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Updated: Aug 1, 2025

A Fluorescence-based Method to Study Bacterial Gene Regulation in Infected Tissues
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Role of Extracellular DNA in Bacterial Response to SOS-Inducing Drugs

John K Crane1, Marissa N Catanzaro2

  • 1Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14214, USA.

Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland)
|April 28, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Bacterial stress response triggers DNA release and aggregation, potentially aiding antibiotic resistance gene spread. This discovery sheds light on bacterial adaptation mechanisms.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • The SOS response is a crucial bacterial stress pathway activated by DNA damage.
  • SOS response activation can lead to increased mutation rates (hypermutation).

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the effects of SOS-inducing drugs on bacterial phenotypes.
  • To explore the relationship between SOS response activation, DNA release, and bacterial aggregation.

Main Methods:

  • Comparing the effects of various SOS-inducing drugs.
  • Assessing RecA expression, hypermutation, and bacterial elongation.
  • Observing extracellular DNA release and bacterial aggregation.

Main Results:

  • SOS-inducing drugs triggered RecA expression, hypermutation, and bacterial elongation.
  • A significant release of extracellular DNA was observed.
  • Bacteria formed aggregates enmeshed in released DNA.

Conclusions:

  • DNA release and aggregation are novel phenotypes associated with the bacterial SOS response.
  • This DNA release may facilitate horizontal gene transfer of antibiotic resistance genes.
  • The findings suggest a new mechanism for bacterial adaptation and evolution.
Keywords:
Enterobacter cloacaeEscherichia coliRecAantibiotic resistanceantibiotic stewardshipaztreonambleomycinextracellular DNAmitomycin Cpolyamines

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