Vietnamese PhD Student Explains Mechanism of Antibiotic Resistance
September 2, 2011| |
Scientists have been investigating how an antibiotic-producing organism controls resistance to its own antibiotic. At the John Innes Centre, Vietnamese PhD student Tung Le and other scientists are investigating the production of antibiotic simocyclinone, which comes from Streptomyces antibioticus, and the pumping mechanism that transports the antibiotic from the cell.
Under the supervision of Mark Buttner, Tung found out that SimR, the protein used by S. antibioticus to control antibiotic export, can bind either to DNA or to the antibiotic itself, but not to both. Therefore, when the antibiotic is present, SimR releases the DNA, which leads to the expression of a gene that encodes a pump responsible for removing the antibiotic from the cell.
"This provides a mechanism that couples the potentially lethal biosynthesis of the antibiotic to its export, which has wider implications for resistance to clinically important antibiotics," commented Prof. Buttner. "However, we needed to know more detail about the interaction between SimR and DNA."
| |
Biotech Updates is a weekly newsletter of ISAAA, a not-for-profit organization. It is distributed for free to over 22,000 subscribers worldwide to inform them about the key developments in biosciences, especially in biotechnology. Your support will help us in our mission to feed the world with knowledge. You can help by donating as little as $10.
-
See more articles:
-
News from Around the World
- 1001 Genome Project – to Complete the Arabidopsis Genome Catalog
- CGIAR Tackles Food Crisis and How Research Can Help
- World Must Fund Famine-Wreaked African Countries to Prevent Generation Dying
- GM Biotech Revenues Increase in U.S.
- Colombia and Argentina Sign Agreement to Promote Cooperation in Biotechnology
- Cornell Researchers Identify How Insects Resist Bt Pesticides
- Regulators Approve New DuPont Corn Seeds
- Pretreatment, Proper Harvest Time Boost Ethanol From Switchgrass
- New Website for Drought Info-Seekers
- Making Tomorrow's Bioenergy Yeasts Strong
- Vietnam Seeks to Develop Safe Biotech System
- BAU Golden Jubilee Celebrations Highlight Biotech
- Scientists Share Facts on Philippine Biotech Crops
- Categorization of EU Member States Based on Approach to Biotech
- New Genome Sequence Could Improve Oilseed Rape and More
- Summer Droughts Affect Plant Growth and Productivity
- Scientists Study Gene Clusters in Plants
-
Research Highlights
- Effects of Bt Proteins from Corn Straw on Enzyme Activities of Redworms
- ALK,the Key Gene for Gelatinization Temperature of Rice
- Arabidopsis TBP-associated factor 5: Necessary for Growth and Development
-
Beyond Crop Biotech
- Compounds from Tropical Coral Could Create Novel Sunscreens for Humans or UV-tolerant Plants
- Research To Speed The Tracing of Salmonella Outbreaks
- Vietnamese PhD Student Explains Mechanism of Antibiotic Resistance
- Gut Bacterium Genome to Explain their Host Specificity
- Lizard Genome Cracked
-
Announcements
- The Water, Energy and Food Security Nexus
- Biopesticide International Conference
- International Training Course in Cryopreservation Techniques
-
Resources
- Chile GM Report
- India Bioagriculture Market
-
Read the latest: - Biotech Updates (April 30, 2025)
- Gene Editing Supplement (April 30, 2025)
- Gene Drive Supplement (February 22, 2023)
-
Subscribe to BU: - Share
- Tweet