Bacteriostatic cells instead of bacteriostatic antibiotics?

This is a Preprint and has not been peer reviewed. The published version of this Preprint is available: https://doi.org/10.1128/mbio.02680-23. This is version 1 of this Preprint.

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Authors

Fernando Baquero, Jeronimo Rodríguez-Beltrán, Bruce R Levin

Abstract

This year we commemorate the centennial of the birth of the mature concept of bacteriostasis by John W. Churchman at Cornell University Medical School. The term bacteriostasis has primarily been applied to antibiotics (bacteriostatic antibiotics). In this Opinion paper, we are revisiting this concept by suggesting that bacteriostatic antibiotics are drugs that induce bacteria to become bacteriostatic. Cells that are unable to multiply, thereby preventing the antibiotic from exerting major lethal effects on them, are a variant (“different”) type of cells, bacteriostatic cells. Note that the term “bacteriostasis” should not be associated only with antimicrobials, but with many stressful conditions. In that respect, the drug promotion of bacteriostasis might resemble other types of stress-induced cellular differentiation, such as sporulation, in which spores can be considered “bacteriostatic cells” or perhaps as persister bacteria, which can become “normal cells” again when the stressful conditions have abated.

DOI

https://doi.org/10.32942/X2R01T

Subjects

Life Sciences, Medicine and Health Sciences

Keywords

Bacteriostatic antibiotics, bacteriostatic cells, antibiotic mode of action

Dates

Published: 2023-10-03 18:31

Last Updated: 2023-10-03 22:31

License

No Creative Commons license

Additional Metadata

Language:
English

Conflict of interest statement:
None