# | Rank | Similarity | Title + Abs. | Year | PMID |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 504 | 0 | 0.9393 | Activation of Dithiolopyrrolone Antibiotics by Cellular Reductants. Dithiolopyrrolone (DTP) natural products are broad-spectrum antimicrobial and anticancer prodrugs. The DTP structure contains a unique bicyclic ene-disulfide that once reduced in the cell, chelates metal ions and disrupts metal homeostasis. In this work we investigate the intracellular activation of the DTPs and their resistance mechanisms in bacteria. We show that the prototypical DTP holomycin is reduced by several bacterial reductases and small-molecule thiols in vitro. To understand how bacteria develop resistance to the DTPs, we generate Staphylococcus aureus mutants that exhibit increased resistance to the hybrid DTP antibiotic thiomarinol. From these mutants we identify loss-of-function mutations in redox genes that are involved in DTP activation. This work advances the understanding of how DTPs are activated and informs development of bioreductive disulfide prodrugs. | 2025 | 39665630 |
| 2093 | 1 | 0.9361 | Are Enterobacteriaceae and Enterococcus Isolated from Powdered Infant Formula a Hazard for Infants? A Genomic Analysis. Powdered infant formulas (PIF) are the most used dietary substitutes that are used in order to supplement breastfeeding. However, PIF are not sterile and can be contaminated with different microorganisms. The objective of this study was to genomically characterize Enterobacteriaceae (ENT) and Enterococcus strains that were isolated from PIF. Strains were identified by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) and whole-genome sequencing (WGS). Genomic typing, detection of virulence, and resistance profiles and genes were performed with the Ridom SeqSphere+ software; the comprehensive antibiotic resistance database (CARD) platform; ResFinder and PlasmidFinder tools; and by the disk diffusion method. Nineteen isolates from PIF were analyzed, including ENT such as Kosakonia cowanii, Enterobacter hormaechei, Franconibacter helveticus, Mixta calida, and lactic acid bacteria such as Enterococcus faecium. The strains exhibited resistance to beta-lactams, cephalosporins, and macrolides. Resistance genes such as AcrAB-TolC, marA, msbA, knpEF, oqxAB, fosA, bla(ACT-)(7), bla(ACT-)(14,)qacJ, oqxAB(,)aac(6')-Ii, and msr(C); and virulence genes such as astA, cheB, cheR, ompA ompX, terC, ironA, acm, and efaAfm, adem were also detected. All the analyzed strains possessed genes that produced heat-shock proteins, such as IbpA and ClpL. In PIF, the presence of ENT and Enterococcus that are multiresistant to antibiotics-together with resistance and virulence genes-pose a health risk for infants consuming these food products. | 2022 | 36429148 |
| 6009 | 2 | 0.9338 | Efflux pump inhibitor chlorpromazine effectively increases the susceptibility of Escherichia coli to antimicrobial peptide Brevinin-2CE. Aim: The response of E. coli ATCC8739 to Brevinin-2CE (B2CE) was evaluated as a strategy to prevent the development of antimicrobial peptide (AMP)-resistant bacteria. Methods: Gene expression levels were detected by transcriptome sequencing and RT-PCR. Target genes were knocked out using CRISPR-Cas9. MIC was measured to evaluate strain resistance. Results: Expression of acrZ and sugE were increased with B2CE stimulation. ATCC8739ΔacrZ and ATCC8739ΔsugE showed twofold and fourfold increased sensitivity, respectively. The survival rate of ATCC8739 was reduced in the presence of B2CE/chlorpromazine (CPZ). Combinations of other AMPs with CPZ also showed antibacterial effects. Conclusion: The results indicate that combinations of AMPs/efflux pump inhibitors (EPIs) may be a potential approach to combat resistant bacteria. | 2024 | 38683168 |
| 8717 | 3 | 0.9324 | Protective Effect of Pediococcus pentosaceus Li05 on Constipation via TGR5/TPH1/5-HT Activation. Pediococcus pentosaceus Li05, a strain of lactic acid bacteria isolated from the faeces of healthy volunteers, exhibited potential protective effects against various diseases. This study performed third-generation sequencing and detailed characterisation of its genome. The Li05 chromosome harboured conserved genes associated with acid resistance (atp), bile salt resistance (bsh), oxidative stress resistance (hsl, dltA, and et al.), and adhesion (nrd, gap, and et al.), whereas the plasmid did not contain antibiotic resistance or virulence genes. Following intervention with Li05 in loperamide-induced constipated mice, constipation symptoms improved. Meanwhile, alterations in gut microbiota, increased BSH activity in faeces, and modifications to the faecal bile acid profile were observed. Additionally, expression levels of TGR5 and TPH1 in the colon of the mice increased, leading to elevated 5-HT levels. When the TGR5 gene was knocked out or the TPH1 inhibitor LX1606 was administered to suppress 5-HT synthesis in constipated mice, the beneficial effects of Li05 on gastrointestinal motility and mucus secretion were reversed. Culturing intestinal organoids demonstrated that increased bile acids such as DCA, Iso-LCA, and EALCA could enhance 5-HT levels through the TGR5/TPH1 axis. Therefore, we concluded that Li05 regulated bile acid metabolism, subsequently increasing 5-HT levels through the TGR5/TPH1 axis, thus alleviating constipation. | 2025 | 41159760 |
| 9044 | 4 | 0.9320 | Impairment of novel non-coding small RNA00203 inhibits biofilm formation and reduces biofilm-specific antibiotic resistance in Acinetobacter baumannii. Small RNAs (sRNAs) are post-transcriptional regulators of many biological processes in bacteria, including biofilm formation and antibiotic resistance. The mechanisms by which sRNA regulates the biofilm-specific antibiotic resistance in Acinetobacter baumannii have not been reported to date. This study aimed to investigate the influence of sRNA00203 (53 nucleotides) on biofilm formation, antibiotic susceptibility, and expression of genes associated with biofilm formation and antibiotic resistance. The results showed that deletion of the sRNA00203-encoding gene decreased the biomass of biofilm by 85%. Deletion of the sRNA00203-encoding gene also reduced the minimum biofilm inhibitory concentrations for imipenem and ciprofloxacin 1024- and 128-fold, respectively. Knocking out of sRNA00203 significantly downregulated genes involved in biofilm matrix synthesis (pgaB), efflux pump production (novel00738), lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis (novel00626), preprotein translocase subunit (secA) and the CRP transcriptional regulator. Overall, the suppression of sRNA00203 in an A. baumannii ST1894 strain impaired biofilm formation and sensitized the biofilm cells to imipenem and ciprofloxacin. As sRNA00203 was found to be conserved in A. baumannii, a therapeutic strategy targeting sRNA00203 may be a potential solution for the treatment of biofilm-associated infections caused by A. baumannii. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first study to show the impact of sRNA00203 on biofilm formation and biofilm-specific antibiotic resistance in A. baumannii. | 2023 | 37315907 |
| 8435 | 5 | 0.9316 | Antimicrobial Zeolitic Imidazolate Frameworks with Dual Mechanisms of Action. The horizontal transfer of drug-resistant genes and the formation of biofilm barriers have threatened the therapeutic efficacy of conventional antibiotic drugs. Development of non-antibiotic agents with high delivery efficiency through bacterial biofilms is urgently required. A pyrithione (PT)-loading zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF-8@PT) is synthesized to destroy biofilms and improve the sensitivity of bacteria to PT. ZIF-8@PT can target and destroy the biofilm as well as the cell membrane, promoting the intracellular delivery of PT and possibly its interaction with SmpB, a protein that could regulate the drug resistance of bacteria. ZIF-8@PT effectively suppresses abdominal infections induced by multiresistant Aeromonas veronii C4 in rodent models without systemic toxicity. ZIF-8@PT promises wide applications in treating infections caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria through a dual mechanism of action. | 2023 | 36815744 |
| 804 | 6 | 0.9315 | Cloning, mutagenesis, and characterization of the microalga Parietochloris incisa acetohydroxyacid synthase, and its possible use as an endogenous selection marker. Parietochloris incisa is an oleaginous fresh water green microalga that accumulates an unusually high content of the valuable long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (LC-PUFA) arachidonic acid within triacylglycerols in cytoplasmic lipid bodies. Here, we describe cloning and mutagenesis of the P. incisa acetohydroxyacid synthase (PiAHAS) gene for use as an herbicide resistance selection marker for transformation. Use of an endogenous gene circumvents the risks and regulatory difficulties of cultivating antibiotic-resistant organisms. AHAS is present in plants and microorganisms where it catalyzes the first essential step in the synthesis of branched-chain amino acids. It is the target enzyme of the herbicide sulfometuron methyl (SMM), which effectively inhibits growth of bacteria and plants. Several point mutations of AHAS are known to confer herbicide resistance. We cloned the cDNA that encodes PiAHAS and introduced a W605S point mutation (PimAHAS). Catalytic activity and herbicide resistance of the wild-type and mutant proteins were characterized in the AHAS-deficient E. coli, BUM1 strain. Cloned PiAHAS wild-type and mutant genes complemented AHAS-deficient bacterial growth. Furthermore, bacteria expressing the mutant PiAHAS exhibited high resistance to SMM. Purified PiAHAS wild-type and mutant proteins were assayed for enzymatic activity and herbicide resistance. The W605S mutation was shown to cause a twofold decrease in enzymatic activity and in affinity for the Pyruvate substrate. However, the mutant exhibited 7 orders of magnitude higher resistance to the SMM herbicide than that of the wild type. | 2012 | 22488216 |
| 8155 | 7 | 0.9315 | Gut bacteria enable prostate cancer growth. Testosterone-synthetizing gut bacteria drive resistance to therapy. | 2021 | 34618567 |
| 8799 | 8 | 0.9314 | The membrane-active polyaminoisoprenyl compound NV716 re-sensitizes Pseudomonas aeruginosa to antibiotics and reduces bacterial virulence. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is intrinsically resistant to many antibiotics due to the impermeability of its outer membrane and to the constitutive expression of efflux pumps. Here, we show that the polyaminoisoprenyl compound NV716 at sub-MIC concentrations re-sensitizes P. aeruginosa to abandoned antibiotics by binding to the lipopolysaccharides (LPS) of the outer membrane, permeabilizing this membrane and increasing antibiotic accumulation inside the bacteria. It also prevents selection of resistance to antibiotics and increases their activity against biofilms. No stable resistance could be selected to NV716-itself after serial passages with subinhibitory concentrations, but the transcriptome of the resulting daughter cells shows an upregulation of genes involved in the synthesis of lipid A and LPS, and a downregulation of quorum sensing-related genes. Accordingly, NV716 also reduces motility, virulence factors production, and biofilm formation. NV716 shows a unique and highly promising profile of activity when used alone or in combination with antibiotics against P. aeruginosa, combining in a single molecule anti-virulence and potentiator effects. Additional work is required to more thoroughly understand the various functions of NV716. | 2022 | 36008485 |
| 8832 | 9 | 0.9314 | Pharyngeal Pumping and Tissue-Specific Transgenic P-Glycoprotein Expression Influence Macrocyclic Lactone Susceptibility in Caenorhabditis elegans. Macrocyclic lactones (MLs) are widely used drugs to treat and prevent parasitic nematode infections. In many nematode species including a major pathogen of foals, Parascaris univalens, resistance against MLs is widespread, but the underlying resistance mechanisms and ML penetration routes into nematodes remain unknown. Here, we examined how the P-glycoprotein efflux pumps, candidate genes for ML resistance, can modulate drug susceptibility and investigated the role of active drug ingestion for ML susceptibility in the model nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Wildtype or transgenic worms, modified to overexpress P. univalens PGP-9 (Pun-PGP-9) at the intestine or epidermis, were incubated with ivermectin or moxidectin in the presence (bacteria or serotonin) or absence (no specific stimulus) of pharyngeal pumping (PP). Active drug ingestion by PP was identified as an important factor for ivermectin susceptibility, while moxidectin susceptibility was only moderately affected. Intestinal Pun-PGP-9 expression elicited a protective effect against ivermectin and moxidectin only in the presence of PP stimulation. Conversely, epidermal Pun-PGP-9 expression protected against moxidectin regardless of PP and against ivermectin only in the absence of active drug ingestion. Our results demonstrate the role of active drug ingestion by nematodes for susceptibility and provide functional evidence for the contribution of P-glycoproteins to ML resistance in a tissue-specific manner. | 2021 | 33668460 |
| 554 | 10 | 0.9313 | VanZ Reduces the Binding of Lipoglycopeptide Antibiotics to Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pneumoniae Cells. vanZ, a member of the VanA glycopeptide resistance gene cluster, confers resistance to lipoglycopeptide antibiotics independent of cell wall precursor modification by the vanHAX genes. Orthologs of vanZ are present in the genomes of many clinically relevant bacteria, including Enterococcus faecium and Streptococcus pneumoniae; however, vanZ genes are absent in Staphylococcus aureus. Here, we show that the expression of enterococcal vanZ paralogs in S. aureus increases the minimal inhibitory concentrations of lipoglycopeptide antibiotics teicoplanin, dalbavancin, oritavancin and new teicoplanin pseudoaglycone derivatives. The reduction in the binding of fluorescently labeled teicoplanin to the cells suggests the mechanism of VanZ-mediated resistance. In addition, using a genomic vanZ gene knockout mutant of S. pneumoniae, we have shown that the ability of VanZ proteins to compromise the activity of lipoglycopeptide antibiotics by reducing their binding is a more general feature of VanZ-superfamily proteins. | 2020 | 32318043 |
