Comparative analysis of phosphoethanolamine transferases involved in polymyxin resistance across 10 clinically relevant Gram-negative bacteria.

ABSTRACT: The rapid emergence of Gram-negative 'superbugs' has become a significant threat to human health globally, and polymyxins have become a last-line therapy for these very problematic pathogens. Polymyxins exhibit their antibacterial killing by initial interaction with lipid A in Gram-negative bacteria. Polymyxin resistance can be mediated by phosphoethanolamine (PEA) modification of lipid A, which abolishes the initial electrostatic interaction with polymyxins. Both chromosome-encoded (e.g. EptA, EptB and EptC) and plasmid-encoded (e.g. MCR-1 and MCR-2) PEA transferases have been reported in Gram-negative bacteria; however, their sequence and functional heterogeneity remain unclear. This article reports a comparative analysis of PEA transferases across 10 clinically relevant Gram-negative ba

SUBMITTER: Huang J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5869126 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature