Work

Single-cell heterogeneity underpins antagonistic antibiotic interactions

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Using combinations of existing antibiotics is a promising strategy to treat bacterial infections. Although some drugs act synergistically, other drug combinations inhibit microbial growth less than what is expected from their individual effects. Ciprofloxacin and tetracycline display such antagonistic interaction. In a new study, Broughton and colleagues (Broughton et al, 2025) used single-cell microfluidics to show that exposing E. coli cells to a combination of ciprofloxacin and tetracycline results in highly heterogeneous outcomes. The survival of single cells is linked to the expression of moderate levels of the SOS response, which fixes the double-strand DNA breaks caused by ciprofloxacin. High expression of the SOS response was found only among dying cells. Tetracycline then counteracts ciprofloxacin by increasing the proportion of cells that survive treatment within the low-SOS subpopulation. These findings highlight the importance of single-cell studies in understanding the phenotypic heterogeneity that emerges during antibiotic responses, which decide the success of treatments.

Source: Molecular Systems Biology

DOI: 10.1038/s44320-025-00163-9

Authors: João Pedro Teuber Carvalho, Daniel Schultz

Institution: Dartmouth College

Language: English

Topic: Bacterial Genetics and Biotechnology

Subfield: Genetics

Field: Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Domain: Life Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $7,990