| 805 | 11 | 0.9313 | LexR Positively Regulates the LexABC Efflux Pump Involved in Self-Resistance to the Antimicrobial Di-N-Oxide Phenazine in Lysobacter antibioticus. Myxin, a di-N-oxide phenazine isolated from the soil bacterium Lysobacter antibioticus, exhibits potent activity against various microorganisms and has the potential to be developed as an agrochemical. Antibiotic-producing microorganisms have developed self-resistance mechanisms to protect themselves from autotoxicity. Antibiotic efflux is vital for such protection. Recently, we identified a resistance-nodulation-division (RND) efflux pump, LexABC, involved in self-resistance against myxin in L. antibioticus. Expression of its genes, lexABC, was induced by myxin and was positively regulated by the LysR family transcriptional regulator LexR. The molecular mechanisms, however, have not been clear. Here, LexR was found to bind to the lexABC promoter region to directly regulate expression. Moreover, myxin enhanced this binding. Molecular docking and surface plasmon resonance analysis showed that myxin bound LexR with valine and lysine residues at positions 146 (V146) and 195 (K195), respectively. Furthermore, mutation of K195 in vivo led to downregulation of the gene lexA. These results indicated that LexR sensed and bound with myxin, thereby directly activating the expression of the LexABC efflux pump and increasing L. antibioticus resistance against myxin. IMPORTANCE Antibiotic-producing bacteria exhibit various sophisticated mechanisms for self-protection against their own secondary metabolites. RND efflux pumps that eliminate antibiotics from cells are ubiquitous in Gram-negative bacteria. Myxin is a heterocyclic N-oxide phenazine with potent antimicrobial and antitumor activities produced by the soil bacterium L. antibioticus. The RND pump LexABC contributes to the self-resistance of L. antibioticus against myxin. Herein, we report a mechanism involving the LysR family regulator LexR that binds to myxin and directly activates the LexABC pump. Further study on self-resistance mechanisms could help the investigation of strategies to deal with increasing bacterial antibiotic resistance and enable the discovery of novel natural products with resistance genes as selective markers. | 2023 | 37166326 |
| 621 | 12 | 0.9312 | Activation of ChvG-ChvI regulon by cell wall stress confers resistance to β-lactam antibiotics and initiates surface spreading in Agrobacterium tumefaciens. A core component of nearly all bacteria, the cell wall is an ideal target for broad spectrum antibiotics. Many bacteria have evolved strategies to sense and respond to antibiotics targeting cell wall synthesis, especially in the soil where antibiotic-producing bacteria compete with one another. Here we show that cell wall stress caused by both chemical and genetic inhibition of the essential, bifunctional penicillin-binding protein PBP1a prevents microcolony formation and activates the canonical host-invasion two-component system ChvG-ChvI in Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Using RNA-seq, we show that depletion of PBP1a for 6 hours results in a downregulation in transcription of flagellum-dependent motility genes and an upregulation in transcription of type VI secretion and succinoglycan biosynthesis genes, a hallmark of the ChvG-ChvI regulon. Depletion of PBP1a for 16 hours, results in differential expression of many additional genes and may promote a stress response, resembling those of sigma factors in other bacteria. Remarkably, the overproduction of succinoglycan causes cell spreading and deletion of the succinoglycan biosynthesis gene exoA restores microcolony formation. Treatment with cefsulodin phenocopies depletion of PBP1a and we correspondingly find that chvG and chvI mutants are hypersensitive to cefsulodin. This hypersensitivity only occurs in response to treatment with β-lactam antibiotics, suggesting that the ChvG-ChvI pathway may play a key role in resistance to antibiotics targeting cell wall synthesis. Finally, we provide evidence that ChvG-ChvI likely has a conserved role in conferring resistance to cell wall stress within the Alphaproteobacteria that is independent of the ChvG-ChvI repressor ExoR. | 2022 | 36480495 |
