SAEDNEWS: A study by a group of American researchers shows that removing charged magnesium ions from the environment of antibiotic-resistant bacteria prevents these bacteria from multiplying.
According to SaedNews, recent estimates indicate that dangerous and antibiotic-resistant infections will rapidly intensify in the next 25 years. According to a new study, more than 1 million people died annually from drug-resistant infections between 1990 and 2021. New predictions suggest that this number could rise to about 2 million deaths per year by 2050.
Scientists are seeking new solutions to the complex mechanisms of bacterial infection to tackle this public health crisis. Researchers at the University of California, San Diego, led by Professor Guroul Suel and colleagues in the School of Biological Sciences, in collaboration with laboratories at Arizona State University and Pompeu Fabra University (Spain), examined the antibiotic resistance of Bacillus subtilis.
They conducted their research motivated by the question of why mutant bacterial strains, despite gaining antibiotic resistance, do not proliferate as expected. These bacteria should dominate due to their advantage over other non-resistant strains.
The answer lies in the fact that antibiotic resistance comes with a cost. This research group found that it is associated with physiological limitations that prevent potential dominance. Researchers believe this factor can be used to prevent the proliferation of antibiotic resistance.
Suel, a member of the molecular biology group and a researcher in this study at the University of California, San Diego, said: "We discovered the Achilles' heel of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and can now use this weakness to suppress antibiotic resistance without harmful drugs or chemicals."
Natural DNA mutations occur in all living cells, including bacteria. Some of these mutations lead to antibiotic resistance. Suel and colleagues focused on physiological mechanisms related to ribosomes (tiny cellular machines that play a key role in protein synthesis and translating genetic codes).
All cells rely on charged ions like magnesium ions to survive. Ribosomes depend on magnesium ions to stabilize their structure and function. However, atomic-scale modeling in the new research showed that mutant ribosomes, which confer antibiotic resistance, compete with adenosine triphosphate (ATP) molecules for magnesium ions. Mathematical models also showed that this competition leads to a tug-of-war between ribosomes and ATP over the limited magnesium supply in the cell.
Researchers studied a type of ribosome in Bacillus subtilis called L22 and found that competition for magnesium uptake prevents the growth of L22 more than a non-resistant ribosome. Thus, competition has physiological consequences for mutant, resistant bacteria.
Suel says: "While we often see antibiotic resistance as a major survival advantage for bacteria, we found that the ability to cope with magnesium limitation in their environment is more important for bacterial proliferation."
This newly discovered weakness can be targeted to combat antibiotic resistance without using drugs or chemicals. For example, magnesium ions can be removed from bacterial environments, and by better understanding the molecular and physiological properties of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, new ways to control them without drugs can be found.
Suel and colleagues announced a new approach to fighting the health crisis of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in this study, reported in the journal Science Advances. The development of a bioelectronic device that uses the natural electrical activity of certain bacteria on our skin paves the way for a new drug-free approach to infection management.
This achievement has also been proven to reduce the harmful effects of Staphylococcus epidermidis, a common bacterium known to cause hospital infections and contribute to antibiotic resistance. In both studies, researchers used charged ions to control bacteria.
