References & Sources

Bacteria offer lessons to drug makers

Newly unveiled tactics used by bacteria in smiting other microbes suggest approaches for making new and better antibiotics.

References:

Breukink, E., et al. 1999. Use of the cell wall precursor Lipid II by a pore-forming peptide antibiotic. Science 286(Dec. 17):2361.

Further Readings:

Crandall, A.D., and T.J. Montville. 1998. Nisin resistance in Listeria monocytogenes ATCC 700302 is a complex phenotype. Applied Environmental Microbiology 64:231.

Mazzotta, A.S., A.D. Crandall, and T.J. Montville. 1997. Nisin resistance in Clostridium botulinum spores and vegetative cells. Applied Environmental Microbiology 63:2654.

Raloff, J. 1999. Waterways carry antibiotic resistance. Science News 155(June 5):356.

______. 1998. Livestock’s role in antibiotic resistance. Science News 154(July 18):39.

______. 1998. Staging germ warfare in foods. Science News 153(Feb. 7):89.

______. 1995. Defending us from our dirty mouths. Science News 147(March 18):166.

Seppa, N. 1997. A new gap in the antibiotic arsenal. Science News 151(June 7):348.

Smaglik, P. 1997. Proliferation of pills. Science News 151(May 17):310.

Wu, C. 1999. Beyond vancomycin. Science News 155(April 24):268.

Sources:

Eefjan Breukink
Utrecht University
Department of Biochemistry of Membranes
Center of Biomembranes and Lipid Enzymology
Institute for Biomembranes
Padualaan 8
3584 CH Utrecht
Netherlands

Todd R. Klaehammer
North Carolina State University
Department of Food Science - Box 7624
Southeast Dairy Foods Research Center
Raleigh, NC 27695-7624

Thomas J. Montville
Rutgers University
Department of Food Science
65 Dudley Road
New Brunswick, NJ 08901-8520

From Science News, Vol. 156, No. 25 & 26, December 18 & 25, 1999, p. 390. Copyright © 1999, Science Service.