Umeå University researchers have discovered how the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus defends against viruses, potentially leading to breakthroughs in combating antibiotic resistance.
A groundbreaking study from Umeå University, in Sweden, has unveiled crucial insights into how bacteria defend themselves against viral attacks, a discovery that holds promise for addressing the escalating global health crisis of antibiotic resistance.
In research published in Nature Communications, scientists at Umeå University explored the defensive mechanisms of the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus, a common but potentially deadly pathogen known for causing severe infections, such as septic shock and pneumonia. Alarmingly, certain strains of S. aureus have developed high levels of antibiotic resistance, posing significant public health threats worldwide.
The research has revealed a set of genes within S. aureus that provides immunity against bacteriophages, viruses that specifically target and infect bacteria.
Lead author Ignacio Mir-Sanchis, an assistant professor at Umeå University, emphasized the significance of these findings.
“A key to antibiotic resistance might be the use of viruses to kill bacteria, however, the systems that bacteria employ to defence themselves against viruses are unknown. Understanding these systems opens up for research into how we can break down the defense so that serious infection disease can be treated in the future,” Mir-Sanchis said in a news release.
The study utilized Umeå University’s state-of-the-art cryoelectron microscope to identify how a key protein encoded by the newly found genes obstructs the viral replication process. This protein forms a structure around essential proteins of the viral genome, preventing the virus from reproducing and spreading further.
Staphylococcus aureus is particularly dangerous due to its ability to become multidrug-resistant, with some countries reporting resistant strains in up to 25% of cases, although Sweden maintains a much lower rate of about 1%.
The researchers noted that much of the bacteria’s defense mechanism is encoded within a part of the genome known as the mobilome, which can be transferred between bacteria. This transfer can lead to previously harmless strains becoming virulent, contributing either to the production of toxins or to antibiotic resistance.
“The discovery of this mechanism could be a door opener to understand several aspects of bacterial pathogenesis,” added Ignacio Mir-Sanchis. “On the one hand, we now understand better how resistant bacteria defend themselves against viruses. On the other hand, because these set of genes also encode for toxins and antibiotic resistance genes, it may therefore turn out that this is an important piece of the puzzle in the fight against antibiotic resistance.”
The study marks a pivotal advancement in understanding bacterial pathogenesis and opens new avenues for tackling one of the most pressing medical challenges of our time.
Source: Umeå University