Work

Intrinsic Class D β-Lactamases of Clostridium difficile

Year: 2018

Type: article

Abstract: C. difficile is a spore-forming anaerobic bacterium which causes infection of the large intestine with high mortality rates. The C. difficile infection is difficult to prevent and treat, as the pathogen is resistant to many antimicrobial agents. Prolonged use of β-lactam antibiotics for treatment of various infectious diseases triggers the infection, as these drugs suppress the abundance of protective gut bacteria, allowing the resistant C. difficile bacteria to multiply. While resistance of C. difficile to β-lactam antibiotics plays the major role in the development of the disease, the mechanism of resistance is unknown. The significance of our research is in the discovery in C. difficile of β-lactamases, enzymes that destroy β-lactam antibiotics. These findings ultimately can help to combat deadly C. difficile infections.

Source: mBio

DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01803-18

Authors: Marta Toth, Nichole K. Stewart, Clyde Smith, Sergei B. Vakulenko

Institutions: University of Notre Dame, Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, Stanford University

Language: English

Topic: Antibiotic Resistance in Bacteria

Subfield: Molecular Medicine

Field: Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Domain: Life Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,900