Ciprofloxacin resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a major cause of nosocomial infections and the leading cause of chronic lung infections in cystic fibrosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients. Antibiotic treatment remains challenging because P. aeruginosa is resistant to high concentrations of antibiotics and, in addition, has a remarkable ability to acquire mutations conferring resistance to multiple groups of antimicrobial agents. The goals of this study were to study the mutagenic effects in P. aeruginosa of different oxidizing agents, including nitric oxide, hypochlorous acid, and hydrogen peroxide. Our results suggest that mutations in genes related to the stringent response, a stress activated pathway in bacteria, contribute to antibiotic resistance in P. aeruginosa. This finding has medical relevance towards improving patient response to antibiotic treatment.