Tetracycline transport in Bacteroides fragilis.

In susceptible strain of Bacteroides fragilis, tetracycline uptake is biphasic. The initial phase is independent of adenosine 5'-triphosphate synthesis, which is coupled to fumarate reduction; this phase is not altered by expression of tetracycline resistance genes in a resistant strain. The second phase appears to occur by active transport, since it is largely reduced by rotenone, an inhibitor of electron transport to fumarate; moreover, this phase is under negative control of the tetracycline resistance gene.