Bacterial Immune System Enhances Effectiveness of Antibiotics Against Cholera

Scientists from the Universities of Tübingen and Würzburg have discovered how the bacterial immune system increases the effect of certain antibiotics against the pathogen that causes cholera. Their findings about antibiotics may help with their application to avoid the development of antibiotic resistance.

Vibrio cholerae is the pathogen that causes severe cholera around the world. Its immune system has different molecular defense systems, such as CBASS (cyclic-oligonucleotide-based antiphage signaling system), that are activated when bacteriophages attack. CBASS induces the infected bacterium to self-destruct, which avoids further infection of the bacterial population.

The researchers used high-throughput screening and identified that the CBASS defense system can be activated by antifolate antibiotics even if there are no bacteriophages present. This situation increases the effectiveness of the antibiotic in eliminating Vibrio cholerae.

"The more we know about the mode of action of antibiotics, the better we can use them. This will help us decide whether to use them alone, in combination with other antibiotics, or even in parallel with phage therapy—not only to treat cholera but also against other bacterial infections,” said Professor Brochado, one of the study's main authors.

Read the article in Nature Microbiology for more information.