EVOLUTION SOS
Antibiotic resistance may not simply be the random chance of a mutation occurring and selectively favoured by the environment, but induced by certain bacteria to occur in the hope for a better solution. A recent study has found that antibiotic resistance to ciprofloxacin and rifampicin involves a DNA binding protein LexA. In the presence of LexA bacteria are able to rapidly undergo an increased mutation rate and consequently develop antibiotic resistance though favorably selected mutations. When LexA is absent no resistance can occur. This indicates that when these mutation inducing proteins are inactive resistance is unable to develop and evolution can therefore be halted, disagreeing with previous statements that evolution is inevitable!
Student Number 41167661
Reference
Romesberg, F. E, R. T. Cirz, J. K. Chin, D. R. Andes, V. Crécy-Lagard, and W. A. Craig, 2007. Inhibition of Mutation and Combating the Evolution of Antibiotic Resistance. PLoS Biol 3(6): e176.
