BioSmart Fact File 275.5 orbitbiotech biosmartpeople Why Listeria bacterium is so hard to fight Researchers have found that Listeria bacterium is notoriously difficult to fight because it has an almost uncanny ability to adapt to changes in its surroundings. Antibiotics work by attacking the bacterial cell wall, and when exposed to antibiotics Listeria immediately detects that its cell wall is attacked. With RNA molecules, the bacteria can adjust the production of various proteins; it can downgrade the production of the protein LapB, which it uses to enter cells. If this production is not downgraded, the bacterium will potentially be detected and fought by the immune system. This enables it to quickly repair its cell wall and thus become ready for combat again.Listeria can be changed into harmless bacteria by removing the RNA molecules.
Posted on: Fri, 29 Aug 2014 12:34:44 +0000
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