Alternative lipid synthesis in response to phosphate limitation promotes antibiotic tolerance in Gram-negative ESKAPE pathogens.

ABSTRACT: The Gram-negative outer membrane protects bacterial cells from environmental toxins such as antibiotics. The outer membrane lipid bilayer is asymmetric; while glycerophospholipids compose the periplasmic facing leaflet, the surface layer is enriched with phosphate-containing lipopolysaccharides. The anionic phosphates that decorate the cell surface promote electrostatic interactions with cationic antimicrobial peptides such as colistin, allowing them to penetrate the bilayer, form pores, and lyse the cell. Colistin is prescribed as a last-line therapy to treat multidrug-resistant Gram-negative infections. Acinetobacter baumannii is an ESKAPE pathogen that rapidly develops resistance to antibiotics and persists for extended periods in the host or on abiotic surfaces. Survival in envi

SUBMITTER: Olea-Ozuna RJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11419095 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature