Those bacteria that have ways to protect themselves from antibiotics, what are their mechanisms and how do they work?
In: Biology
Multiple mechanisms can occur. They all result from random dna mutations. If that random mutation has an affect on the bacteria that it is now resistant to a specific antibiotic then it will divide and divide, while the other cells are killed, thereby the bacteria with the mutation becomes the only bacteria remaining
The mechanisms for resistance can be looked at as:
1. Breakdown the antibiotic : usually an enzyme evolves that will breakdown the antibiotic and do it faster than the antibiotic kills the bacteria. This is one of the reasons some bacteria can be partially resistant as you need large doses of antibiotics to kill the bacteria.
2. Alter the target of the antibiotic: some antibiotics use its interaction with certain molecules in the bacteria to be effective. For example some antibiotics will bind to specific parts of ribosomes to prevent protein synthesis. If that area changes in some way that stops the binding of the antibiotic but still allows protein production, the antibiotic is no longer effective
3. Limiting uptake of the drug: although some drugs will just diffuse into cells without help, many need the drug to be actively taken into them. It is usually something that’s normal purpose is to move some other necessity into the cell. If that mechanism is interrupted and no longer available, the antibiotic can’t get into the cell to do the killing
4. Kick the antibiotic out: the reverse of the above. Although the antibiotic can get into the cell, a mechanism develops that actively removes it from the cell. Therefore there is not enough antibiotic in the cell to cause enough damage to cause bacteria death before the cell can repair itself.
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