Protein promotes antibiotic resistance in Campylobacter
As a food-borne bacterial pathogen, Campylobacter jejuni is a common causative agent of gastrointestinal illnesses in humans. Development of antibiotic resistance in Campylobacter, especially to fluoroquinolones (broad-spectrum antimicrobial drugs), compromises clinical treatments and presents a major public health threat. It is not well understood why Campylobacter is highly adaptable to fluoroquinolone treatment or how it acquires mutations associated with fluoroquinolone resistance. Understanding the molecular mechanisms involved in the resistance development will to reduce the emergence of fluoroquinolone-resistant Campylobacter.
Researchers from Iowa State University have now identified a novel factor that promotes the development of antibiotic resistance in a bacterial pathogen. Their paper explains that Mfd, a protein involved in DNA transcription and repair, plays an important role in the development of fluoroquinolone resistance in Campylobacter, a bacterial pathogen commonly associated with food poisoning in humans. Development of antibiotic resistance in Campylobacter, especially to fluoroquinolone (a broad-spectrum antimicrobial), compromises clinical therapy and poses a public health threat. Previous studies have revealed that Campylobacter is highly mutable to antibiotic treatment and the number of fluoroquinolone-resistant Campylobacter is greatly increased in many regions of the world. But it has not been clear why Campylobacter is able to mutate at such a high frequency.
Using DNA microarray and other molecular methods, the research team has found that Campylobacter increases the production of Mfd in the presence of a fluoroquinolone antibiotic. Mfd is a transcription-repair coupling factor involved in DNA repair and was not previously known for its role in promoting mutations conferring antibiotic resistance. Elimination of Mfd from Campylobacter resulted in 100-fold reduction in the rate of emergence of mutants resistant to fluoroquinolones. Without Mfd, the development of fluoroquinolone-resistant Campylobacter under antibiotic treatment is significantly reduced. These findings have uncovered a previously unrecognized role of Mfd in promoting mutations conferring antibiotic resistance. Despite its importance, Mfd is not the only factor influencing the mutation frequency and future studies will be needed to determine how Mfd increases the emergence of antibiotic-resistant mutants. These findings not only reveal a novel function of Mfd, but also provide a potential molecular target for reducing the emergence of fluoroquinolone-resistant Campylobacter.
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Tags: Antibiotics, Bacteria, Biology, Food, Health, Medicine, Microbiology, Science
