Alarmone Ap4a Is Elevated by Aminoglycoside Antibiotics and Enhances Their Bactericidal Activity
Alarmone Ap4A is elevated by aminoglycoside antibiotics and enhances their bactericidal activity Xia Jia, Jin Zoua,1, Haibo Penga,1, Anne-Sophie Stolleb, Ruiqiang Xiea, Hongjie Zhanga, Bo Pengc,d, John J. Mekalanosb,2, and Jun Zhenga,e,2 aFaculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau SAR, China; bDepartment of Microbiology and Immunobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115; cSchool of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China; dLaboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266071, China; and eInstitute of Translational Medicine, University of Macau, Macau SAR, China Contributed by John J. Mekalanos, February 25, 2019 (sent for review December 27, 2018; reviewed by James J. Collins and Colin Manoil) Second messenger molecules play important roles in the responses bactericidal aminoglycosides actually cause cell death but clearly to various stimuli that can determine a cell’s fate under stress multiple pathways are involved. conditions. Here, we report that lethal concentrations of amino- One positive characteristic of aminoglycosides is that they retain glycoside antibiotics result in the production of a dinucleotide good activity against many multidrug-resistant bacteria, such as alarmone metabolite–diadenosine tetraphosphate (Ap4A), which Acinetobacter spp.andPseudomonas aeruginosa (2). However, the promotes bacterial cell killing by this class of antibiotics. We show clinical usage of aminoglycosides has been limited due to their that the treatment of Escherichia coli with lethal concentrations of nephrotoxicity and ototoxicity at higher dosages (12, 13), which can kanamycin (Kan) dramatically increases the production of Ap4A. This induce extended cortical necrosis and overt renal dysfunction (14) elevation of Ap4A is dependent on the production of a hydroxyl as well as permanent hearing loss or balance disorders (2).
[Show full text]