antibiotic resistance
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyThe Leader Peptide peTrpL Forms Antibiotic-Containing Ribonucleoprotein Complexes for Posttranscriptional Regulation of Multiresistance GenesLeader peptides encoded by transcription attenuators are widespread small proteins that are considered nonfunctional in trans. We found that the leader peptide peTrpL of the soil-dwelling plant symbiont Sinorhizobium meliloti is required for differential, posttranscriptional regulation of a multidrug resistance operon upon antibiotic exposure. Multiresistance...
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionChlorpromazine and Amitriptyline Are Substrates and Inhibitors of the AcrB Multidrug Efflux PumpEfflux pumps of the resistance nodulation-cell division (RND) superfamily are major contributors to multidrug resistance for most of the Gram-negative ESKAPE (Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae,...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyPersistent Legionnaires’ Disease and Associated Antibiotic Treatment Engender a Highly Disturbed Pulmonary Microbiome Enriched in Opportunistic MicroorganismsThe composition and dynamics of the lung microbiome during pneumonia are not known, although the lung microbiome might influence the severity and outcome of this infectious disease, similar to what was shown for the microbiome at other body sites. Here we report the findings of a comprehensive analysis of the lung microbiome composition of three patients with long-term pneumonia due to...
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyLoss of Bacterial Cell Pole Stabilization in Caulobacter crescentus Sensitizes to Outer Membrane Stress and Peptidoglycan-Directed AntibioticsMaintenance of an intact cell envelope is essential for free-living bacteria to protect themselves against their environment. In the case of rod-shaped bacteria, the poles of the cell are potential weak points in the cell envelope due to the high curvature of the layers and the need to break and reform the cell envelope at the division plane as the cells divide. We have found that TipN, a factor required for correct division and cell...
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionTargeting Hidden Pathogens: Cell-Penetrating Enzybiotics Eradicate Intracellular Drug-Resistant Staphylococcus aureusThe increasing prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria is one of the most urgent problems of our time. Staphylococcus aureus is an important human pathogen that has acquired several mechanisms to evade antibiotic treatment. In addition, S. aureus is able to invade and persist within human cells...
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyThe WblC/WhiB7 Transcription Factor Controls Intrinsic Resistance to Translation-Targeting Antibiotics by Altering Ribosome CompositionThe emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria is one of the top threats in human health. Therefore, we need to understand how bacteria acquire resistance to antibiotics and continue growth even in the presence of antibiotics. Streptomyces coelicolor, an antibiotic-producing soil bacterium, intrinsically develops resistance to translation-targeting antibiotics....
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyParallel Genomics Uncover Novel Enterococcal-Bacteriophage InteractionsWe lack fundamental understanding of how phage infection influences bacterial gene expression and, consequently, how bacterial responses to phage infection affect the assembly of polymicrobial communities. Using parallel genomic approaches, we have discovered novel transcriptional regulators and metabolic genes that influence phage infection. The integration of whole-genome transcriptomic profiling during phage infection has revealed...
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionRapid Freezing Enables Aminoglycosides To Eradicate Bacterial Persisters via Enhancing Mechanosensitive Channel MscL-Mediated Antibiotic UptakeAntibiotics have long been used to successfully kill bacterial pathogens, but antibiotic resistance/tolerance usually has led to the failure of antibiotic therapy, and it has become a severe threat to human health. How to improve the efficacy of existing antibiotics is of importance for combating antibiotic-resistant/tolerant pathogens. Here, we report that 10-s rapid freezing with liquid nitrogen dramatically enhanced the bactericidal...
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionData Mining a Medieval Medical Text Reveals Patterns in Ingredient Choice That Reflect Biological Activity against Infectious AgentsWe used established methodologies from network science to identify patterns in medicinal ingredient combinations in a key medieval text, the 15th-century Lylye of Medicynes, focusing on recipes for topical treatments for symptoms of microbial infection. We conducted experiments screening the antimicrobial activity of selected ingredients. These experiments revealed interesting examples of ingredients that potentiated or...
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyCryo-electron Microscopy Structure of the Acinetobacter baumannii 70S Ribosome and Implications for New Antibiotic DevelopmentAcinetobacter baumannii is a severe nosocomial threat largely due to its intrinsic antibiotic resistance and remarkable ability to acquire new resistance determinants. The bacterial ribosome serves as a major target for modern antibiotics and the design of new therapeutics. Here, we present cryo-EM structures of the...