The Relation Between SOS Response and Antimicrobial Resistance in E.Coli

SOS is a bacterial stress response that aids the cell to overcomeDNA damage. The SOS response is triggered by the accumulation ofssDNA, when cells try to replicate damaged DNA, after UV irradiation,treatment with antibiotics (fluoroquinolones, β-lactams or mitomycin C)or any other DNA damaging chemical. The problem of antimicrobialresistance in bacterial pathogens has been fairly described as a growingglobal crisis which has an established link with SOS response. Severalcommonly used antibiotics induce the SOS response, potentiallyhastening genetic change and the evolution to resistance of pathogenicpopulations.In the current work, the SOS response inducibility in different E.coli isolates was studied by testing for some SOS parameters asfilamentous growth, RecA protein expression and prophageinducibility.The antimicrobial sensitivity of isolates for some commonlyused antibiotics and biocides were tested and resistance profiles weremade.The effect of SOS response on some of resistance developmentrelated processes in bacteria as mutation, transformation and geneticconjugal transfer was also studied trying to explore the link between SOSresponse and antimicrobial resistance.Results showed high resistance level to nine tested antibiotics:resistance to cefuroxime (66%) followed by tetracycline, ampicillin,rifampicin, gentamicin, ciprofloxacin, chloramphenicol and cefotaxime in