CreC Sensor Kinase Activation Enhances Growth of Escherichia coli in the Presence of Cephalosporins and Carbapenems.

Abstract

Mutants with enhanced growth in the presence of antibiotics but where the antibiotics minimum inhibitory concentration does not change, are difficult to identify in mixed populations because they are not amenable to selection. Here we report that activatory mutations in the CreC signal sensor enhance growth of Escherichia coli in the presence of cefoxitin, cefotaxime and meropenem without increasing their minimum inhibitory concentrations. Enhanced growth is dependent on overproduction of the inner-membrane cre-regulon protein CreD.