A team of researchers, including scientists from the University of Sheffield, have revealed the armour-like outer structure of the superbug C.difficile for the first time.
Resembling chainmail, the flexible but close-knit outer layer protects the bacteria against the body’s natural immune defences and drugs intended to treat it. This is one of the ways in which C.difficile resists the effects of antibiotics.
The links of the chainmail are formed by a protein known as SlpA, the arrangement of which was revealed using a combination of X-ray and electron crystallography. This armour contributes to the bacteria’s resistance to treatment, meaning the recent revelation may provide a target for future C.difficile specific drugs. If newly developed treatments can break though this outer layer, it will allow drug molecules to enter the cell and kill the bacteria.
The World Health Organisation has declared antimicrobial resistance (AMR) as one of the top 10 global public health threats. The label of ‘superbugs’ refers to those bacteria which have multiple mechanisms contributing to their antibiotic resistance. C.difficile, which affects the human gut, is classed as a superbug as it is resistant to all but three drugs currently used to treat it. Therefore, the identification of new targets for drugs to fight the bacteria is a significant discovery.
Dr Fagan of the University of Sheffield’s School of Biosciences said: “We’re now looking at how our findings could be used to develop new ways to treat C.difficile infections, such as using bacteriophages to attach to and kill C.diff cells – a promising potential alternative to traditional antibiotic drugs.”