| 6371 | 13 | 0.9311 | Bioactive compounds from the African medicinal plant Cleistochlamys kirkii as resistance modifiers in bacteria. Cleistochlamys kirkii (Benth) Oliv. (Annonaceae) is a medicinal plant traditionally used in Mozambique to treat infectious diseases. The aim of this study was to find resistance modifiers in C. kirkii for Gram-positive and Gram-negative model bacterial strains. One of the most important resistance mechanisms in bacteria is the efflux pump-related multidrug resistance. Therefore, polycarpol (1), three C-benzylated flavanones (2-4), and acetylmelodorinol (5) were evaluated for their multidrug resistance-reverting activity on methicillin-susceptible and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli AG100 and AG100 A strains overexpressing and lacking the AcrAB-TolC efflux pump system. The combined effects of antibiotics and compounds (2 and 4) were also assessed by using the checkerboard microdilution method in both S. aureus strains. The relative gene expression of the efflux pump genes was determined by real-time reverse transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The inhibition of quorum sensing was also investigated. The combined effect of the antibiotics and compound 2 or 4 on the methicillin-sensitive S. aureus resulted in synergism. The most active compounds 2 and 4 increased the expression of the efflux pump genes. These results suggested that C. kirkii constituents could be effective adjuvants in the antibiotic treatment of infections. | 2018 | 29464798 |
| 329 | 14 | 0.9310 | Effect of NlpE overproduction on multidrug resistance in Escherichia coli. NlpE, an outer membrane lipoprotein, functions during envelope stress responses in Gram-negative bacteria. In this study, we report that overproduction of NlpE increases multidrug and copper resistance through activation of the genes encoding the AcrD and MdtABC multidrug efflux pumps in Escherichia coli. | 2010 | 20211889 |
| 6370 | 15 | 0.9308 | Inhibitory effects of silybin on the efflux pump of methicillin‑resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Bacterial multidrug resistance efflux systems serve an important role in antimicrobial resistance. Thus, identifying novel and effective efflux pump inhibitors that are safe with no adverse side effects is urgently required. Silybin is a flavonolignan component of the extract from the milk thistle seed. To order to investigate the mechanism by which silybin inhibits the efflux system of methicillin‑resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), antimicrobial susceptibility testing and the double‑plate method were used to evaluate the effect of silybin on MRSA41577. The ability of silybin to inhibit the efflux of ciprofloxacin from MRSA was evaluated by performing a fluorescence assay. Reverse transcription‑quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis revealed that silybin reduced the expression of the quinolone resistance protein NorA (norA) and quaternary ammonium resistance proteins A/B (qacA/B) efflux genes in MRSA. This suggested that silybin may effectively inhibit the efflux system of MRSA41577. Compared with the control, MRSA41577 treated with silybin for 16 h exhibited a 36 and 49% reduction in the expression of norA and qacA/B, respectively. Inhibition of the expression of these genes by silybin restored the sensitivity of MRSA41577 to antibiotics, indicating that efflux pump inhibitors, which act by inhibiting the efflux system of MRSA, may disrupt the MRSA resistance to antibiotics, rendering the bacteria sensitive to these drugs. | 2018 | 29845191 |
| 8970 | 16 | 0.9307 | Transcriptomic Analyses to Unravel Cronobacter sakazakii Resistance Pathways. The proliferation of antibiotic usage has precipitated the emergence of drug-resistant variants of bacteria, thereby augmenting their capacity to withstand pharmaceutical interventions. Among these variants, Cronobacter sakazakii (C. sakazakii), prevalent in powdered infant formula (PIF), poses a grave threat to the well-being of infants. Presently, global contamination by C. sakazakii is being observed. Consequently, research endeavors have been initiated to explore the strain's drug resistance capabilities, alterations in virulence levels, and resistance mechanisms. The primary objective of this study is to investigate the resistance mechanisms and virulence levels of C. sakazakii induced by five distinct antibiotics, while concurrently conducting transcriptomic analyses. Compared to the susceptible strains prior to induction, the drug-resistant strains exhibited differential gene expression, resulting in modifications in the activity of relevant enzymes and biofilm secretion. Transcriptomic studies have shown that the expression of glutathione S-transferase and other genes were significantly upregulated after induction, leading to a notable enhancement in biofilm formation ability, alongside the existence of antibiotic resistance mechanisms associated with efflux pumps, cationic antimicrobial peptides, and biofilm formation pathways. These alterations significantly influence the strain's resistance profile. | 2024 | 39272551 |
