Increased vancomycin susceptibility in mycobacteria: a new approach to identify synergistic activity against multi-drug resistant mycobacteria.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis is wrapped in complex waxes, impermeable to most antibiotics. Comparing M. bovis BCG and M. tuberculosis mutants, lacking phthiocerol dimycocerosates (PDIM) and/or phenolic glycolipids, with wild-type strains, we observed that glycopeptides strongly inhibited PDIM deprived mycobacteria. Vancomycin together with a drug targeting lipids synthesis inhibited multidrug-resistant (MDR) and extensively-drug resistant (XDR) clinical isolates. Our study puts glycopeptides in the pipeline of potential anti-TB agents and might provide a new antimycobacterial drug-screening strategy.SCOPUS: ar.j