# | Rank | Similarity | Title + Abs. | Year | PMID |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 8164 | 0 | 0.9855 | Antibiotic Resistance - A Cause for Reemergence of Infections. This article can rightly be called 'the rise of the microbial phoenix'; for, all the microbial infections whose doomsday was predicted with the discovery of antibiotics, have thumbed their noses at mankind and reemerged phoenix like. The hubris generated by Sir Alexander Fleming's discovery of Penicillin in 1928, exemplified best by the comment by William H Stewart, the US Surgeon General in 1967, "It is time to close the books on infectious diseases" has been replaced by the realisation that the threat of antibiotic resistance is, in the words of the Chief Medical Officer of England, Dame Sally Davies, "just as important and deadly as climate change and international terrorism". Antimicrobial resistance threatens to negate all the major medical advances of the last century because antimicrobial use is linked to many other fields like organ transplantation and cancer chemotherapy. Antibiotic resistance genes have been there since ancient times in response to naturally occurring antibiotics. Modern medicine has only driven further evolution of antimicrobial resistance by use, misuse, overuse and abuse of antibiotics. Resistant bacteria proliferate by natural selection when their drug sensitive comrades are removed by antibiotics. In this article the authors discuss the various causes of antimicrobial resistance and dwell in some detail on antibiotic resistance in gram-positive and gram-negative organisms. Finally they stress on the important role clinicians have in limiting the development and spread of antimicrobial resistance. | 2020 | 32026301 |
| 9990 | 1 | 0.9854 | Axe-Txe, a broad-spectrum proteic toxin-antitoxin system specified by a multidrug-resistant, clinical isolate of Enterococcus faecium. Enterococcal species of bacteria are now acknowledged as leading causes of bacteraemia and other serious nosocomial infections. However, surprisingly little is known about the molecular mechanisms that promote the segregational stability of antibiotic resistance and other plasmids in these bacteria. Plasmid pRUM (24 873 bp) is a multidrug resistance plasmid identified in a clinical isolate of Enterococcus faecium. A novel proteic-based toxin-antitoxin cassette identified on pRUM was demonstrated to be a functional segregational stability module in both its native host and evolutionarily diverse bacterial species. Induced expression of the toxin protein (Txe) of this system resulted in growth inhibition in Escherichia coli. The toxic effect of Txe was alleviated by co-expression of the antitoxin protein, Axe. Homologues of the axe and txe genes are present in the genomes of a diversity of Eubacteria. These homologues (yefM-yoeB) present in the E. coli chromosome function as a toxin-antitoxin mechanism, although the Axe and YefM antitoxin components demonstrate specificity for their cognate toxin proteins in vivo. Axe-Txe is one of the first functional proteic toxin-antitoxin systems to be accurately described for Gram-positive bacteria. | 2003 | 12603745 |
| 9526 | 2 | 0.9854 | Will resistance in fungi emerge on a scale similar to that seen in bacteria? Growing numbers of patients receive azoles as prophylaxis or treatment for invasive fungal infections, begging the question of whether emergence of resistance will occur, as has been seen with bacteria. This review examines resistance pathways shared by bacteria and fungi, including alteration and overproduction of drug targets, changes in biosynthetic pathways, and enhanced drug efflux, and assesses whether such commonalities predict increased resistance to azoles. Important differences exist between the two kingdoms, including little, if any, horizontal transfer of extrachromosomal material across fungal species and a longer fungal generation time, thereby slowing vertical transfer of mutant traits. Further, no enzymatic modulation or inactivation of azoles has been reported in fungi. The newer broad-spectrum azoles posaconazole and voriconazole are active against the vast majority of yeasts and moulds and are likely to prevent the emergence of inherently resistant strains. Therefore, the likelihood for an explosion of fungal resistance is relatively low. | 2008 | 18204870 |
| 8185 | 3 | 0.9853 | RNA-cleaving DNAzymes as a diagnostic and therapeutic agent against antimicrobial resistant bacteria. The development of nucleic-acid-based antimicrobials such as RNA-cleaving DNAzyme (RCD), a short catalytically active nucleic acid, is a promising alternative to the current antibiotics. The current rapid spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in bacteria renders some antibiotics useless against bacterial infection, thus creating the need for alternative antimicrobials such as DNAzymes. This review summarizes recent advances in the use of RCD as a diagnostic and therapeutic agent against AMR. Firstly, the recent diagnostic application of RCD for the detection of bacterial cells and the associated resistant gene(s) is discussed. The next section summarises the therapeutic application of RCD in AMR bacterial infections which includes direct targeting of the resistant genes and indirect targeting of AMR-associated genes. Finally, this review extends the discussion to challenges of utilizing RCD in real-life applications, and the potential of combining both diagnostic and therapeutic applications of RCD into a single agent as a theranostic agent. | 2022 | 34505182 |
| 9812 | 4 | 0.9852 | Drug Resistance Mechanisms in Bacteria Causing Sexually Transmitted Diseases and Associated with Vaginosis. Here, we review sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) caused by pathogenic bacteria and vaginal infections which result from an overgrowth of opportunistic bacterial microflora. First, we describe the STDs, the corresponding pathogens and the antimicrobials used for their treatment. In addition to the well-known diseases caused by single pathogens (i.e., syphilis, gonococcal infections, and chlamydiosis), we consider polymicrobial reproductive tract infections (especially those that are difficult to effectively clinically manage). Then, we summarize the biochemical mechanisms that lead to antimicrobial resistance and the most recent data on the emergence of drug resistance in STD pathogens and bacteria associated with vaginosis. A large amount of research performed in the last 10-15 years has shed light on the enormous diversity of mechanisms of resistance developed by bacteria. A detailed understanding of the mechanisms of antimicrobials action and the emergence of resistance is necessary to modify existing drugs and to develop new ones directed against new targets. | 2016 | 27242760 |
| 9524 | 5 | 0.9852 | The Role of Nitroreductases in Resistance to Nitroimidazoles. Antimicrobial resistance is a major challenge facing modern medicine, with an estimated 700,000 people dying annually and a global cost in excess of $100 trillion. This has led to an increased need to develop new, effective treatments. This review focuses on nitroimidazoles, which have seen a resurgence in interest due to their broad spectrum of activity against anaerobic Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. The role of nitroreductases is to activate the antimicrobial by reducing the nitro group. A decrease in the activity of nitroreductases is associated with resistance. This review will discuss the resistance mechanisms of different disease organisms, including Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Helicobacter pylori and Staphylococcus aureus, and how these impact the effectiveness of specific nitroimidazoles. Perspectives in the field of nitroimidazole drug development are also summarised. | 2021 | 34062712 |
| 9813 | 6 | 0.9852 | Antibacterial Discovery: 21st Century Challenges. It has been nearly 50 years since the golden age of antibiotic discovery (1945-1975) ended; yet, we still struggle to identify novel drug targets and to deliver new chemical classes of antibiotics to replace those rendered obsolete by drug resistance. Despite herculean efforts utilizing a wide range of antibiotic discovery platform strategies, including genomics, bioinformatics, systems biology and postgenomic approaches, success has been at best incremental. Obviously, finding new classes of antibiotics is really hard, so repeating the old strategies, while expecting different outcomes, seems to boarder on insanity. The key questions dealt with in this review include: (1) If mutation based drug resistance is the major challenge to any new antibiotic, is it possible to find drug targets and new chemical entities that can escape this outcome; (2) Is the number of novel chemical classes of antibacterials limited by the number of broad spectrum drug targets; and (3) If true, then should we focus efforts on subgroups of pathogens like Gram negative or positive bacteria only, anaerobic bacteria or other group where the range of common essential genes is likely greater?. This review also provides some examples of existing drug targets that appear to escape the specter of mutation based drug resistance, and provides examples of some intermediate spectrum strategies as well as modern molecular and genomic approaches likely to improve the odds of delivering 21st century medicines to combat multidrug resistant pathogens. | 2020 | 32353943 |
| 9173 | 7 | 0.9851 | Bacterial defences: mechanisms, evolution and antimicrobial resistance. Throughout their evolutionary history, bacteria have faced diverse threats from other microorganisms, including competing bacteria, bacteriophages and predators. In response to these threats, they have evolved sophisticated defence mechanisms that today also protect bacteria against antibiotics and other therapies. In this Review, we explore the protective strategies of bacteria, including the mechanisms, evolution and clinical implications of these ancient defences. We also review the countermeasures that attackers have evolved to overcome bacterial defences. We argue that understanding how bacteria defend themselves in nature is important for the development of new therapies and for minimizing resistance evolution. | 2023 | 37095190 |
| 9172 | 8 | 0.9851 | These Are the Genes You're Looking For: Finding Host Resistance Genes. Humanity's ongoing struggle with new, re-emerging and endemic infectious diseases serves as a frequent reminder of the need to understand host-pathogen interactions. Recent advances in genomics have dramatically advanced our understanding of how genetics contributes to host resistance or susceptibility to bacterial infection. Here we discuss current trends in defining host-bacterial interactions at the genome-wide level, including screens that harness CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing, natural genetic variation, proteomics, and transcriptomics. We report on the merits, limitations, and findings of these innovative screens and discuss their complementary nature. Finally, we speculate on future innovation as we continue to progress through the postgenomic era and towards deeper mechanistic insight and clinical applications. | 2021 | 33004258 |
| 223 | 9 | 0.9851 | Phosphoethanolamine Transferases as Drug Discovery Targets for Therapeutic Treatment of Multi-Drug Resistant Pathogenic Gram-Negative Bacteria. Antibiotic resistance caused by multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria is a major challenge to global public health. Polymyxins are increasingly being used as last-in-line antibiotics to treat MDR Gram-negative bacterial infections, but resistance development renders them ineffective for empirical therapy. The main mechanism that bacteria use to defend against polymyxins is to modify the lipid A headgroups of the outer membrane by adding phosphoethanolamine (PEA) moieties. In addition to lipid A modifying PEA transferases, Gram-negative bacteria possess PEA transferases that decorate proteins and glycans. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the function, structure, and mechanism of action of PEA transferases identified in pathogenic Gram-negative bacteria. It also summarizes the current drug development progress targeting this enzyme family, which could reverse antibiotic resistance to polymyxins to restore their utility in empiric therapy. | 2023 | 37760679 |
| 9028 | 10 | 0.9851 | Efflux Pumps in Chromobacterium Species Increase Antibiotic Resistance and Promote Survival in a Coculture Competition Model. Members of the Chromobacterium genus include opportunistic but often-fatal pathogens and soil saprophytes with highly versatile metabolic capabilities. In previous studies of Chromobacterium subtsugae (formerly C. violaceum) strain CV017, we identified a resistance nodulation division (RND)-family efflux pump (CdeAB-OprM) that confers resistance to several antibiotics, including the bactobolin antibiotic produced by the soil saprophyte Burkholderia thailandensis Here, we show the cdeAB-oprM genes increase C. subtsugae survival in a laboratory competition model with B. thailandensis We also demonstrate that adding sublethal bactobolin concentrations to the coculture increases C. subtsugae survival, but this effect is not through CdeAB-OprM. Instead, the increased survival requires a second, previously unreported pump we call CseAB-OprN. We show that in cells exposed to sublethal bactobolin concentrations, the cseAB-oprN genes are transcriptionally induced, and this corresponds to an increase in bactobolin resistance. Induction of this pump is highly specific and sensitive to bactobolin, while CdeAB-OprM appears to have a broader range of antibiotic recognition. We examine the distribution of cseAB-oprN and cdeAB-oprM gene clusters in members of the Chromobacterium genus and find the cseAB-oprN genes are limited to the nonpathogenic C. subtsugae strains, whereas the cdeAB-oprM genes are more widely distributed among members of the Chromobacterium genus. Our results provide new information on the antibiotic resistance mechanisms of Chromobacterium species and highlight the importance of efflux pumps for saprophytic bacteria existing in multispecies communities.IMPORTANCE Antibiotic efflux pumps are best known for increasing antibiotic resistance of pathogens; however, the role of these pumps in saprophytes is much less well defined. This study describes two predicted efflux pump gene clusters in the Chromobacterium genus, which is comprised of both nonpathogenic saprophytes and species that cause highly fatal human infections. One of the predicted efflux pump clusters is present in every member of the Chromobacterium genus and increases resistance to a broad range of antibiotics. The other gene cluster has more narrow antibiotic specificity and is found only in Chromobacterium subtsugae, a subset of entirely nonpathogenic species. We demonstrate the role of both pumps in increasing antibiotic resistance and demonstrate the importance of efflux-dependent resistance induction for C. subtsugae survival in a dual-species competition model. These results have implications for managing antibiotic-resistant Chromobacterium infections and for understanding the evolution of efflux pumps outside the host. | 2019 | 31324628 |
| 8272 | 11 | 0.9850 | Ceragenins and Antimicrobial Peptides Kill Bacteria through Distinct Mechanisms. Ceragenins are a family of synthetic amphipathic molecules designed to mimic the properties of naturally occurring cationic antimicrobial peptides (CAMPs). Although ceragenins have potent antimicrobial activity, whether their mode of action is similar to that of CAMPs has remained elusive. Here, we reported the results of a comparative study of the bacterial responses to two well-studied CAMPs, LL37 and colistin, and two ceragenins with related structures, CSA13 and CSA131. Using transcriptomic and proteomic analyses, we found that Escherichia coli responded similarly to both CAMPs and ceragenins by inducing a Cpx envelope stress response. However, whereas E. coli exposed to CAMPs increased expression of genes involved in colanic acid biosynthesis, bacteria exposed to ceragenins specifically modulated functions related to phosphate transport, indicating distinct mechanisms of action between these two classes of molecules. Although traditional genetic approaches failed to identify genes that confer high-level resistance to ceragenins, using a Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats interference (CRISPRi) approach we identified E. coli essential genes that when knocked down modify sensitivity to these molecules. Comparison of the essential gene-antibiotic interactions for each of the CAMPs and ceragenins identified both overlapping and distinct dependencies for their antimicrobial activities. Overall, this study indicated that, while some bacterial responses to ceragenins overlap those induced by naturally occurring CAMPs, these synthetic molecules target the bacterial envelope using a distinctive mode of action. IMPORTANCE The development of novel antibiotics is essential because the current arsenal of antimicrobials will soon be ineffective due to the widespread occurrence of antibiotic resistance. The development of naturally occurring cationic antimicrobial peptides (CAMPs) for therapeutics to combat antibiotic resistance has been hampered by high production costs and protease sensitivity, among other factors. The ceragenins are a family of synthetic CAMP mimics that kill a broad spectrum of bacterial species but are less expensive to produce, resistant to proteolytic degradation, and seemingly resistant to the development of high-level resistance. Determining how ceragenins function may identify new essential biological pathways of bacteria that are less prone to the development of resistance and will further our understanding of the design principles for maximizing the effects of synthetic CAMPs. | 2022 | 35073755 |
| 146 | 12 | 0.9850 | Bacillus velezensis FZB42 in 2018: The Gram-Positive Model Strain for Plant Growth Promotion and Biocontrol. Bacillus velezensis FZB42, the model strain for Gram-positive plant-growth-promoting and biocontrol rhizobacteria, has been isolated in 1998 and sequenced in 2007. In order to celebrate these anniversaries, we summarize here the recent knowledge about FZB42. In last 20 years, more than 140 articles devoted to FZB42 have been published. At first, research was mainly focused on antimicrobial compounds, apparently responsible for biocontrol effects against plant pathogens, recent research is increasingly directed to expression of genes involved in bacteria-plant interaction, regulatory small RNAs (sRNAs), and on modification of enzymes involved in synthesis of antimicrobial compounds by processes such as acetylation and malonylation. Till now, 13 gene clusters involved in non-ribosomal and ribosomal synthesis of secondary metabolites with putative antimicrobial action have been identified within the genome of FZB42. These gene clusters cover around 10% of the whole genome. Antimicrobial compounds suppress not only growth of plant pathogenic bacteria and fungi, but could also stimulate induced systemic resistance (ISR) in plants. It has been found that besides secondary metabolites also volatile organic compounds are involved in the biocontrol effect exerted by FZB42 under biotic (plant pathogens) and abiotic stress conditions. In order to facilitate easy access to the genomic data, we have established an integrating data bank 'AmyloWiki' containing accumulated information about the genes present in FZB42, available mutant strains, and other aspects of FZB42 research, which is structured similar as the famous SubtiWiki data bank. | 2018 | 30386322 |
| 4410 | 13 | 0.9849 | Refuse in order to resist: metabolic bottlenecks reduce antibiotic susceptibility. The growth of pathogenic bacteria in the host is a prerequisite for infectious diseases. Antibiotic drugs are used to impair bacterial growth and thereby treat infections. In turn, growth of bacteria is underpinned by their primary metabolism. Thus, it has long been recognized that the activity of antibiotics is determined by the metabolic state of cells. However, only recently researchers have begun to systematically interrogate the links between metabolism and resistance (Jiang et al, ; Lopatkin et al, ; Pinheiro et al, ; Schrader et al, ; Zhao et al, 2021). In their recent study, Lubrano and colleagues (Lubrano et al, 2025) apply an elegant CRISPR-based approach to the model bacterium Escherichia coli to systematically screen the effect of 15,120 mutations in genes that encode for 346 proteins which are required for growth of E. coli (also referred to as ‘essential proteins’). The authors identified a multitude of mutations that reduce the susceptibility against two antibiotics related to two very distinct chemical classes; the β-lactam antibiotic carbenicillin and the aminoglycoside gentamicin. Strikingly, the majority of the identified mutations are directly linked to primary metabolism. The work highlights the importance of metabolism in order to understand antibiotic resistance mechanisms and the ecology and evolution of antibiotic resistance. In addition, the work provides leads to design metabolism-based intervention strategies to mitigate antibiotic resistance. | 2025 | 39966554 |
| 231 | 14 | 0.9849 | Lincosamides, Streptogramins, Phenicols, and Pleuromutilins: Mode of Action and Mechanisms of Resistance. Lincosamides, streptogramins, phenicols, and pleuromutilins (LSPPs) represent four structurally different classes of antimicrobial agents that inhibit bacterial protein synthesis by binding to particular sites on the 50S ribosomal subunit of the ribosomes. Members of all four classes are used for different purposes in human and veterinary medicine in various countries worldwide. Bacteria have developed ways and means to escape the inhibitory effects of LSPP antimicrobial agents by enzymatic inactivation, active export, or modification of the target sites of the agents. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the mode of action of LSPP antimicrobial agents as well as of the mutations and resistance genes known to confer resistance to these agents in various bacteria of human and animal origin. | 2016 | 27549310 |
| 9462 | 15 | 0.9849 | A bacterial model system for understanding multi-drug resistance. Mankind stands at the crossroads, recognizing the need for a radical change in bacterial disease management. The development of several antimicrobial agents in the 1940s and 1950s allowed man to gain the upper hand in controlling these diseases. However, the horizon is now clouded by the activation in bacteria of cryptic multi-drug resistance (MDR) genes and the spread of plasmid- and integron-born MDR genes through bacterial populations. Unless remedial measures are taken, nearly all currently available antimicrobial agents are likely to soon lose their efficacies. We briefly review the bacterial MDR phenomenon and focus on a recently emerging family of small multi-drug resistance (SMR) pumps which may provide an ideal model system for understanding the MDR phenomenon in general. | 1997 | 9442481 |
| 659 | 16 | 0.9849 | Generic and specific adaptive responses of Streptococcus pneumoniae to challenge with three distinct antimicrobial peptides, bacitracin, LL-37, and nisin. To investigate the response of Streptococcus pneumoniae to three distinct antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), bacitracin, nisin, and LL-37, transcriptome analysis of challenged bacteria was performed. Only a limited number of genes were found to be up- or downregulated in all cases. Several of these common highly induced genes were chosen for further analysis, i.e., SP0385-SP0387 (SP0385-0387 herein), SP0912-0913, SP0785-0787, SP1714-1715, and the blp gene cluster. Deletion of these genes in combination with MIC determinations showed that several putative transporters, i.e., SP0785-0787 and SP0912-0913, were indeed involved in resistance to lincomycin and LL-37 and to bacitracin, nisin, and lincomycin, respectively. Mutation of the blp bacteriocin immunity genes