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Nanomechanics of Drug-target Interactions and Antibacterial Resistance Detection
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Targeting bacterial outer-membrane remodelling to impact antimicrobial drug resistance

Natalia C Rosas1, Trevor Lithgow1

  • 1Centre to Impact AMR, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia; Infection and Immunity Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.

Trends in Microbiology
|December 7, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Understanding bacterial membrane remodeling is key to combating antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Targeting outer-membrane changes, potentially with bacteriophages, offers a sustainable strategy to resensitize bacteria to drugs.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Evolutionary Biology

Background:

  • The bacterial cell envelope, particularly membrane proteins like porins, is crucial for survival and nutrient uptake.
  • Bacterial membrane remodeling is intrinsically linked to the development of antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
  • Understanding protein biogenesis and turnover is vital for comprehending AMR phenotype evolution.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the mechanisms of bacterial outer-membrane remodeling.
  • To discuss how targeting membrane remodeling can restore antimicrobial drug sensitivity.
  • To highlight bacteriophages as potential tools for controlling membrane remodeling and combating AMR.

Main Methods:

  • Review of current knowledge on bacterial outer-membrane structure and dynamics.
  • Analysis of the relationship between membrane protein turnover and AMR.
  • Discussion of evolutionary principles for resensitizing bacteria.

Main Results:

  • Membrane remodeling plays a significant role in the emergence and persistence of AMR.
  • Targeting outer-membrane remodeling presents a viable strategy to overcome AMR.
  • Bacteriophages can be utilized to modulate bacterial membrane properties.

Conclusions:

  • Fundamental insights into bacterial membrane biology offer novel approaches to address the AMR crisis.
  • Strategic targeting of outer-membrane remodeling can reverse AMR phenotypes.
  • Careful selection of bacteriophages is necessary to ensure they reduce, rather than worsen, AMR.
Keywords:
antimicrobial resistancecarbapenemmembrane remodellingouter membranephage therapyporin

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