A CSIC-led study finds that certain components of breast milk are linked to fewer antibiotic-resistance genes in babies’ gut microbiota.
A CSIC-led study finds that certain components of breast milk are linked to fewer antibiotic-resistance genes in babies’ gut microbiota.
What evolutionary advantage does preventing antibiotic resistance provide? Why would that be the goal?
I can’t believe that you actually asked this question…
Antibiotics were discovered just 98 years ago. Prior to that bacteria and fungi only used them against each other. So evolutionarily, what’s the point? To modify an outcome that’ll be experienced in thousands of years? That’s not how evolution works
Well, to ensure that nasty bacteria don’t get a foothold in your system I’d assume? Will it kill your own helpful bacteria? Yes, but they should be much more plentiful and able to repopulate.
I’m not an expert in this by any means, but that would make the most sense to me.
It’s not killing the bacteria, it’s modifying their antibiotic tolerance
You said preventing antibiotic resistance. If you’re preventing the bacteria from resisting the antibiotics then they would be dying. Unless I’m missing something in what you’re trying to say?
Antibiotic resistance is an innate property of bacteria based on their genes, the genes in the plasmid, and which are active. Regardless of if antibiotics are present or not. Antibiotic resistance broadly is the spread or proliferation of these genes either through offspring of resistant bacteria or through horizontal gene transfer (they can trade genes while living, and can even trade with dead bacteria)
Going back to the original question you asked as I understand it, and I am paraphrasing, “what is the purpose of more antibiotic-susceptible gut bacteria in infants?” I am guessing it’s a numbers game to allow our own gut bacteria to develop a stronger natural resistance in its environment to help them continue on without issue as we get older. Since every body is different, I assume there are many physiological differences that fuck with foreign invaders even if they’ve been in a similar environment elsewhere. That early susceptibility is to allow our specific variant to adapt to the drug with our own nuances that hopefully the invaders haven’t encountered.
I’m just guessing here. I’d have to ask an expert in this field what their theory is.
The interesting thing is increasing antibiotic resistance makes bacteria more susceptible to bacteriophage - viruses for bacteria. The inverse generally applies too, resistance to bacteriophage makes them vulnerable to antibiotics. Quite an interesting balance