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Epigenetic phase variation in the gut microbiome enhances bacterial adaptation

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Highlights • Epigenetic phase variations (ePVs) are prevalent in the human gut microbiome • Long- and short-read metagenomic data reveal ePVs associated with antibiotics and FMT • An ePV in an A. muciniphila strain regulates mucC , enhancing tolerance to amoxicillin • ePV creates intra-strain heterogeneity, enhancing bacterial adaptation via bet-hedging
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Meropenem Stress Drives Lipid Remodeling and Resistance Gene Dissemination via Outer Membrane Vesicles in Carbapenem-Resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae

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Highlights • CRKP-derived outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) serve as multifunctional vectors for antibiotic resistance, encapsulating a diverse array of lipids and harboring the carbapenemase gene bla KPC . • Meropenem stress triggers a marked upregulation of membrane lipids in CRKP-OMVs, particularly sphingolipids (SP), glycerolipids (GL), glycerophospholipids (GP), and fatty acids (FA), which likely fortify bacterial antibiotic resistance through enhanced membrane stability and efflux efficiency. • CRKP-OMVs mediate horizontal gene transfer of bla KPC-2 to both intra- and interspecies susceptible bacteria, with meropenem-induced lipid remodeling significantly boosting transformation efficiency—a potential accelerator for environmental resistance spread.
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Post-COVID-19 epidemiology of pneumococcal disease in Taiwan: escalating serotype replacement and antimicrobial resistance in all ages

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Highlights • Incidence of CCPD rose to 9.04 per 100,000 population in the post-pandemic 2024. • Lower β-lactam susceptibility of the pneumococcal isolates is due to serotype shift. • Resistant non-PCV13 clones are emerging from clonal expansion and capsular switch.
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Organic Acid-Based Deep Eutectic Solvents (DESs) are Potent Antimicrobial Agents Against Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria and Viruses

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Highlights • Organic acid-based DESs act against colistin- and methicillin-resistant strains. • T-glycoline–nanoparticle mix enhances activity against MRSA. • Organic DESs eliminate mature biofilms and damage bacterial cells. • T-glycoline and oxaline reduce titres of enveloped and non-enveloped viruses. • Nanoparticles enhance the safety of DESs.
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Targeting Cyclic di-AMP Signaling through Diadenylate Cyclase Inhibition Reduces Methicillin Resistance in Clinical MRSA Isolates

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HIGHLIGHT • Cyclic-di-AMP is a non-canonical driver of methicillin resistance in MRSA • Sub-MIC methicillin and biofilms elevate c-di-AMP via DacA upregulation • Elevated c-di-AMP activates STING and skews macrophage responses • FDA approved drugs Tropinone and eucalyptol identified as DacA inhibitors • DacA inhibition restores β-lactam susceptibility in MRSA
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Integrated omics reveal a unique antibacterial mechanism of action for the small molecule HSI#6

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Highlights • HSI#6 is a rapid, micromolar, broad-spectrum bacteriostatic agent. • Triggers immediate, multi-pathway cell envelope stress responses. • Drives temporal omics reprogramming toward metabolic shutdown. • Shows transcriptomic similarity to ionophores yet a distinct MOA. • Exhibits low resistance evolution with compensatory topA mutations.
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Nutrient-Driven Small-Colony Variants as an Adaptive Outcome in Carbapenem-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii

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Highlights • Vitamin B12 induces stable small-colony variants (SCVs) in CRAB. • SCVs exhibit reduced cefiderocol killing and regrowth. • Mutations affect iron uptake, envelope structure, and metabolism. • Co-exposure enriches SCVs with siderophore and BfmRS changes. • Nutrients modulate antibiotic efficacy and persistence in CRAB.
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