The impact of CwlM depletion on the susceptibility of Mycobacterium smegmatis to anti-tuberculosis drugs.

ABSTRACT: CwlM, identified as an N-acetylmuramoyl-l-alanine amidase, plays crucial roles in the synthesis and remodeling of peptidoglycan in mycobacteria. This protein also appears to participate in both drug susceptibility and tolerance mechanisms within these organisms. In our study, we employed CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) to deplete CwlM in Mycobacterium smegmatis (M. smegmatis) and examined the resulting effects on the susceptibility of mycobacteria to first-line anti-tuberculosis drugs, including isoniazid (INH), rifampicin (RIF), pyrazinamide (PZA), and ethambutol (EMB), as well as the β-lactams cefoxitin and imipenem. Our findings revealed that CwlM depletion increased the susceptibility of the bacterium to RIF, EMB, cefoxitin, and imipenem, while tolerance was heightened against INH and PZ

SUBMITTER: Yang S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12551912 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature