antibiotic resistance
Research ArticleCyclic di-AMP Oversight of Counter-Ion Osmolyte Pools Impacts Intrinsic Cefuroxime Resistance in Lactococcus lactisThe bacterial second messenger cyclic di-AMP (c-di-AMP) is a global regulator of potassium homeostasis and compatible solute uptake in many Gram-positive bacteria, making it essential for osmoregulation. The role that c-di-AMP plays in β-lactam resistance, however, is unclear despite being first identified a decade ago.
Research ArticleA Conserved Class II Type Thioester Domain-Containing Adhesin Is Required for Efficient Conjugation in Bacillus subtilisBacterial resistance to antibiotics has become a serious health care problem. The spread of antibiotic resistance genes between bacteria of the same or different species is often mediated by a process named conjugation, where a donor cell transfers DNA to a recipient cell through a connecting channel.
Research Article | Ecological and Evolutionary ScienceFitness Cost Evolution of Natural Plasmids of Staphylococcus aureusPlasmids are major agents in the spread of antibiotic resistance genes among bacteria. How plasmids and their hosts coevolve to reduce the fitness cost associated with plasmid carriage when bacteria grow in an antibiotic-free environment is not well understood.
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionStructural Characterization of Diazabicyclooctane β-Lactam “Enhancers” in Complex with Penicillin-Binding Proteins PBP2 and PBP3 of Pseudomonas aeruginosaAntibiotic resistance is a significant clinical problem. Developing novel antibiotics that overcome known resistance mechanisms is highly desired.
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionApmA Is a Unique Aminoglycoside Antibiotic Acetyltransferase That Inactivates ApramycinApramycin is an aminoglycoside antibiotic that has been traditionally used in veterinary medicine. Recently, it has become an attractive candidate to repurpose in the fight against multidrug-resistant pathogens prioritized by the World Health Organization.
Observation | Clinical Science and EpidemiologyColistin Heteroresistance Is Largely Undetected among Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacterales in the United StatesHeteroresistance is an underappreciated phenomenon that may be the cause of some unexplained antibiotic treatment failures. Misclassification of heteroresistant isolates as susceptible may lead to inappropriate therapy.
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionPredictive Rules of Efflux Inhibition and Avoidance in Pseudomonas aeruginosaEfflux pump avoidance and inhibition are desired properties for the optimization of antibacterial activities against Gram-negative bacteria. However, molecular and physicochemical interactions defining the interface between compounds and efflux pumps remain poorly understood. We identified properties that correlate with efflux avoidance and inhibition, are predictive of similar features in structurally diverse compounds, and allow...
Research Article | Clinical Science and EpidemiologyComprehensive Genomic Investigation of Adaptive Mutations Driving the Low-Level Oxacillin Resistance Phenotype in Staphylococcus aureusThe majority of Staphylococcus aureus strains causing human disease are methicillin-susceptible (MSSA) and can be treated with antistaphylococcal penicillins (such as oxacillin). While acquisition of the mec gene represents the main resistance mechanism to oxacillin, S. aureus can acquire...
Research Article | Applied and Environmental ScienceEffects of Agricultural Fungicide Use on Aspergillus fumigatus Abundance, Antifungal Susceptibility, and Population StructureAntibiotic resistance is an increasing threat to human health. In the case of Aspergillus fumigatus, which is an environmental fungus that also causes life-threatening infections in humans, antimicrobial resistance is suggested to arise from fungicide use in agriculture, as the chemicals used for plant protection are almost identical to the antifungals used clinically...
Editor's Pick Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyGenes Contributing to the Unique Biology and Intrinsic Antibiotic Resistance of Enterococcus faecalisEnterococci are leading causes of antibiotic-resistant infection transmitted in hospitals. The intrinsic hardiness of these organisms allows them to survive disinfection practices and then proliferate in the gastrointestinal tracts of antibiotic-treated patients. The objective of this study was to identify the underlying genetic basis for its unusual hardiness. Using a functional genomic approach, we identified traits and pathways of...