Collateral Sensitivity to ß-Lactam Drugs in Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis Is Driven by the Transcriptional Wiring of BlaI Operon Genes.

The evolution of resistance to one antimicrobial can result in enhanced sensitivity to another, known as "collateral sensitivity." This underexplored phenomenon opens new therapeutic possibilities for patients infected with pathogens unresponsive to classical treatments. Intrinsic resistance to ß-lactams in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (the causative agent of tuberculosis) has traditionally curtailed the use of these low-cost and easy-to-administer drugs for tuberculosis treatment. Recently, ß-lactam sensitivity has been reported in strains resistant to classical tuberculosis therapy, resurging the interest in ß-lactams for tuberculosis. However, a lack of understanding of the molecular underpinnings of this sensitivity has delayed exploration in the clinic. We performed gene expression and network analyses and in silico knockout simulations of genes associated with ß-lactam sensitivity and genes associated with resistance to classical tuberculosis drugs to investigate regulatory interactions and identify key gene mediators. We found activation of the key inhibitor of ß-lactam resistance, blaI, following classical drug treatment as well as transcriptional links between genes associated with ß-lactam sensitivity and those associated with resistance to classical treatment, suggesting that regulatory links might explain collateral sensitivity to ß-lactams. Our results support M. tuberculosis ß-lactam sensitivity as a collateral consequence of the evolution of resistance to classical tuberculosis drugs, mediated through changes to transcriptional regulation. These findings support continued exploration of ß-lactams for the treatment of patients infected with tuberculosis strains resistant to classical therapies. IMPORTANCE Tuberculosis remains a significant cause of global mortality, with strains resistant to classical drug treatment considered a major health concern by the World Health Organization. Challenging treatment regimens and difficulty accessing drugs in low-income communities have led to a high prevalence of strains resistant to multiple drugs, making the development of alternative therapies a priority. Although Mycobacterium tuberculosis is naturally resistant to ß-lactam drugs, previous studies have shown sensitivity in strains resistant to classical drug treatment, but we currently lack understanding of the molecular underpinnings behind this phenomenon. We found that genes involved in ß-lactam susceptibility are activated after classical drug treatment resulting from tight regulatory links with genes involved in drug resistance. Our study supports the hypothesis that ß-lactam susceptibility observed in drug-resistant strains results from the underlying regulatory network of M. tuberculosis, supporting further exploration of the use of ß-lactams for tuberculosis treatment.

Serratin a new metabolite obtained from Serratia marcescens, a bacterium isolated from the microflora associated with banana plantations.

When cultures of Serratia marcescens, an enterobacteria isolated from the microflora associated with banana plantations incubated at 27°C in a yeast-calcium carbonate-dextrose solid medium (10 g of yeast extract, 20 g dextrose, 15 g bacteriological agar, 20 g calcium carbonate and 1000 mL distilled water) were extracted with chloroform and purified by column chromatography, we obtained a new colourless bacterial metabolite which according to spectroscopic data proved to be serratin.

Ergosterol from Phytophthora drechsleri, a unusual metabolite of a member of this genus.

Ergosterol was isolated from the plant pathogenic pseudofungus Phytophthora drechsleri grown on clarified V8 booth (CV8-B). Its structure was confirmed by comparison to an authentic sample. The species was identified by morphological analysis and molecular characterization by PCR: ITS (Internal transcribed spaces). This is the first report of this sterol in Phytophthora. This result is unusual because Phytophthora fungi were previously thought to be unable to synthesize sterols and the Oomycetes in general do not produce ergosterol.

[Variations in hemostasis and fibrinolysis during the treatment of acute myocardial infarct (AMI) with tissue-type plasminogen activator (TTPA). A study of 17 cases]. / Variaciones en la hemostasia y fibrinolisis durante el tratamiento del infarto agudo del miocardio (IAM) con activador tisular del plasminógeno (atPIG). Estudio de 17 casos.

The aim of this trial was to estimate changes in the coagulation and fibrinolysis systems during the thrombolytic treatment with recombinant human tissue-type plasminogen activator (rt-PA) in patients with acute myocardial infarction and correlate with hemorrhagic complications. We studied 17 patients with a 3 hours-continuous systemic infusion of 100 mg of rt-PA. Prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, thrombin time, fibrinogen splits products, plasminogen, alfa-2-antiplasmin (a-2AP) and antithrombin III (AT-III) were performed before, during and after infusion. Most patients showed lengthening coagulation times. Fibrinogen and plasminogen were decreased and PDF was increased. No variations in alpha-2AP or AT-III were observed. The recuperation of fibrinogen levels occurred in 3 hours and there was hyperfibrinogenemia after day 3. No hemorrhagic complication was observed in patients with abnormalities in these coagulation or fibrinolytic tests.