Intercepting biological messages: Antibacterial molecules targeting nucleic acids during interbacterial conflicts

Abstract Bacteria live in polymicrobial communities and constantly compete for resources. These organisms have evolved an array of antibacterial weapons to inhibit the growth or kill competitors. The arsenal comprises antibiotics, bacteriocins, and contact-dependent effectors that are either secreted in the medium or directly translocated into target cells. During bacterial antagonistic encounters, several cellular components important for life become a weak spot prone to an attack. Nucleic acids and the machinery responsible for their synthesis are well conserved across the tree of life. These molecules are part of the information flow in the central dogma of molecular biology and mediate long- and short-term storage for genetic information. The aim of this review is to summarize the diversity of antibacterial molecules that target nucleic acids during antagonistic interbacterial encounters and discuss their potential to promote the emergence antibiotic resistance.

摘要：细菌栖息于多微生物群落中，持续争夺生存资源。这类微生物演化出了一系列抗菌武器，用于抑制竞争者的生长或杀灭对手。该抗菌武器库涵盖抗生素、细菌素，以及可分泌至培养基或直接转位至靶细胞内的接触依赖性效应因子。在细菌拮抗互作过程中，诸多对生命活动至关重要的细胞组分，会成为易受攻击的薄弱环节。核酸及其合成相关机制在整个生命之树中高度保守，这类分子是分子生物学中心法则信息流的组成部分，负责介导遗传信息的长期与短期储存。本综述旨在总结细菌间拮抗互作过程中靶向核酸的各类抗菌分子的多样性，并探讨其推动抗生素耐药性产生的潜在可能。