Title: | [How bacteria resist antibiotics: a primary form of collective intelligence?] |
Address: | "International Society of Chemotherapy, 19 avenue Krieg 1208 Geneve, Suisse. jcpechere@yahoo.com" |
ISSN/ISBN: | 0001-4079 (Print) 0001-4079 (Linking) |
Abstract: | "Bacteria produce inhibitory enzymes (beta-lactamases, etc), block antibiotic attachment to target molecules (MRSA, etc.), extrude antibiotics from the cell by active efflux systems (multidrug resistant pseudomonas, etc) or limit antibiotic penetration through the outer membrane in Gram negatives. Genetically, resistance occurs after mutation or horizontal transfers (transformation, transduction, conjugation) of mobile genetic elements (integrons, transposons, phages, plasmids), associated with a risk of epidemic spread. Recent data stress the importance pheromones for facilitating inter-bacterial genetic exchanges. Activated by quinolones and penicillins the SOS response augments the mutation rate (by about 10,000 fold) and liberates mobile genetic elements offering more opportunities to select resistance. These highly pertinent non-darwinian systems raise the hypothesis of a primary form of intelligence developed already 3.8 billions years ago" |
Keywords: | "Anti-Bacterial Agents/*pharmacology Bacteria/*enzymology/*genetics *Biological Evolution *Drug Resistance, Microbial Intelligence Mutation Pheromones/pharmacology;" |
Notes: | "MedlinePechere, Jean-Claude fre English Abstract Review Netherlands 2005/05/28 Bull Acad Natl Med. 2004; 188(8):1249-56" |