Proximate and ultimate causes of the bactericidal action of antibiotics

Baquero, Fernando; Levin, Bruce R

doi:10.1038/s41579-020-00443-1

Cited by 200 publications

(167 citation statements)

References 140 publications

(166 reference statements)

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“…We feel it is highly unlikely large numbers of denatured proteins can be reconstituted, as there is no known biological process for restoring life to particles containing so many different denatured proteins in aggregates. In fact, large numbers of protein aggregates are a clear indication of death (Baquero and Levin, 2021). The claims of 'reversible aggregation' and 'protein aggresome' by some VBNC authors (Pu et al, 2019;Fu et al, 2020) and even those in the persister field (Dewachter et al, 2021;Huemer et al, 2021) are necessitated due to the failure to realize these former cell particles are dead as shown by their TEM (Fu et al, 2020) and protein aggregation data (Pu et al, 2019;Fu et al, 2020;Huemer et al, 2021).…”

Section: Errors In 'Viability' Based On Membrane Stainingmentioning

confidence: 99%

‘Viable but non‐culturable cells’ are dead

Song

Wood

2021

Environmental Microbiology

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Summary Most bacteria lead lives of quiet desperation, so they sleep. By sleeping, bacteria survive ubiquitous stress, such as antibiotics, and can resuscitate to reconstitute infections. As for other nearly universal and highly regulated processes such as biofilm formation, in persistence, a small population of cells have an elegantly‐regulated pathway to become dormant. By inactivating their ribosomes, persister cells sleep through stress and resuscitate once (i) the stress is removed, (ii) nutrients are presented and (iii) ribosome content reaches a threshold. During stress, cells often become spheroid and die, becoming hollow, membrane‐enclosed vessels. How cellular content is lost is unclear, but it is obvious that these ‘cell shells’ are dead; i.e., ‘There's no there there’. Critically, due to their intact membranes, the shells appear with membrane‐impenetrant stains as ‘viable’ particles. Unfortunately, the microbiology field of ‘viable but non‐culturable cells’ (VBNCs), though important for demonstrating the existence of dormant bacteria as a result of myriad stress states, has often mistaken these non‐viable shells as viable particles that mysteriously may be reborn, when an appropriate incantation is made. We argue here, based on experimental data, that if resuscitation occurs, it is the persister (always‐viable) cell population that revives, rather than the cell husks, which are dead.

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Section: Errors In 'Viability' Based On Membrane Stainingmentioning

confidence: 99%

‘Viable but non‐culturable cells’ are dead

Song

Wood

2021

Environmental Microbiology

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“…Song and Wood assumed that if cells lost their ability to grow or form visible colonies on media, they were not viable, i.e. dead (Baquero and Levin, 2021;Song and Wood, 2021). This begs the question about cells that produce only limited growth, i.e.…”

Section: Loss Of Culturability Does Not Equal Bacterial Deathmentioning

confidence: 99%

What do we mean by viability in terms of ‘viable but non‐culturable’ cells?

Chen

et al. 2021

Environ Microbiol Rep

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“…Los primeros, como los betalactámicos o las fluoroquinolonas, causan la muerte de las bacterias. A diferencia de ellos, los bacteriostáticos (macrólidos) tan solo detienen su crecimiento [ 49 ]. Este efecto, que se estudia habitualmente in vitro mediante las denominadas curvas de letalidad (miden la reducción de un inóculo bacteriano a lo largo del tiempo en un caldo de cultivo), puede diferir del que acontece in vivo , ya que entran en juego otros factores como la respuesta del complemento, la propia actividad bactericida del suero y el sistema inmunológico.…”

Section: Efecto Bactericida Y Actividad Intrínsecaunclassified

Current microbiological aspects of community respiratory infection beyond COVID-19

Cantón

2021

Rev Esp Quimioter

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From a microbiological point of view, both empirical and targeted antimicrobial treatment in respiratory infection is based on the sensitivity profile of isolated microorganisms and the possible resistance mechanisms that they may present. The latter may vary in different geographic areas according to prescription profiles and vaccination programs. Beta-lactam antibiotics, fluoroquinolones, and macrolides are the most commonly used antimicrobials during the exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and community-acquired pneumonia. In their prescription, different aspects such as intrinsic activity, bactericidal effect or their ability to prevent the development of resistance must be taken into account. The latter is related to the PK/PD parameters, the mutant prevention concentration and the so-called selection window. More recently, the potential ecological impact has grown in importance, not only on the intestinal microbiota, but also on the respiratory one. Maintaining the state of eubiosis requires the use of antimicrobials with a low profile of action on anaerobic bacteria. With their use, the resilience of the bacterial populations belonging to the microbiota, the state of resistance of colonization and the collateral damage related to the emergence of resistance to the antimicrobials in pathogens causing the infections and in the bacterial populations integrating the microbiota.

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Proximate and ultimate causes of the bactericidal action of antibiotics

Cited by 200 publications

References 140 publications

‘Viable but non‐culturable cells’ are dead

‘Viable but non‐culturable cells’ are dead

What do we mean by viability in terms of ‘viable but non‐culturable’ cells?

Current microbiological aspects of community respiratory infection beyond COVID-19

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