| 749 | 17 | 0.9307 | Omptin Proteases of Enterobacterales Show Conserved Regulation by the PhoPQ Two-Component System but Exhibit Divergent Protection from Antimicrobial Host Peptides and Complement. Bacteria that colonize eukaryotic surfaces interact with numerous antimicrobial host-produced molecules, including host defense peptides, complement, and antibodies. Bacteria have evolved numerous strategies to both detect and resist these molecules, and in the Enterobacterales order of bacteria these include alterations of the cell surface lipopolysaccharide structure and/or charge and the production of proteases that can degrade these antimicrobial molecules. Here, we show that omptin family proteases from Escherichia coli and Citrobacter rodentium are regulated by the PhoPQ system. Omptin protease activity is induced by growth in low Mg(2+), and deletion of PhoP dramatically reduces omptin protease activity, transcriptional regulation, and protein levels. We identify conserved PhoP-binding sites in the promoters of the E. coli omptin genes ompT, ompP, and arlC as well as in croP of Citrobacter rodentium and show that mutation of the putative PhoP-binding site in the ompT promoter abrogates PhoP-dependent expression. Finally, we show that although regulation by PhoPQ is conserved, each of the omptin proteins has differential activity toward host defense peptides, complement components, and resistance to human serum, suggesting that each omptin confers unique survival advantages against specific host antimicrobial factors. | 2023 | 36533918 |
| 807 | 18 | 0.9307 | Transcriptomic analysis of Saccharomyces cerevisiae upon honokiol treatment. Honokiol (HNK), one of the main medicinal components in Magnolia officinalis, possesses antimicrobial activity against a variety of pathogenic bacteria and fungi. However, little is known of the molecular mechanisms underpinning the antimicrobial activity. To explore the molecular mechanism of its antifungal activity, we determined the effects of HNK on the mRNA expression profile of Saccharomyces cerevisiae using a DNA microarray approach. HNK markedly induced the expression of genes related to iron uptake and homeostasis. Conversely, genes associated with respiratory electron transport were downregulated, mirroring the effects of iron starvation. Meanwhile, HNK-induced growth deficiency was partly rescued by iron supplementation and HNK reacted with iron, producing iron complexes that depleted iron. These results suggest that HNK treatment induced iron starvation. Additionally, HNK treatment resulted in the upregulation of genes involved in protein synthesis and drug resistance networks. Furthermore, the deletion of PDR5, a gene encoding the plasma membrane ATP binding cassette (ABC) transporter, conferred sensitivity to HNK. Overexpression of PDR5 enhanced resistance of WT and pdr5Δ strains to HNK. Taken together, these findings suggest that HNK, which can be excluded by overexpression of Pdr5, functions in multiple cellular processes in S. cerevisiae, particularly in inducing iron starvation to inhibit cell growth. | 2017 | 28499955 |
| 6372 | 19 | 0.9306 | Sensitizing multi drug resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolated from surgical site infections to antimicrobials by efflux pump inhibitors. BACKGROUND: Staphylococcus aureus is a common hospital acquired infections pathogen. Multidrug-resistant Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus represents a major problem in Egyptian hospitals. The over-expression of efflux pumps is a main cause of multidrug resistance. The discovery of efflux pump inhibitors may help fight multidrug resistance by sensitizing bacteria to antibiotics. This study aimed to investigate the role of efflux pumps in multidrug resistance. METHODS: Twenty multidrug resistant S. aureus isolates were selected. Efflux pumps were screened by ethidium bromide agar cartwheel method and polymerase chain reaction. The efflux pump inhibition by seven agents was tested by ethidium bromide agar cartwheel method and the effect on sensitivity to selected antimicrobials was investigated by broth microdilution method. RESULTS: Seventy percent of isolates showed strong efflux activity, while 30% showed intermediate activity. The efflux genes mdeA, norB, norC, norA and sepA were found to play the major role in efflux, while genes mepA, smr and qacA/B had a minor role. Verapamil and metformin showed significant efflux inhibition and increased the sensitivity to tested antimicrobials, while vildagliptin, atorvastatin, domperidone, mebeverine and nifuroxazide showed no effect. CONCLUSION: Efflux pumps are involved in multidrug resistance in Staphylococcus aureus. Efflux pump inhibitors could increase the sensitivity to antimicrobials. | 2020 | 34394224 |