Open AccessThe In Vitro Contribution of Autolysins to Bacterial Killing Elicited by Amoxicillin Increases with Inoculum Size in Enterococcus faecalis
Author(s) -
Vincent Dubée,
Françoise Chau,
Michel Arthur,
Louis Garry,
Samira Benadda,
Michael P. Williamson,
A. Lefort,
Bruno Fantin
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
antimicrobial agents and chemotherapy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.07
H-Index - 259
eISSN - 1070-6283
pISSN - 0066-4804
DOI - 10.1128/aac.01230-10
Subject(s) - autolysin , enterococcus faecalis , microbiology and biotechnology , autolysis (biology) , peptidoglycan , lysis , antibiotics , amoxicillin , biology , bacterial cell structure , bacteria , in vitro , cell wall , staphylococcus aureus , biochemistry , enzyme , genetics , streptococcus pneumoniae
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 ofEnterococcus faecalis and shown that it contributes to amoxicillin-induced cell lysis only at a high bacterial density.