
146 ◾ A cceler ating Dis cover y
SOS PATHWAY FOR ESCHERICHIA COLI
Bacteria mutate very quickly, and this is how they develop immunity over
time to antibiotics. Recently, some research has pointed to the possibility that
one particular set of proteins, those in the SOS pathway, are most respon-
sible for this ability to develop drug resistance. is opens up a new path for
research to nd ways to prevent these proteins from performing this function
as well as they do in order to slow the evolution of drug-resistant bacteria.
How can we nd additional proteins potentially relevant to SOS pathway
function?
Hint: ink of the Escherichia coli pro ...