Molecular biologists from the United States and Europe revealed that some microbes can resist antibiotics by suddenly accelerating metabolism.
This matter activates cellular mechanisms that increase the accumulation of mutations in the DNA. This came in a press release issued by the American University of “Rutgers”.
Researcher Bari Lee from the University of Rutgers said: “It was previously believed that some bacteria survive antibiotics by slowing the metabolism. But we discovered a opposite phenomenon as the microbial cells“ accelerate ”the metabolism process in the event of exposure, which produces large amounts of oxides and acts in the response of cellular stress that protects them from death.
Researchers say antibiotics force bacteria to consume ATP molecules, as a cellular energy currency, in large quantities. This leads to the accumulation of oxidized free radicals that destroy DNA, enzymes and biomus.
American and European scientists were interested in how bacteria confronted death and conducted experiments on the modified E. Coli Eschrusia (E. Coli) Jennia, where it showed a small percentage, but it is important of the cells, an acceleration of metabolism (the opposite of the expected slowdown) when the concentration of ATP particles and the associated NAD compound decreased. As a result, the concentration of oxidants increased, the acceleration of the accumulation of mutations in the genome has increased, and the cells associated with the restoration of DNA and the resistance to the conditions of the unfavorable environment.
Subsequent experiments on the metabolic cells showed that they were confronted with the antibiotic (siprofloxacin) with an effectiveness that exceed the effectiveness of regular cells by 10 times and developed resilience in front of this medicine before regular cells with several division sessions.
While the researchers stress the need to take into account the presence of these cells when developing new antibiotics, to give pathogens less opportunity to develop rapid resistance.
