Bacterial defences: mechanisms, evolution and antimicrobial resistance

Throughout their evolutionary history, bacteria have faced diverse threats from other microorganisms, including competing bacteria, bacteriophages and predators. In response to these threats, they have evolved sophisticated defence mechanisms that today also protect bacteria against antibiotics and...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nature reviews. Microbiology 2023-08, Vol.21 (8), p.519-534
Main Authors: Smith, William P J, Wucher, Benjamin R, Nadell, Carey D, Foster, Kevin R
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology
Antibiotics
Antimicrobial agents
Antimicrobial resistance
Bacteria
Bacteria - genetics
Bacteriophages - genetics
Biology
Competition
Defense
DNA methylation
Drug resistance
Drug Resistance, Bacterial
Enzymes
Evolution
Medical treatment
Microorganisms
Phages
Physiology
Predators
Reviews
Toxins
Viral infections
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Summary:Throughout their evolutionary history, bacteria have faced diverse threats from other microorganisms, including competing bacteria, bacteriophages and predators. In response to these threats, they have evolved sophisticated defence mechanisms that today also protect bacteria against antibiotics and other therapies. In this Review, we explore the protective strategies of bacteria, including the mechanisms, evolution and clinical implications of these ancient defences. We also review the countermeasures that attackers have evolved to overcome bacterial defences. We argue that understanding how bacteria defend themselves in nature is important for the development of new therapies and for minimizing resistance evolution.
ISSN:1740-1526
1740-1534
DOI:10.1038/s41579-023-00877-3