CRISPRi screening reveals <i>E. coli</i>'s anaerobic-like respiratory adaptations to gentamicin: membrane depolarization by CpxR.

ABSTRACT: Bacterial genes serve diverse cellular functions and many affect fitness in response to environmental challenges. We employed CRISPR interference screening to investigate the fitness effect of each gene in Escherichia coli exposed to gentamicin, aiming to understand the cellular defense mechanisms. Our findings revealed that ribosomal proteins, ribosome-associated proteins, toxin-antitoxin systems, and outer membrane proteins strongly influence the fitness of E. coli in gentamicin. Notably, gentamicin-induced fitness changes resembled those under anaerobic conditions, where resistance to gentamicin was observed. Specifically, genes related to the biosynthesis of cofactors and electron carriers, crucial for the respiratory system, showed reduced essentiality under both gentami

SUBMITTER: Choe D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12282077 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature