Modes and modulations of antibiotic resistance gene expression.

ABSTRACT: Since antibiotic resistance usually affords a gain of function, there is an associated biological cost resulting in a loss of fitness of the bacterial host. Considering that antibiotic resistance is most often only transiently advantageous to bacteria, an efficient and elegant way for them to escape the lethal action of drugs is the alteration of resistance gene expression. It appears that expression of bacterial resistance to antibiotics is frequently regulated, which indicates that modulation of gene expression probably reflects a good compromise between energy saving and adjustment to a rapidly evolving environment. Modulation of gene expression can occur at the transcriptional or translational level following mutations or the movement of mobile genetic elements and may involve inductio

SUBMITTER: Depardieu F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1797629 | biostudies-literature | 2007 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature