Clues to Antibiotic Resistance in Superbugs

Antibiotic resistant bacteria, sometimes called "Superbugs" are becoming a widespread problem particularly in hospitals where immunocompromised patients can become very susceptible to infection. For example, we all have the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus growing on our skin at all times. This is a healthy state of being for humans, but during surgery, some of the microorganisms can enter the wound and cause infection. Unless the patient can be treated with antibiotics, infection can become a serious complication to what might otherwise be a routine surgery.

The means by which bacteria become superbugs are largely unknown. The bacteria in question are not those that typically carry the antibiotic resistance genes used in gene cloning techniques, but are usually susceptible to antibiotic treatments. A new clue to the puzzle was reported in Science Magazine by Schumacher et al. (2009) who found a biochemical explanation for antibiotic resistance in Escherichia coli (E. coli). These bacteria have been found to produce a protein, now dubbed HipA (high persistence A). Hip A is a kinase (a type of enzyme) that phosphorylates translation factor EF-TU, sending the cell into a state of stasis. While antibiotics mainly target growing cells, the cells in stasis are able to survive until the antibiotic has worn out, at which time they continue to grow and flourish, at the expense of their human host.

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Schumacher et al. (2009). Molecular mechanisms of HipA-mediated multidrug tolerance and its neutralization by HipB. Science 323(5912):396-401. doi:10.1126/science.1163806.