Investigation of the role of the redox changes in antibiotic-resistant E. coli as one of the antibacterial action mechanisms of plant origin metabolites

The rise of antibiotic resistance poses a significant threat to public health, necessitating novel strategies for antimicrobial drug development. Some plants extracts and essential oils exhibit potent antibacterial activity against antibiotic-resistant Escherichia coli strains. This proposal aims to investigate the mechanisms underlying this activity, focusing on its impact on bacterial oxidative stress response and some enzymes’ activity. Additionally, the study will explore the potential of plant extracts and essential oils to modulate intracellular redox states and protein expression using genetically encoded redox probes based on redox-sensitive green fluorescent protein 2 (roGFP2), also utilizing techniques such as Western Blotting and reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Mutant strains deficient in key oxidative stress genes will be employed to assess vulnerability to these natural compounds.