lecture 14 - antimicrobial resistance

Question 1

What are the 2 key ways that bacteria restrict access to antimicrobial targets via antimicrobial resistance?

Answer 1

Decreased permeability to drugs, increased efflux/pumping out of drugs from inside bacteria

Question 2

How are Beta-lactamases involved in antimicrobial resistance?

Answer 2

They are enzymes produced by resistant bacteria that hydrolyse beta-lactam antibiotics, meaning they are ineffective in preventing peptidoglycan synthesis. Thus, the bacterial cell wall remains intact.

Question 3

What is the difference between intrinsic and acquired antimicrobial resistance?

Answer 3

Intrinsic: Bacteria normally resistant to the antimicrobial
Acquired: bacteria normally susceptible to antimicrobial, but acquire resistance genes or mutate to become resistant

Question 4

What are the 2 key processes that can allow a bacteria to mutate to become antimicrobial resistant?

Answer 4

Antimicrobial mediated selection for resistance traits, horizontal gene transfer from resistance bacteria.

Question 5

What are some of the antibiotic resistance mechanisms employed by bacteria?

Answer 5

altered cell wall, degrading enzymes, efflux pumps