Classification of antimicrobial mechanism of action using dynamic bacterial morphology imaging

Antimicrobial resistance is a major threat to human health. Basic knowledge of antimicrobial mechanism of action (MoA) is imperative for patient care and for identification of novel antimicrobials. However, the process of antimicrobial MoA identification is relatively laborious. Here, we developed a simple, quantitative time-lapse fluorescence imaging method, Dynamic Bacterial Morphology Imaging (DBMI), to facilitate this process. It uses a membrane dye and a nucleoid dye to track the morphological changes of single Bacillus subtilis cells in response to antimicrobials for up to 60 min. DBMI of bacterial cells facilitated assignment of the MoAs of 14 distinct, known antimicrobial compounds to the five main classes. We conclude that DBMI is a simple method, which facilitates rapid classification of the MoA of antimicrobials in functionally distinct classes.

Automated summary

Antimicrobial resistance poses a major threat to human health, and understanding the mechanism of action of antimicrobial drugs is crucial for patient care and the discovery of new antimicrobials. The DBMI method, utilizing fluorescence imaging, allows for rapid classification of the mechanism of action of antimicrobials.