title: The Role of Reactive Oxygen Species in Antibiotic-Mediated Killing of Bacteria.
abstract: Recently, it was proposed that there is a common mechanism behind the activity of bactericidal antibiotics, involving the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). However, the involvement of ROS in antibiotic-mediated killing has become the subject of much debate. In the present review, we provide an overview of the data supporting the ROS hypothesis; we also present data that explain the contradictory results often obtained when studying antibiotic-induced ROS production. For this latter aspect we will focus on the importance of taking the experimental setup into consideration and on the importance of some technical aspects of the assays typically used. Finally, we discuss the link between ROS production and toxin-antitoxin modules, and present an overview of implications for treatment.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Microbiology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Heleen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Van Acker
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Microbiology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium. Electronic address: Tom.Coenye@Ugent.be.
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Coenye
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001419:Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects*; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000188:drug therapy; D005057:Eukaryotic Cells / Q000187:drug effects; D008658:Inactivation, Metabolic / Q000187:drug effects; D053858:Metabolic Networks and Pathways / Q000187:drug effects; D050296:Microbial Viability / Q000187:drug effects; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species
keywords: Antibiotics; Metabolism; ROS