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Updated: Jun 27, 2026
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Testing the Role of Multicopy Plasmids in the Evolution of Antibiotic Resistance
Published on: May 2, 2018
Bacteria share proteins to survive antibiotics
Thierry Oms1, Laurence Van Melderen1
1Bacterial Genetics and Physiology, Faculté des Sciences, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Gosselies, Belgium.
Science (New York, N.Y.)
|June 25, 2026
Summary
Bacteria use membrane vesicles for cell-to-cell communication, significantly boosting their survival against antibiotics. This cooperation is key to developing antibiotic persistence.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Bacterial Physiology
- Drug Resistance
Background:
- Antibiotic persistence is a major challenge in treating bacterial infections.
- Understanding mechanisms of bacterial survival is crucial for developing new therapies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of cell-to-cell communication in bacterial antibiotic persistence.
- To explore the function of membrane vesicles in mediating this cooperation.
Main Methods:
- Utilized advanced microscopy techniques to observe vesicle formation and transfer.
- Performed genetic manipulations to assess the impact of vesicle production on survival.
- Quantified antibiotic tolerance in wild-type and mutant bacterial strains.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated that bacteria release membrane vesicles containing specific molecules.
- Showed that recipient bacteria internalize these vesicles, altering their physiological state.
- Confirmed that vesicle-mediated communication significantly enhances bacterial antibiotic persistence.
Conclusions:
- Cell-to-cell cooperation via membrane vesicles is a novel mechanism contributing to antibiotic persistence.
- Targeting vesicle formation or uptake could be a potential strategy to overcome antibiotic resistance.
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