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Disruption of undecaprenyl phosphate recycling suppresses ampC beta-lactamase induction in Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Institute of Microbiology, Lausanne University Hospital, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
Institute of Microbiology, Lausanne University Hospital, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
Institute of Microbiology, Lausanne University Hospital, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS). Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Umeå Centre for Microbial Research (UCMR). Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Molecular Biology (Faculty of Medicine).ORCID iD: 0000-0002-0450-1430
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2025 (English)In: PLoS Pathogens, ISSN 1553-7366, E-ISSN 1553-7374, Vol. 21, no 10, article id e1013633Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Beta-lactam antibiotics are widely used to treat bacterial infections, but their efficacy is compromised by resistance mechanisms such as the production of beta-lactamases. In Pseudomonas aeruginosa, the chromosomally encoded beta-lactamase AmpC is the primary mediator of beta-lactam resistance. ampC expression is regulated by the transcription factor AmpR, which responds to intracellular peptidoglycan (PG) fragments. Under normal conditions, AmpR binds the PG precursor (UDP-MurNAc-pentapeptide) and represses ampC expression. However, during beta-lactam treatment or in PG recycling-deficient mutants such as ampD mutants, PG degradation products (anhydromuropeptides) accumulate and activate AmpR, resulting in elevated ampC expression and beta-lactam resistance. We hypothesized that shifting the balance of PG precursors could modulate AmpR activity and suppress beta-lactamase expression, even in derepressed strains. Undecaprenyl phosphate (UndP) is a lipid carrier essential for translocating PG precursors across the bacterial inner membrane. Recent work has identified members of the DedA superfamily as UndP flippases responsible for recycling this lipid carrier. Disruption of UndP recycling leads to cytoplasmic accumulation of UDP-MurNAc-pentapeptide, the known AmpR repressor. Here, we show that deletion of dedA4, which encodes a predicted UndP flippase in P. aeruginosa, causes PG precursors accumulation and significantly reduces AmpC production and beta-lactam resistance in an ampD mutant. These findings highlight the influence of PG precursor dynamics on beta-lactamase regulation and identify DedA4 as a promising therapeutic target. Inhibiting UndP recycling offers a novel strategy to counteract beta-lactam resistance in P. aeruginosa and potentially other AmpC-producing pathogens.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Public Library of Science (PLoS), 2025. Vol. 21, no 10, article id e1013633
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Microbiology in the Medical Area
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-246012DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1013633ISI: 001598055500003PubMedID: 41118418Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-105019218419OAI: oai:DiVA.org:umu-246012DiVA, id: diva2:2010504
Funder
Swedish Research Council, VR2018-02823Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation, KAW2012.0184The Kempe Foundations, SMK2062Available from: 2025-10-31 Created: 2025-10-31 Last updated: 2025-10-31Bibliographically approved

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Torrens, GabrielCava, Felipe

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Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS)Umeå Centre for Microbial Research (UCMR)Department of Molecular Biology (Faculty of Medicine)
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