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Abstract
Bacteria can enter a protective state known as the stringent response when faced with unfavourable or stressful environmental conditions. This state is characteristically associated with decreased rates of protein synthesis and the up-regulation of amino acid biosynthesis pathways but it affects a wide range of other physiological processes and responses in the cell. Namely, previous studies have shown that cells undergoing stringent response become partially resistant to β -lactam antibiotics, but the mechanism of this resistance has not been characterized. This study aimed to investigate whether the observed antibiotic resistance may in fact involve bacterial β -lactamase production, the most widespread mechanism contributing to β -lactam resistance. We report that one β – lactamase inhibitor, clavulanic acid, was not helpful in reversing ampicillin resistance under stringent response. However, since clavulanic acid is not active against all types of bacterial β -lactamases, we cannot conclude with certainty whether or not these enzymes play a role in stringent response-induced ampicillin resistance.