antibiotics
PerspectiveOne versus Many: Polymicrobial Communities and the Cystic Fibrosis AirwayCulture-independent studies have revealed that chronic lung infections in persons with cystic fibrosis (pwCF) are rarely limited to one microbial species. Interactions among bacterial members of these polymicrobial communities in the airways of pwCF have been reported to modulate clinically relevant phenotypes.
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionEvolution of Antibiotic Tolerance Shapes Resistance Development in Chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa InfectionsOver the past decades, pan-resistant strains of major bacterial pathogens have emerged and have rendered clinically available antibiotics ineffective, putting at risk many of the major achievements of modern medicine, including surgery, cancer therapy, and organ transplantation. A thorough understanding of processes leading to the development of antibiotic resistance in human patients is thus urgently needed.
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyA Small-Molecule Modulator of Metal Homeostasis in Gram-Positive PathogensStaphylococcus aureus is a leading agent of antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections in the world. S. aureus tightly controls metal homeostasis during infection, and disruption of metal uptake systems impairs staphylococcal virulence. We identified small molecules that interfere with metal handling...
Observation | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyMicron Scale Spatial Measurement of the O2 Gradient Surrounding a Bacterial Biofilm in Real TimeO2 is a fundamental environmental metabolite that affects all life on earth. While toxic to many microbes and obligately required by others, those that have appropriate physiological responses survive and can even benefit from various levels of O2, particularly in biofilm communities. Although most studies have focused on measuring O2 within biofilms, little is known about O2 gradients...
Minireview | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyBacterial Cell Wall Quality Control during Environmental StressNearly all bacteria are encased in a peptidoglycan cell wall, an essential polysaccharide structure that protects the cell from osmotic rupture and reinforces cell shape. The integrity of this protective barrier must be maintained across the diversity of environmental conditions wherein bacteria replicate. However, at the cell surface, the cell wall and its synthesis machinery face unique challenges that threaten their integrity....
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyCell Division Protein FtsZ Is Unfolded for N-Terminal Degradation by Antibiotic-Activated ClpPAcyldepsipeptide (ADEP) antibiotics effectively kill multidrug-resistant Gram-positive pathogens, including vancomycin-resistant enterococcus, penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae (PRSP), and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The antibacterial activity of ADEP depends on a...
Editor's Pick Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyIntra-Amniotic Infection with Ureaplasma parvum Causes Preterm Birth and Neonatal Mortality That Are Prevented by Treatment with ClarithromycinPreterm birth is the leading cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality worldwide. Multiple etiologies are associated with preterm birth; however, 25% of preterm infants are born to a mother with intra-amniotic infection, most commonly due to invasion of the amniotic cavity by Ureaplasma species. Much research has focused on establishing a link between Ureaplasma species and adverse pregnancy/neonatal outcomes; however...
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionBurkholderia ubonensis Meropenem Resistance: Insights into Distinct Properties of Class A β-Lactamases in Burkholderia cepacia Complex and Burkholderia pseudomallei Complex BacteriaBurkholderia pseudomallei causes melioidosis, a tropical disease that is highly fatal if not properly treated. Our data show that, in contrast to B. pseudomallei, B. ubonensis β-lactam resistance is fundamentally different because...
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyHistidine-Triad Hydrolases Provide Resistance to Peptide-Nucleotide AntibioticsUncovering the mechanisms of resistance is a required step for countering the looming antibiotic resistance crisis. In this communication, we show how universally conserved histidine-triad hydrolases provide resistance to microcin C, a potent inhibitor of bacterial protein synthesis.
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyLinking Human Milk Oligosaccharides, Infant Fecal Community Types, and Later Risk To Require AntibioticsHuman milk is the sole and recommended nutrition for the newborn infant and contains one of the largest constituents of diverse oligosaccharides, dubbed human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs). Preclinical and clinical association studies indicate that HMOs have multiple physiological functions largely mediated through the establishment of the gut microbiome. Until recently, HMOs were not available to investigate their role in randomized...