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Colistin Resistance Evolution Boosts Bacterial Virulence and AMP Resistance

May 2, 2023

The evolution of resistance to colistin, a last-resort antibiotic, has become a serious concern for public health, as it can lead to the emergence of untreatable bacterial infections. A recent study, titled ‘The evolution of colistin resistance increases bacterial resistance to host antimicrobial peptides and virulence‘ published in eLife investigated how the evolution of colistin resistance can impact bacterial resistance to host antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) and virulence.

The researchers used a model system of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a bacterial pathogen that commonly infects patients in hospitals, to evolve resistance to colistin. They found that the evolution of colistin resistance increased the bacterial resistance to host AMPs, which are part of the innate immune system and play a crucial role in controlling bacterial infections. The study also showed that the evolution of colistin resistance led to increased bacterial virulence, which is the ability of bacteria to cause disease in the host.

The researchers further investigated the mechanism behind these observations and found that the evolution of colistin resistance altered the bacterial membrane composition, making it more resistant to both colistin and AMPs. Additionally, the study showed that the evolution of colistin resistance increased the expression of certain virulence genes in the bacteria.

The findings of this study have important implications for the management of bacterial infections. The evolution of resistance to last-resort antibiotics such as colistin can not only render antibiotics ineffective, but it can also increase the virulence of bacteria and make them more resistant to the host’s immune system. This highlights the urgent need to develop alternative approaches to treat bacterial infections and prevent the evolution of resistance to antibiotics.

Citation for report:

Jangir, P. K., Ogunlana, L., Szili, P., Czikkely, M., Shaw, L. P., Stevens, E. J., Yu, Y., Yang, Q., Wang, Y., Pál, C., Walsh, T. R., & MacLean, C. R. (2023). The evolution of colistin resistance increases bacterial resistance to host antimicrobial peptides and virulence. eLife, 12, e84395. https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.84395.