Fighting resistant bacteria: factor EF-P

Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry in Göttingen have identified a potential new target to fight bacteria: the factor EF-P (elongation factor P). EF-P plays an important role in the production of proteins that are essential for the virulence of EHEC or salmonellae. The researchers' findings suggest that drugs blocking EF-P would impair the fitness of pathogenic bacteria and might lead to a new generation of specific antibiotics that can combat infections caused by drug-resistant pathogens.

For details, refer to the following paper:

L. K. Doerfel, I. Wohlgemuth, C. Kothe, F. Peske, H. Urlaub, M. V. Rodnina. EF-P Is Essential for Rapid Synthesis of Proteins Containing Consecutive Proline Residues. Science, 2012

Posted by Tim Sandle