(Press-News.org) Queensland researchers have discovered that a mutation allows some E. coli bacteria to cause severe disease in people while other bacteria are harmless, a finding that could help to combat antibiotic resistance.
Professor Mark Schembri and Dr Nhu Nguyen from The University of Queensland’s Institute for Molecular Bioscience and Associate Professor Sumaira Hasnain from Mater Research found the mutation in the cellulose making machinery of E. coli bacteria.
Professor Schembri said the mutation gives the affected E. coli bacteria the green light to spread further into the body and infect more organs, such as the liver, spleen and brain.
“Our discovery explains why some E. coli bacteria can cause life-threatening sepsis, neonatal meningitis and urinary tract infections (UTIs), while other E. coli bacteria can live in our bodies without causing harm,” Professor Schembri said.
“The ‘good’ bacteria make cellulose and ‘bad’ bacteria can’t.”
Bacteria produce many substances on their cell surfaces that can stimulate or dampen the immune system of the host.
“The mutations we identified stopped the E. coli making the cell-surface carbohydrate cellulose and this led to increased inflammation in the intestinal tract of the host,” Professor Schembri said.
“The result was a breakdown of the intestinal barrier, so the bacteria could spread through the body.”
In models that replicate human disease, the team showed that the inability to produce cellulose made the bacteria more virulent, so it caused more severe disease, including infection of the brain in meningitis and the bladder in UTIs.
Associate Professor Hasnain said understanding how bacteria spread from intestinal reservoirs to the rest of the body was important in preventing infections.
“Our finding helps explain why certain types of E. coli become more dangerous and provides an explanation for the emergence of different types of highly virulent and invasive bacteria,” she said.
Professor Schembri said E. coli was the most dominant pathogen associated with bacterial antibiotic resistance.
“In 2019 alone, almost 5 million deaths worldwide were associated with bacterial antibiotic resistance, with E. coli causing more than 800,000 of these deaths,” he said.
“As the threat of superbugs that are resistant to all available antibiotics increases worldwide, finding new ways to prevent this infection pathway is critical to reduce the number of human infections.”
The collaboration included teams from UQ’s School of Biomedical Sciences led by Associate Professor Jana Vukovic and from Griffith University’s School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences led by Professor Glen Ulett.
Video explainer: https://youtu.be/_vmXaHRbmEI
END
Revealing what makes bacteria life-threatening
Researchers have discovered that 'bad' bacteria can't make cellulose on their cell surface, ultimately leading to severe disease
2024-02-21
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Durham University scientists discover the real-life impacts of northern elephant seal bottleneck
2024-02-21
New research of northern elephant seals has revealed their reproductive and foraging success has been affected by a population bottleneck which nearly caused their extinction and could make them vulnerable as the environment changes in the future.
The northern elephant seal is an iconic species living along the very accessible Pacific coastline of Mexico and North America, hauling out on beaches to breed. For much of the 19th century, they were hunted for the oil derived from their blubber. They were thought extinct after the last few that could be found were taken in 1892.
Fortunately, around 20 had survived, and they made a remarkable comeback. Now less than 150 years later, ...
NIH study offers new clues into the causes of post-infectious ME/CFS
2024-02-21
In a detailed clinical study, researchers at the National Institutes of Health have found differences in the brains and immune systems of people with post-infectious myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (PI-ME/CFS). They also found distinct differences between men and women with the disease. The findings were published in Nature Communications.
“People with ME/CFS have very real and disabling symptoms, but uncovering their biological basis has been extremely difficult,” said Walter Koroshetz, M.D., director of NIH’s National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). “This in-depth study of a small group of people found ...
Weedy rice gets competitive boost from its wild neighbors
2024-02-21
Rice feeds the world. But a look-alike weed has many ways of getting ahead.
Weedy rice is an agricultural pest with a global economic impact. It is an aggressive weed that outcompetes cultivated rice and causes billions of dollars in yield losses worldwide. In the U.S. alone, crop losses attributed to weedy rice could feed an additional 12 million people annually.
A study from Washington University in St. Louis offers new insights into genetic changes that give weedy rice its edge over cultivated rice in tropical regions of the world. Writing in Nature Communications, researchers ...
Butterfly and moth genomes mostly unchanged despite 250 million years of evolution
2024-02-21
The most extensive analysis of its kind reveals how butterfly and moth chromosomes have remained largely unchanged since their last common ancestor over 250 million years ago. This stability exists despite the incredible diversity seen today in wing patterns, sizes, and caterpillar forms across over 160,000 species globally.
Researchers from the Wellcome Sanger Institute and their collaborators at the University of Edinburgh analysed and compared over 200 high-quality chromosome-level genomes across butterflies and moths to better understand their evolutionary history.
They further uncovered rare groups of species that broke these genetic norms ...
Hepatocellular carcinoma incidence and mortality in the USA by sex, age, and race: A nationwide analysis of two decades
2024-02-21
Background and Aims
Over the past two decades, there has been a significant increase in the incidence of primary liver cancer in the USA, with higher rates observed in men. Its burden increases with age and disproportionately affects men, with mortality rates three times higher in men than in women. The higher incidence in men can be partially attributed to a greater prevalence of risk factors such as alcohol abuse and chronic HBV and HCV infections. A recent study of the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database showed rising incidence and mortality of liver cancer in the USA from 1975 to ...
AGA now recommends fecal microbiota transplant for the majority of recurrent C. diff patients
2024-02-21
Bethesda, MD (Feb. 21, 2024) — In the first comprehensive evidence-based guideline on the use of fecal microbiota-based therapies for gastrointestinal disease, the American Gastroenterological Association recommends fecal microbiota transplant (FMT) for most patients with recurrent Clostridioides difficile (C. diff) infection.
“Using fecal microbiota transplant, we take stool from a healthy donor and transfer it to the colon of the person with recurrent C. diff, restoring balance to their gut microbiome,” explains guideline author Dr. Anne Peery. “FMT is a safe and effective treatment with enough scientific ...
Why are fish getting smaller as waters warm? It’s not their gills, finds study led by UMass Amherst
2024-02-21
February 21, 2024
Why Are Fish Getting Smaller as Waters Warm? It’s Not Their Gills, Finds Study Led by UMass Amherst
Biologists find no link between fish size and gill surface area—study suggests that models underlying some projections of future fisheries yields need to be reconsidered
AMHERST, Mass. – A collaborative team of scientists led by the University of Massachusetts Amherst recently found that there is no physiological evidence supporting a leading theory— which involves the surface area of fish gills —as to why many fish species are ...
Can yoga effectively treat chronic back pain?
2024-02-21
New research published in the Journal of Orthopaedic Research suggests that the physical postures, breathing exercises, and mindfulness practices of yoga may benefit individuals with back pain.
In the study, 10 women with and 11 without chronic low back pain underwent an 8‐session yoga program over 4 weeks, with the first session conducted in a clinic and the rest delivered with a tele‐approach. Women with chronic low back pain experienced a significant decrease in pain intensity, as assessed through a 10-point visual analog scale (an average ...
Do immigrant deaths at the border influence white and Latinx Americans’ belief in the American dream?
2024-02-21
The American dream narrative posits that anyone who works hard can become successful in the US, whereas the systemic racism narrative argues that the US is a racist country where minorities are systemically held back.
A survey-based study in Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy found that these narratives predict individuals’ support for the presidential candidacy of Donald Trump or Joe Biden, above and beyond more traditional political ideologies.
In a follow-up experiment in which participants were confronted with news clips of immigrant deaths at the border, white individuals decreased their ...
How do renewable energy and innovation impact environmental quality in different countries?
2024-02-21
Renewable energy production leads to reduced carbon dioxide emissions in countries that are members of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) but increased emissions in emerging economies, according to the results of a study published in the Natural Resources Forum. A similar disparity was seen when considering the environmental impacts of innovation. (The OECD is an international organization that works to build better policies for better lives. Thirty-eight countries around the world are currently members.)
Regarding ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
Program takes aim at drinking, unsafe sex, and sexual assault on college campuses
Inability to pay for healthcare reaches record high in U.S.
Science ‘storytelling’ urgently needed amid climate and biodiversity crisis
KAIST Develops Retinal Therapy to Restore Lost Vision
Adipocyte-hepatocyte signaling mechanism uncovered in endoplasmic reticulum stress response
Mammals were adapting from life in the trees to living on the ground before dinosaur-killing asteroid
Low LDL cholesterol levels linked to reduced risk of dementia
Thickening of the eye’s retina associated with greater risk and severity of postoperative delirium in older patients
Almost one in ten people surveyed report having been harmed by the NHS in the last three years
Enhancing light control with complex frequency excitations
New research finds novel drug target for acute myeloid leukemia, bringing hope for cancer patients
New insight into factors associated with a common disease among dogs and humans
Illuminating single atoms for sustainable propylene production
New study finds Rocky Mountain snow contamination
Study examines lactation in critically ill patients
UVA Engineering Dean Jennifer West earns AIMBE’s 2025 Pierre Galletti Award
Doubling down on metasurfaces
New Cedars-Sinai study shows how specialized diet can improve gut disorders
Making moves and hitting the breaks: Owl journeys surprise researchers in western Montana
PKU Scientists simulate the origin and evolution of the North Atlantic Oscillation
ICRAFT breakthrough: Unlocking A20’s dual role in cancer immunotherapy
How VR technology is changing the game for Alzheimer’s disease
A borrowed bacterial gene allowed some marine diatoms to live on a seaweed diet
Balance between two competing nerve proteins deters symptoms of autism in mice
Use of antifungals in agriculture may increase resistance in an infectious yeast
Awareness grows of cancer risk from alcohol consumption, survey finds
The experts that can outsmart optical illusions
Pregnancy may reduce long COVID risk
Scientists uncover novel immune mechanism in wheat tandem kinase
Three University of Virginia Engineering faculty elected as AAAS Fellows
[Press-News.org] Revealing what makes bacteria life-threateningResearchers have discovered that 'bad' bacteria can't make cellulose on their cell surface, ultimately leading to severe disease