Enzymatic activity of PBP1B is required for growth rate-independent ppGpp-mediated resistance to PBP2 inhibitors in <i>E. coli</i>.

ABSTRACT: The alarmone (p)ppGpp (ppGpp) accumulates in response to starvation and other stress, leading to inhibition of multiple biosynthetic pathways and, at high concentrations, suppression of bacterial growth. Growth suppression by ppGpp is implicated in the formation of persister cells, which survive antibiotic challenge only to regrow once the drug is removed. However, there is also evidence that low levels of ppGpp contribute to resistance to certain cell wall-active antibiotics in actively growing cells. To characterize ppGpp's contribution to antibiotic resistance, we measured MICs of a panel of β-lactams in actively growing Escherichia coli cells overexpressing a ppGpp synthase (relA*). Cells engineered to modestly overproduce ppGpp exhibited up to 64-fold increases in resist

SUBMITTER: Anderson SE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12826052 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature