Deadly Bacteria May Mimic Human Proteins to Evolve Antibiotic Resistance

Deadly bacteria may be evolving antibiotic resistance by mimicking human proteins, according to a new study by the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen).

This mimicry allows the bacteria to evade its host's defense responses, side-stepping our immune system.

Using genomic sequencing, the spelling out of billions of genetic instructions stored in DNA, the study identified several methyltransferase protein families that are very similar in otherwise very distantly related human bacterial pathogens. These proteins also were found in hosts such as humans, mouse and rat.

Identifying small differences between the pathogen and human proteins through Next Generation genome-wide datasets could help develop molecular targets in the development of new drug treatments, she said.

Source:

http://www.tgen.org/news/index.cfm?newsid=1967