Bacteria help themselves in damaged lungs
Detailed understanding of how unusual bacteria survive could help treat deadly infections that plague cystic fibrosis patients
SAN FRANCISCO — Researchers have discovered that antibiotics made by Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria also serve as molecular snorkels that help the bacteria breathe even when buried in mucus or squeezed into the middle of a colony.
The finding was reported by MIT researchers Lars Dietrich and Dianne Newman December 16 at the annual meeting of the American Society for Cell Biology. It reveals a new role for antibiotics produced by bacteria, which scientists previously believed were mainly employed to fend off other bacteria.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a pathogenic bacteria species that is harmless to most healthy people. But for people with cystic fibrosis — a genetic disorder that leads to a buildup of thick, sticky mucus that clogs the lungs and digestive tract — the bacterium is deadly. P. aeruginosa invades the mucus, turning it blue-green with antibiotic pigments called phenazines and even destroying lung tissue.