Role of Enzymatic Activity in the Biological Cost Associated with the Production of AmpC Β-Lactamases in Pseudomonas Aeruginosa.

The growing antibiotic resistance of the top nosocomial pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa pushes research to explore new therapeutic strategies, for which the resistance-versus-virulence balance is a promising source of targets. While resistance often entails significant biological costs, little is known about the bases of the virulence attenuations associated with a resistance mechanism as extraordinarily relevant as β-lactamase production.