Thu Jul 24 05:50:29 UTC 2025: Here’s a summary of the text and a news article written based on it:
**Summary:**
A team of scientists at CSIR-CCMB in Hyderabad, led by Dr. Manjula Reddy, has discovered that bacteria sometimes make errors during cell wall construction, substituting glycine for L-alanine. This weakens the cell wall and increases vulnerability to antibiotics. The team identified a bacterial enzyme, PgeF, responsible for maintaining cell wall composition. Interestingly, a similar human enzyme, LACC1, linked to autoinflammatory diseases, may play a role in the body’s response to bacterial infections. This research could lead to the development of new antibiotics targeting these cell wall vulnerabilities.
**News Article:**
**Hyderabad Scientists Discover Bacterial Cell Wall Weakness, Potentially Paving Way for New Antibiotics**
**HYDERABAD, July 24, 2025** – Researchers at the CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) in Hyderabad have made a significant breakthrough in understanding bacterial cell wall development, potentially opening new avenues for antibiotic development.
Led by Dr. Manjula Reddy, the team discovered that bacteria sometimes make mistakes during the construction of their cell walls – a crucial protective barrier made of peptidoglycan, a substance unique to bacteria. These errors involve the incorrect incorporation of the amino acid glycine instead of the intended L-alanine. This substitution weakens the cell wall, leaving the bacteria more susceptible to existing antibiotics.
The findings, published today in the prestigious journal *PNAS*, detail the identification of a specific bacterial enzyme, PgeF (Peptidoglycan Editing Factor), responsible for maintaining the correct composition of the cell wall. Using a combination of genetics and high-resolution mass spectrometry, the researchers, including first author Shambhavi Garde, were able to pinpoint the enzyme’s role.
“By studying how bacteria make errors and attempt to correct these errors in cell wall synthesis, we can design new ways of blocking bacterial growth,” the researchers stated in a press release.
Intriguingly, a similar enzyme, LACC1, exists in humans and has been linked to autoinflammatory diseases. While the exact function of LACC1 is not fully understood, this research suggests it may be involved in the human body’s response to bacterial infections.
The discovery offers a promising new target for antibiotic development, particularly at a time when antibiotic resistance is a growing global health concern. By focusing on these vulnerabilities in cell wall synthesis, scientists may be able to develop new drugs that effectively combat bacterial infections.
First Piper 