Skip to main content
European Commission logo print header

Dissection of the mechanisms causing the epistasis between antibiotic resistance mutations in Escherichia coli

Objectif

Antibiotic resistance is a major threat to public health. Bacteria can become resistant by acquiring genes that counteract the action of antibiotics or by mutation of their targets. These targets are usually involved in essential processes and typically resistance mutations can impair bacterial growth in absence of antibiotics. However, combination of certain mutated alleles can result in an alleviation of this cost, thus favouring the acquisition of multiple resistances. This project aims to understand the mechanisms underlying the epistasis between resistance mutations. Decreased biosynthesis has been considered the main cause of the fitness cost associated to antibiotic resistance mutations. However, our preliminary results suggest the existence of additional causes, such as genomic instability or proteostasis imbalance. The study of these phenotypes in single and double resistant mutants of Escherichia coli will allow us to determine the nature of these epistatic interactions, as well as further understanding essential biological processes, and will provide information for the development of new treatments against multi-resistant infections.

Coordinateur

FUNDACAO CALOUSTE GULBENKIAN
Contribution nette de l'UE
€ 148 635,60
Adresse
AVENIDA BERNA 45A
1067-001 LISBOA
Portugal

Voir sur la carte

Région
Continente Área Metropolitana de Lisboa Área Metropolitana de Lisboa
Type d’activité
Research Organisations
Liens
Coût total
€ 148 635,60