The Goldilocks principle and antibiotic resistance in bacteria

Mol Pharm. 2011 Dec 5;8(6):2063-8. doi: 10.1021/mp200274r. Epub 2011 Nov 15.

Abstract

We have designed and fabricated a microecology to mimic a naturally occurring bacterial culture, which includes the stress gradient, metapopulation, and cellular motility. In this microecology, we show that it is possible to fix the resistance to the mutagenic antibiotic Ciprofloxacin in wild-type Escherichia coli within 10 h. We found the evolution of resistance is further accelerated in microecology if bacteria have already acquired the phenotype of growth advantage at the stationary phase (GASP).

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Anti-Infective Agents / pharmacology
  • Cellular Microenvironment* / physiology
  • Ciprofloxacin / pharmacology*
  • Drug Resistance, Bacterial*
  • Escherichia coli / drug effects*
  • Evolution, Molecular

Substances

  • Anti-Infective Agents
  • Ciprofloxacin