Biomaterial Database

Predictable and unpredictable evolution of antibiotic resistance. 2008

P Courvalin

Unité des Agents Antibactériens, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France. pcourval@pasteur.fr

Evolution of bacteria towards antibiotic resistance is unavoidable as it represents a particular aspect of the general evolution of bacteria. Thus, at the very best, the only hope we can have in the field of resistance is to delay dissemination of resistant bacteria or resistance genes. Resistance to antibiotics in bacteria can result from mutations in resident structural or regulatory genes or from horizontal acquisition of foreign genetic information. In this review, we will consider the predictable future of the relationship between bacteria and antibiotics.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D009154	Mutation	Any detectable and heritable change in the genetic material that causes a change in the GENOTYPE and which is transmitted to daughter cells and to succeeding generations.	Mutations
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D015964	Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial	Any of the processes by which cytoplasmic or intercellular factors influence the differential control of gene action in bacteria.	Bacterial Gene Expression Regulation,Regulation of Gene Expression, Bacterial,Regulation, Gene Expression, Bacterial
D019143	Evolution, Molecular	The process of cumulative change at the level of DNA; RNA; and PROTEINS, over successive generations.	Molecular Evolution,Genetic Evolution,Evolution, Genetic
D024881	Drug Resistance, Bacterial	The ability of bacteria to resist or to become tolerant to chemotherapeutic agents, antimicrobial agents, or antibiotics. This resistance may be acquired through gene mutation or foreign DNA in transmissible plasmids (R FACTORS).	Antibiotic Resistance, Bacterial,Antibacterial Drug Resistance