter (LysE) Superfamily. The MntP family is a small family whose members have been found in bacteria and archaea. MntP proteins are of about 200 amino acyl residues with 6 putative transmembrane segments. The Conserved Domain Database (CDD) recognized two DUF204 repeats, each repeat having 3 TMSs. A representative list of proteins belonging to the MntP family can be found in the .

Function

At least one member has been shown to function as a putative manganese efflux pump. Manganese sensitivity and intracellular manganese levels significantly increased in bacteria when the mntP gene, which encodes the MntP efflux pump, was deleted. While manganese is a highly important trace nutrient for organisms from bacteria to humans, acting as an important element in the defense against oxidative stress and as an enzyme cofactor, it becomes toxic when present in excess.