The discovery could pave the way for better treatments for harmful infections
Researchers say that targeting this defence mechanism could help efforts to combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR), an urgent global health challenge.
Researchers from the University of Edinburgh looked at the repair system known as Rtc which some bacteria possess, which enables them to counteract the effects of some antibiotics.
Rtc acts to repair a bacteria’s damaged RNA, the molecule essential for translating genetic information held in DNA into functional proteins inside cells.
The research team said this allows it to maintain protein production and growth even in the presence of antibiotics.
A key finding of the work was that bacterial responses to antibiotics can be unpredictable, as the expression of the Rtc repair system varies from cell to cell.
The findings suggest that tailoring treatments to target key components of the Rtc repair system could improve the effectiveness of existing antibiotics, making them more capable of eradicating infections.
Researchers made the discovery using a combination of computer models and lab experiments involving E. coli, which is known to develop resistance to antibiotics.
Dr Andrea Weisse, of the University of Edinburgh’s Schools of Biological Sciences and Informatics, who led the study, said: “Bacteria are clever little things. They have been learning how to dodge our antibiotics, and they are getting better at it all the time.
“If we don’t find new drugs – or new tricks to outsmart them – we are in trouble.
“What we are trying to do here is really understand how their defence systems work.
“Once we see the mechanism clearly, we can figure out smarter ways to beat them and treat infections more effectively.”
The researchers say that as well as highlighting the complexity of bacterial survival strategies, the research also points to new avenues for the development of therapies that are more effective at tackling AMR.
The findings are published in the journal Nature Communications.
The research, which also involved scientists from Queen Mary University of London and Imperial College London, was supported by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, Leverhulme Trust and Wellcome.
