Some bacteria develop antibiotic resistance through DNA mutations. Others are able to evacuate drugs from cells to maintain their superiority. Now, scientists have discovered another pathway: modification of ribosomes when exposed to widely used antibiotics, according to the website of the Barcelona Genomic Research Center.
To reach this conclusion, the scientists tested the antibiotics streptomycin and kasugamycin, which specifically target ribosomes—cell organelles that play a key role in protein synthesis. Ribosomal RNA is known to be frequently modified with chemical tags that can alter the shape and function of the ribosome. Cells use these tags to fine-tune protein synthesis.
It has now been established that in response to antibiotics, bacteria change those chemical markers that are particularly important for binding to the antibiotic.
According to the study's author, Anna Delgado Tejedor, the bacteria alter their structure precisely enough to interfere with the drug's action. "This is amazingly precise work, performed in real time," she emphasized.
Currently, scientists continue to study this mechanism and are working on creating a new class of antibacterial drugs.
In a previous study, scientists discovered a mechanism by which methicillin-resistant staph protects against antibiotics. This superbug poses a greater health risk, but scientists now understand its weak point.
