Molecular Mechanisms

**Chapter 1**

**Abstract**

Strategic Role Players of Important

Antimicrobial-Resistant Pathogens

Over the years, tireless efforts of the concerned scientists have produced various new therapeutics and methods for the treatment of bacterial infections. However, despite the vast regimen of modern antibiotics being corroborated, the diseases caused by the Gram-positive and -negative pathogens has become untreatable, mainly due to the constantly evolving threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), thereby leading to huge morbidity and mortality. Moreover, shortage of efficient therapies, lack of successful prevention strategies and availability of only a few effective antibiotics urgently necessitated the development of novel therapeutics and alternative antimicrobial treatments. These developments have been based on the molecular mechanisms of resistance posed by the pathogens during their interactions with the host. Herein, we collate four essential bacterial components like chaperones, efflux pumps, two-component systems and biofilms which can present challenges for the most coveted control of infection. Essentially, we discuss the current knowledge status of these components to provide insight into the complex regulation of virulence and resistance for some medically important multidrugresistant (MDR) pathogens. This will help the future scientists to clearly focus on some specific proteins to be targeted by against the available class of drugs and/or antibiotics with the broader perspective to develop novel antimicrobial agents.

*Shama Mujawar, Bahaa Abdella and Chandrajit Lahiri*

**Keywords:** antimicrobial resistance, biofilms, chaperones, efflux pumps,

Bacterial infections have been threatening human population since time immemorial. Being one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality (**Figure 1**), the latest global rise in antibiotic resistance threatens to undo decades of progress in treating such bacterial infectious diseases caused by the pathogens. In fact, multidrug resistance (MDR) conferred by Gram-positive and -negative bacteria is difficult to treat and may even be, untreatable with conventional antibiotics. The case has turned out to be so serious that many of these microorganisms are at least resistant to a single drug regimen while several are moving from developing MDR to extensively and total drug resistance, referred to as XDR and TDR, respectively. All the aforementioned classes of resistance, namely MDR, XDR and TDR, commonly referred to as antimicrobial resistance (AMR), has been conferred the main cause for the second leading global disease burden of bacterial infection in the twenty-first century, as reported by WHO [1]. Importantly, the development of

multidrug resistance, two-component systems

**1. Introduction**

**3**

#### **Chapter 1**
