The global regulator Crc modulates metabolism,susceptibility to antibiotics and virulence in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

The capacity of a bacterial pathogen to produce a disease in a treated host depends on the former's virulence and resistance to antibiotics. Several scattered pieces of evidence suggest that these two characteristics can be influenced by bacterial metabolism. This potential relationship is particularly important upon infection of a host, a situation that demands bacteria adapt their physiology to their new environment, making use of newly available nutrients. To explore the potential cross‐talk between bacterial metabolism, antibiotic resistance and virulence, a Pseudomonas aeruginosa model was used. This species is an important opportunistic pathogen intrinsically resistant to many antibiotics. The role of Crc, a global regulator that controls the metabolism of carbon sources and catabolite repression in Pseudomonas, was analysed to determine its contribution to the intrinsic antibiotic resistance and virulence of P. aeruginosa. Using proteomic analyses, high‐throughput metabolic tests and functional assays, the present work shows the virulence and antibiotic resistance of this pathogen to be linked to its physiology, and to be under the control (directly or indirectly) of Crc. A P. aeruginosa strain lacking the Crc regulator showed defects in type III secretion, motility, expression of quorum sensing‐regulated virulence factors, and was less virulent in a Dictyostelium discoideum model. In addition, this mutant strain was more susceptible to beta‐lactams, aminoglycosides, fosfomycin and rifampin. Crc might therefore be a good target in the search for new antibiotics.     

枯草杆菌耐药转运蛋白Bmr及其基因bmr的表达调控研究进展

枯草杆菌多重耐药转运蛋白Bmr是其主要的耐药外排蛋白之一,由位于基因组DNA的bmr基因编码,介导对多种抗生素、杀菌剂等药物的耐药性。bmr基因的表达受到BmrR及MtaN的转录调控,二者均属于MerR家族调节子。关于近年对多重耐药转运蛋白Bmr和调节蛋白BmrR、MtaN的结构、生理功能及作用机制等研究情况进行综述。