title: The in vitro contribution of autolysins to bacterial killing elicited by amoxicillin increases with inoculum size in Enterococcus faecalis.
abstract: The mechanisms of antibiotic-induced cell death are poorly understood despite the critical role of the bactericidal activities of antibiotics for successful treatment of severe infections. These mechanisms include irreversible damaging of macromolecules by reactive oxygen species and bacteriolysis mediated by peptidoglycan hydrolases (autolysins). We have assessed the contribution of the second mechanism by using an autolysin-deficient mutant of Enterococcus faecalis and shown that it contributes to amoxicillin-induced cell lysis only at a high bacterial density.
authors.affiliation: EA3964, Université Paris Diderot, Faculté de Médecine, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Vincent
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Dubée
authors.forename: Françoise
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Chau
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Arthur
authors.forename: Louis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Garry
authors.forename: Samira
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Benadda
authors.forename: Stéphane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mesnage
authors.forename: Agnès
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lefort
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Fantin
mesh_terms: D000658:Amoxicillin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001433:Bacteriolysis / Q000187:drug effects*; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D004697:Endocarditis, Bacterial / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology; D013293:Enterococcus faecalis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development*; D005839:Gentamicins / Q000494:pharmacology; D016908:Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D009154:Mutation; D009238:N-Acetylmuramoyl-L-alanine Amidase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011817:Rabbits
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D005839:Gentamicins; D000658:Amoxicillin; D009238:N-Acetylmuramoyl-L-alanine Amidase