Mechanisms of Resistance in Antibiotic-Resistant Escherichia coli Strains of Human, Animal and Food Origins

Dear Colleagues,

Antibiotic resistance is one of the most important public health threats of the 21st century. Whilst most strains of the Gram-negative bacterium Escherichia coli are harmless, some pathogenic strains can cause serious food poisoning, urinary tract infections and sepsis/meningitis. For example, Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC), such as serotype O157:H7, can cause severe foodborne diseases and is transmitted to humans primarily through the consumption of contaminated foods. The overuse and inappropriate prescription of antibiotics has contributed to the emergence of pathogenic E. coli strains that are resistant to antibiotics; e.g., extended-spectrum beta-lactamase–producing E. coli (ESBL E. coli) are highly resistant to a range of antibiotics, and infections by these strains are difficult to treat. The inappropriate feeding of antibiotics to animals can also result in the development of antibiotic-resistant strains that may be transferred to humans who then consume those animals.

Bacteria can fight the effects of an antibiotic by preventing the antibiotic from reaching its target at a high enough concentration or by modifying or bypassing the target that the antibiotic acts upon. Resistance mechanisms that prevent the antibiotic from reaching its target include decreasing the permeability of the bacterial cell membrane, destroying the antibiotic by enzyme degradation (e.g., β-lactamases on penicillins), enzyme modification of the antibiotic (e.g., addition of chemical groups), antibiotic sequestration by drug-binding proteins, and pumping the antibiotic from the bacterial cell by efflux pumps. Resistance mechanisms that modify or bypass the target include camouflage of the target by changing its chemical composition or structure, expression of alternative proteins, and reprogramming of the target to produce a different variant of the required structure. There may also be overproduction of the target. Furthermore, bacterial cells in biofilms are more resistant to antibiotics, requiring a higher concentration to exert an effect.

A rigorous understanding of antibiotic-resistance mechanisms is needed for developing new antibiotics and strategies to combat antibiotic resistance in E. coli strains of human, animal and food origins.

In this Special Issue, we will publish original research articles or reviews on any topic related to antibiotic resistance in E. coli.

Prof. Dr. Simon G. Patching
Guest Editor

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