• Published: January 14, 2026
• Proc Natl Acad Sci
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Research Summary:

Antibiotic failure is a major clinical problem that cannot always be explained by traditional resistance mechanisms. This study reveals that the host immune protein calprotectin, which is abundant at infection sites, can interfere with β-lactam antibiotics by sequestering zinc and inactivating bacterial autolysins that mediate cell lysis. This finding uncovers a mechanism of antibiotic tolerance that arises from the host response itself, rather than from the pathogen. Understanding how immune factors like calprotectin alter antibiotic activity opens the door to host-targeted strategies that enhance treatment outcomes. These findings suggest that local zinc availability during infection could be a critical, and previously underappreciated, determinant of β-lactam efficacy.

Authors: Amanda Z. Velez, Jana N. Radin, Emily N. Kennedy, Joshua B. Parsons, Heather M. Tong, Emma Jung, Emily Alam, Lauren C. Radlinski, Nikki J. Wagner, Vance G. Fowler Jr., Sarah E. Rowe, Thomas Kehl-Fie, Brian P. Conlon

• Published: January 30, 2026
• American Society for Microbiology
• Authors: Jerri M. Lankford, Willis E. Barr, Cole A. Anderson, Amitha A. Karuppiah, Keena S. Thomas, Ian J. Glomski, Wen-Chi Huang, Alison K. Criss, Aimee D. Potter
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Research Summary:

Metabolic adaptation to the host environment is central to bacterial pathogenesis, particularly for Neisseria gonorrhoeae(Gc), which lacks classical toxins or secretion systems. Infection elicits rapid neutrophil (PMN) influx and oxidative killing, yet Gc resists reactive oxygen species and replicates in PMNs by consuming PMN-derived lactate. Gc encodes four lactate dehydrogenases (LDHs), including two L‑LDHs, LldD and LutACB. While either enzyme supports L‑lactate use, both are required for maximal survival with human PMNs, indicating nonredundant functions. Importantly, LldD enhances oxidative stress resistance and is essential for murine colonization, whereas LutACB is dispensable, identifying LldD specifically as a key determinant of PMN survival and host colonization.