Outer membrane vesicles from β-lactam-resistant Escherichia coli enable the survival of β-lactam-susceptible E. coli in the presence of β-lactam antibiotics

Sci Rep. 2018 Mar 29;8(1):5402. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-23656-0.

Abstract

Outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) containing various bacterial compounds are released from mainly gram-negative bacteria. Secreted OMVs play important roles in the ability of a bacterium to defend itself, and thus contribute to the survival of bacteria in a community. In this study, we collected OMVs from β-lactam antibiotic-resistant Escherichia coli established by conjugation assay and the parental β-lactam antibiotic-susceptible strain, and performed comparative proteomic analysis to examine whether these OMVs carried β-lactam-resistant compounds. We also investigated whether both types of OMVs could protect susceptible cells from β-lactam-induced death and/or directly degrade β-lactam antibiotics. Several proteins that can be involved in degrading β-lactam antibiotics were more abundant in OMVs from β-lactam-resistant E. coli, and thus OMVs from β-lactam resistant E. coli could directly and dose-dependently degrade β-lactam antibiotics and fully rescue β-lactam-susceptible E. coli and other bacterial species from β-lactam antibiotic-induced growth inhibition. Taken together, present study demonstrate that OMVs from β-lactam-resistant E. coli play important roles in survival of antibiotic susceptible bacteria against β-lactam antibiotics. This finding may pave the way for new efforts to combat the current global spread of antibiotic resistances, which is considered to be a significant public health threat.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology
  • Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / analysis
  • Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / metabolism
  • Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid
  • Drug Resistance, Bacterial* / genetics
  • Escherichia coli / drug effects
  • Escherichia coli / enzymology
  • Escherichia coli / metabolism*
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests
  • Periplasmic Proteins / analysis
  • Periplasmic Proteins / metabolism
  • Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization
  • beta-Lactams / metabolism*

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins
  • Periplasmic Proteins
  • beta-Lactams