resulted in an increased sensitivity to LL-37. Interestingly, a putative ABC transporter (SP1715) protected against bacitracin and Hoechst 33342 but conferred sensitivity to LL-37. A GntR-like regulator, SP1714, was identified as a negative regulator of itself and two of the putative transporters. In conclusion, we show that resistance to three different AMPs in S. pneumoniae is mediated by several putative ABC transporters, some of which have not been associated with antimicrobial resistance in this organism before. In addition, a GntR-like regulator that regulates two of these transporters was identified. Our findings extend the understanding of defense mechanisms of this important human pathogen against antimicrobial compounds and point toward novel proteins, i.e., putative ABC transporters, which can be used as targets for the development of new antimicrobials. | 2010 | 19917758 |
| 229 | 17 | 0.9849 | Molecular basis underlying Mycobacterium tuberculosis D-cycloserine resistance. Is there a role for ubiquinone and menaquinone metabolic pathways? INTRODUCTION: Tuberculosis remains a formidable threat to global public health. Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis presents increasing burden on the control strategy. D-Cycloserine (DCS) is an effective second-line drug against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis), the causative agent of tuberculosis. Though less potent than isoniazid (INH) and streptomycin, DCS is crucial for antibiotic-resistant tuberculosis. One advantage of DCS is that less drug-resistant M. tuberculosis is reported in comparison with first-line antituberculosis drugs such as INH and rifampin. AREAS COVERED: In this review, we summarise our current knowledge of DCS, and review the drug target and low-level resistance of DCS in M. tuberculosis. We summarise the metabolism of D-alanine (D-Ala) and peptidoglycan biosynthesis in bacteria. We first compared the amino acid similarity of Mycobacterium alanine racemase and D-Ala:D-alanine ligase and quite unexpectedly found that the two enzymes are highly conserved among Mycobacterium. EXPERT OPINION: We summarise the drug targets of DCS and possible mechanisms underlying its low-level resistance for the first time. One significant finding is that ubiquinone and menaquinone metabolism-related genes are novel genes underlying DCS resistance in Escherichia coli and with homologues in M. tuberculosis. Further understanding of DCS targets and basis for its low-level resistance might inspire us to improve the use of DCS or find better drug targets. | 2014 | 24773568 |
| 9588 | 18 | 0.9848 | Bacteriophage-host arm race: an update on the mechanism of phage resistance in bacteria and revenge of the phage with the perspective for phage therapy. Due to a constant attack by phage, bacteria in the environment have evolved diverse mechanisms to defend themselves. Several reviews on phage resistance mechanisms have been published elsewhere. Thanks to the advancement of molecular techniques, several new phage resistance mechanisms were recently identified. For the practical phage therapy, the emergence of phage-resistant bacteria could be an obstacle. However, unlike antibiotic, phages could evolve a mechanism to counter-adapt against phage-resistant bacteria. In this review, we summarized the most recent studies of the phage-bacteria arm race with the perspective of future applications of phages as antimicrobial agents. | 2019 | 30680434 |
| 9525 | 19 | 0.9848 | Is there a serious risk of resistance development to azoles among fungi due to the widespread use and long-term application of azole antifungals in medicine? It is well known that development of antibiotic resistance in bacteria is not a matter of if but of when. Recently, azoles have been recommended for long-term prophylaxis of invasive fungal infections; hence, it could be argued that fungi also will become resistant to these agents. However, fungi are different from bacteria in several critical points. Bacteria display several resistance mechanisms: alteration of the target, limited access to the target and modification/inactivation of the antibacterial compound. In fungi some mechanisms of resistance to azoles are also known; with azoles for example, alterations of the 14alpha-demethylase target, as well as efflux pumps. It has been observed that these phenotypes develop in yeast populations either due to mutations or to selection processes. However, enzymes which destroy azoles are not found. Furthermore, a horizontal transfer of genes coding resistance traits does not occur in fungi, which means that an explosive expansion of resistances is unlikely to occur, especially in moulds. Indeed, in epidemiologic studies on human and environmental isolates there is convincing evidence that azole resistance is quite uncommon. | 2008 | 18325827 |