Research Supervisor Connect
The Errington lab has recently pioneered molecular genetic work on a remarkable bacterial physiological adaptation called the “L-form”. L-forms are variants that completely lack the highly conserved cell wall that is normally considered an essential structure. Among the unusual features of these cells is their total resistance to important antibiotics, such as penicillins, that target the cell wall. We plan to explore the likely role of L-forms in a range of recurrent infections.
Camperdown - School of Medical Sciences
Cell wall deficient “L-form” bacteria were first described about 85 years ago but until recently, little was known about their distribution or abundance, nor of the molecular basis for switching in and out of the L-form state. Over the last 10 or so years the Errington lab has pioneered molecular cell biology studies of L-forms and established how they originate, how they grow and divide in the absence of a wall, and the constraints on their growth and viability. L-forms have been implicated in a wide range of recurrent infections, especially those associated with beta-lactam antibiotic use. The central aim of the project is to develop model systems for recurrent infection, and use these to directly test whether switching in and out of the L-form state can contribute to recurrence, as a prelude to clinical studies.
Recent relevant publications from the lab.
Discovery of Demurilactone A: A Specific Growth Inhibitor of L-Form Bacillus subtilis.
Dashti Y, Tajabadi FM, Wu LJ, Sumang FA, Escasinas A, Ellis Allenby NE, Errington J. ACS Infect Diseases 2022 Nov 11;8(11):2253-2258. doi: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.2c00220.
Possible role of L-form switching in recurrent urinary tract infection.
Mickiewicz KM, Kawai Y, Drage L, Gomes MC, Davison F, Pickard R, Hall J, Mostowy S, Aldridge PD, Errington J. Nature Communications 2019 Sep 26;10(1):4379. doi: 10.1038/s41467-019-12359-3.
Lysozyme Counteracts β-Lactam Antibiotics by Promoting the Emergence of L-Form Bacteria.
Kawai Y, Mickiewicz K, Errington J. Cell. 2018 Feb 22;172(5):1038-1049.e10. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2018.01.021
The opportunity ID for this research opportunity is 3163