Bacterial Subcellular Architecture, Structural Epistasis, and Antibiotic Resistance

Epistasis refers to the way in which genetic interactions between some genetic loci affect phenotypes and fitness. In this study, we propose the concept of "structural epistasis" to emphasize the role of the variable physical interactions between molecules located in particular spaces insi...

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Published in:Biology (Basel, Switzerland) Switzerland), 2023-04, Vol.12 (5), p.640
Main Authors: Baquero, Fernando, Martínez, José-Luis, Sánchez, Alvaro, Fernández-de-Bobadilla, Miguel D, San-Millán, Alvaro, Rodríguez-Beltrán, Jerónimo
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
antibiotic mode of action
Antibiotic resistance
Antibiotics
Antimicrobial agents
Bacteria
bacterial Gram-negative subcellular architecture
Cell size
cellular shape and volume
Cytoplasm
Drug resistance
Drug resistance in microorganisms
E coli
Epistasis
Gene expression
Genetic vectors
Lipids
Lipoproteins
Mechanical stimuli
Membranes
Mutation
Phenotypes
Physiology
Proteins
Review
structural epistasis
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Summary:Epistasis refers to the way in which genetic interactions between some genetic loci affect phenotypes and fitness. In this study, we propose the concept of "structural epistasis" to emphasize the role of the variable physical interactions between molecules located in particular spaces inside the bacterial cell in the emergence of novel phenotypes. The architecture of the bacterial cell (typically Gram-negative), which consists of concentrical layers of membranes, particles, and molecules with differing configurations and densities (from the outer membrane to the nucleoid) determines and is in turn determined by the cell shape and size, depending on the growth phases, exposure to toxic conditions, stress responses, and the bacterial environment. Antibiotics change the bacterial cell's internal molecular topology, producing unexpected interactions among molecules. In contrast, changes in shape and size may alter antibiotic action. The mechanisms of antibiotic resistance (and their vectors, as mobile genetic elements) also influence molecular connectivity in the bacterial cell and can produce unexpected phenotypes, influencing the action of other antimicrobial agents.
ISSN:2079-7737
2079-7737
DOI:10.3390/biology12050640