Arming the enemy: the evolution of resistance to self-proteins.
A remarkable range of novel antibiotics is attracting increasing interest as a major new weapon in the campaign against bacterial infection. They are based on the toxic peptides that provide the innate immune system of animals, and it is claimed that bacteria will be unable to evolve resistance to them because they attack the 'Achilles' heel' of bacterial membrane structure. Both experimental evidence and theoretical arguments suggest that this claim is doubtful. If so, the introduction of these substances into general use may provoke the evolution of resistance to our own defence proteins and thus compromise our natural defences against infection.
Bell
Graham
G
Biology Department, McGill University, 1205 Ave Dr Penfield, Montreal, Québec, Canada H3A 1B1.
Gouyon
Pierre-Henri
PH
Laboratoire Ecologie, Systématique et Evolution, bât. 362 Université Paris-Sud, 91405 Orsay cédex, France.
D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D001419:Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000188:drug therapy; D005075:Biological Evolution; D001693:Biological Transport, Active; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D010450:Endopeptidases / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D009154:Mutation; D010455:Peptides
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D010455:Peptides; D010450:Endopeptidases