Bacteria are closed by protective cell walls made of a unique substance called peptidoglycan. This material is missing in other forms of life, including people, and therefore many antibiotics focus on it.
A team of scientists led by Manjula Reddy in CSIR-Centre for cellular and molecular biology (CCMB), Hyderabad, found that bacteria sometimes make mistakes in the construction of this wall. Instead of using the right amino acid L-alanine, they sometimes use structurally similar to glycine. This weakens the wall and makes bacteria more vulnerable to antibiotics.
These findings were published in the PNAS magazine.
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The bacterial cell wall is made of sugars and short chains of amino acids. Team Dr. Reddy found that bacteria had a special enzyme called PGEF (peptidoglycan editing factor) to maintain the composition of the cell using a combination of genetics and high -resolution weight spectrometry, according to the first author of the Shambhavi Garde study.
Interestingly, there are similar enzymes in humans. It is called LACC1, it has been associated with several auti -inflammation diseases – conditions in which the immune system is hyperactipped, Dr.Reddy said. Although the role of LACC1 is not fully understood, this study suggests that it could be involved in how the body reacts to bacterial infections.
“By studying such vulnerabilities in the synthesis of cell walls, new ways of blocking bacterial growth can be proposed,” the scientists said in a press release.
Published – July 24, 2025 11:20
