Targeting emergency valves to release the pressure on antibiotic resistance

A new study has exposed the mechanism that triggers channels on bacterial membranes to open, providing a new target for antibiotic drug discovery. A recent study has discovered the mechanism that triggers ‘emergency valves’ to open on distressed bacterial membranes. The study, led by Thomas Walz (The Rockefeller University, NY, USA), could have implications for the development of new antibiotic therapeutics. When bacteria are physically stressed by being squashed, stretched or inflated, valves built into their membranes open to release their cell contents and alleviate the pressure on the membrane, preventing the bacterium from exploding. If the mechanism controlling this...