Research lead
Scientists at Birkbeck, University of London, and University College London have elucidated the structure of a key component of the bacteria that cause infectious diseases such as whooping cough, peptic stomach ulcers and Legionnaires’ disease.
The work also sheds light on how antibiotic resistance genes spread from one bacterium to another, and could form the basis of research to develop novel treatments and ways to prevent the development of antibiotic resistance.
Antibiotic resistance spreads when genetic material is exchanged between two bacteria, one of which has mutated to be resistant to the drugs. This exchange is facilitated by the Type IV secretion system, which also plays an essential role in transporting toxins from within bacteria into the cells of the body, causing diseases.
Pathogens that feature the Type IV secretion system include Helicobacter pylori, which causes peptic ulcers, Legionella pneumophila, the cause of Legionnaires’ disease, and Bordetella pertussis, which causes whooping cough.
The researchers used low-temperature cryoelectron microscopy to study the structure of the core complex of a Type IV secretion system. “Type IV secretion systems play key roles in secreting toxins that give certain bacteria their disease-causing properties and, importantly, are also directly involved in the spread of antibiotic resistance,” said research leader Gabriel Waksman. “This is why they have become obvious targets in the vast effort required to fight infectious diseases caused by bacteria.”
“If we can inhibit the secretion systems that mediate transfer of antibiotic resistance genes from one bacterial pathogen to another, we could potentially prevent the spread of antibiotic resistance genes,” added Waksman.
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