Sunday, November 1, 2015

Bacteria Research: Some antibiotics work by stressing bacteria out ♦ Bacterial hole puncher could be new broad-spectrum antibiotic ♦ Tug of war among bacteria

Some antibiotics work by stressing bacteria out (metabolically) Learning how antibiotics actually work can help scientists and doctors use them more wisely -- an urgent need at a time of mounting resistance. A new study found that three different antibiotics killed somewhat subtly by disrupting bacterial metabolism and causing a buildup of oxidative stress.
Bacterial hole puncher could be new broad-spectrum antibiotic Bacteria have many methods of adapting to resist antibiotics, but a new class of spiral polypeptides targets one thing no bacterium can live without: an outer membrane. The polypeptides act as bacterial hole-punchers, perforating the bacterial membrane until the cell falls apart. The antimicrobial agents are dressed for their mission in positively charged shells that let them travel in body fluids, protected from interacting with other proteins, and also attract them to bacterial membranes.
Tug of war among bacteria As hide-outs for bacteria, biofilms cause problems for antibiotic treatment or the cleaning of medical tubes. They contribute to the spreading of antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains. A biofilm is created when bacteria attach to surfaces and multiply. Gradually, bacterial subpopulations can develop different properties although they originated from the same cell.
broad-spectrum antibiotic could be blamed for obesity, diabetes An excess of bacteria in the gut can change the way the liver processes fat and could lead to the development of metabolic syndrome, according to health researchers. Metabolic syndrome is a group of conditions including obesity, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high blood sugar and excess body fat around the waist. People experiencing three or more of these conditions are considered to have metabolic syndrome .

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