US EditionFar-Red Light Triggers Protein that Disarms Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria
Far-red light activates a bacterial protein called DimA that suppresses biofilm formation and virulence in antibiotic-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa, reducing infection risks in patients.
- On January 20, 2026, a Nature Communications paper reported far-red light triggers the periplasmic microprotein DimA, initiating a cascade that suppresses biofilms and virulence in Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
- In 2019, Mukherjee's team discovered far-red light prevents biofilm formation by Pseudomonas aeruginosa and acts as a signal, with similar systems found in other pseudomonads.
- Using a luciferase reporter, the team observed that virulence promoters were not activated by far-red light, while mutant bacteria disrupting photosensing produced more virulence factors.
- The team intends to study DimA further, as Mukherjee said, "Now we have a positive regulator of the system, so you can imagine a situation where we could artificially overexpress this small protein and see if we can prevent biofilm formation."
- Mukherjee hypothesizes an hourglass model where photo-response fades with light and stops when it ceases, suggesting bacteria in soil and plant roots use light-activated genes to sense depth.
6 Articles
6 Articles
A light-induced microprotein triggers regulated intramembrane proteolysis to promote photo-sensing in a pathogenic bacterium - Nature Communications
Light, a ubiquitous environmental stimulus, shapes behavior and physiology across all domains of life. While photoreceptors are widespread in bacterial genomes, their functional roles and signal transduction mechanisms in non-photosynthetic bacteria remain understudied. Light represses biofilms and virulence factors through a bacteriophytochrome photoreceptor BphP and response regulator AlgB in the human pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Here, we…
Eurek Alert
The University of ChicagoNew study shows how light suppresses virulence in antibiotic-resistant pathogen
In a new study published recently in Nature Communications, scientists learned more about how a small protein triggers a photo-sensitive cascade that activates genes to suppress biofilms and virulence in Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
How light suppresses virulence in an antibiotic-resistant pathogen
Light is a universal stimulus that influences all living things. Cycles of light and dark help set the biological clocks for organisms ranging from single-celled bacteria to human beings. Some bacteria use photosynthesis to convert sunlight into energy just like plants, but other bacteria sense light for less well-known functions.
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 100% of the sources are Center
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
