What is it about?
Bacteria produce signaling molecules that control a variety of virulence factors that may be important in certain environments or infections. One of those molecules in Klebsiella pneumoniae and many other bacteria is called cyclic di-GMP. Forcing Klebsiella pneumoniae to produce high levels of this molecule makes it worse at causing pneumonia in a mouse model.
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Why is it important?
The manuscript presents c-di-GMP pathways as a potential therapeutic target for new drugs for the treatment of pneumonia. While some bacteria like Klebsiella pneumoniae may become resistant to virtually all antibiotics available, perhaps we can inhibit their ability to cause infection in the lung, even if we cannot kill them.
Perspectives
Cyclic di-GMP pathways are very complex and involve a variety of enzymes that both make and break down this molecule. Many labs are working on small molecule inhibitors of this pathway. We are now in a position to test these compounds as potential therapies for Klebsiella pneumoniae in our mouse model.
David Rosen
Washington University in Saint Louis
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: High Levels of Cyclic Di-GMP in Klebsiella pneumoniae Attenuate Virulence in the Lung, Infection and Immunity, November 2017, ASM Journals,
DOI: 10.1128/iai.00647-17.
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