MsbA is a multidrug resistance transporter homolog from E. coli and belongs to a superfamily of transporters that contain an adenosine triphosphate (ATP) binding cassette (ABC) which is also called a nucleotide-binding domain (NBD). MsbA is a member of the MDR-ABC transporter group by sequence homology. MsbA transports lipid A, a major component of the bacterial outer cell membrane, and is the only bacterial ABC transporter that is essential for cell viability.