The influence of molecular oxygen exposure on the biology of Prevotella intermedia, with emphasis on its antibiotic susceptibility.
OBJECTIVE
This study focuses on investigating the molecular and physiological characteristics of Prevotella intermedia after molecular oxygen exposure (MOE) and the effect on drug susceptibility patterns.


RESULTS
Samples of P. intermedia were used as parent strains: ATCC25611 and four clinical isolates. Strains adapted to oxidative stress by MOS were obtained by the enrichment technique. Drug susceptibility was evaluated by minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) using agar dilution. Arbitrarily primed-polymerase chain reaction (AP-PCR) was used to evaluate the genetic diversity of all strains and physiological analyses were made by sodiumdodecylsulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and two-dimensional electrophoresis of crude, cell-free extracts. The genetic profile showed that lineages with altered MIC values were selected after MOE. Overall, we found significant decrease in drug susceptibility for the aero-strains against all tested antimicrobials (amoxicillin, amoxicillin+clavulanic acid, clindamycin, chloramphenicol, ertapenen and metronidazole). We also observed markedly different protein expression patterns between the parent and selected aero-strains.


CONCLUSIONS
MOE induces changes in the genetic profile and protein expression patterns of P. intermedia that may also be linked to its drug resistance mechanisms.


CONCLUSIONS
The effects of MOE on anaerobic bacterial physiology and behaviour may influence antimicrobial susceptibility patterns with potential consequences to antimicrobial chemotherapy.
dos Santos
S G
SG
Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
Diniz
C G
CG
da Silva
V L
VL
Souza
N C
NC
de Lima
F L
FL
Bomfim
M R Q
MR
de Carvalho
M A R
MA
Farias
L M
LM
D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D015180:Electrophoresis, Gel, Two-Dimensional / Q000379:methods; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006801:Humans; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D010100:Oxygen / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D018713:Prevotella intermedia / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D010100:Oxygen