How pathogenic bacteria weather the slings and arrows of infection

What is it about?

Infectious diseases are a leading cause of global mortality. During an infection, bacteria experience many different stresses — some from the host itself, some from co-colonizing microbes and others from therapies employed to treat the infection. In this arms race to outwit their competition, bacteria have evolved mechanisms to stay alive in the face of adversities. One such mechanism is the stringent response pathway. In this study, we show that the cell wall of the human pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae can be used to divert the accumulation of toxic compounds, and in doing so buffer entry into the stringent response.

Featured Image

Photo by CDC on Unsplash

Photo by CDC on Unsplash

Why is it important?

This collaborative work sets the framework for exploring the molecular connection between two fundamental cell processes, translation and cell wall synthesis, and stress responses. The pivotal position of the stringent response in survival to stresses and to antibiotics, suggests these findings may shed light on pathways associated with bacterial drug resistance, a major challenge for this century.

Perspectives