Schematic of fosfomycin transport by the streptococcal ABC transporter FoeAB. Credit: Atsushi Taguchi
Bacteria can survive antibiotics in several ways, including by pumping the drugs out of their cells before they can take effect. Researchers at the University of Osaka have discovered a previously unknown mechanism that allows the bacterium responsible for many cases of pneumonia and meningitis to export the antibiotic fosfomycin.
The findings, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, reveal how this molecular pump works and could help researchers better understand drug resistance and develop new ways to combat resistant bacteria.
A hidden pump comes into view
The bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae, a major cause of pneumonia and meningitis, can develop resistance to antibiotics, yet many of its drug-export systems remain poorly understood. By systematically examining transport proteins in the bacterium, the researchers identified an uncharacterized protein complex, which they named FoeAB. Producing more FoeAB made bacterial cells more resistant to fosfomycin.
