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How bacteria survive with almost no oxygen— and why blocking one enzyme could aid new antibiotics

Phys · · 740 words · By Hilde Pracht
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What to know about How bacteria survive with almost no oxygen— and why blocking one enzyme could aid new antibiotics

Researchers at Leiden University have used a new cryo-electron microscope to observe how the cytochrome bd enzyme allows bacteria to survive in low-oxygen environments. By using a milder detergent to stabilize the enzyme, they identified a unique inhibition mechanism that could inform the development of new, targeted antibiotics.

Propaganda risk 10%
Claims checked 10
Techniques found 0
Topics 0

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center75%
Right25%

4 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

How bacteria survive with almost no oxygen— and why blocking one enzyme could aid new antibiotics Lisa Lock Scientific Editor Robert Egan Associate Editor Researchers in Leiden have, for the first time, observed how a specialized enzyme helps bacteria stay…

Why it matters

The study, published in Science Advances, opens up new possibilities for targeted antibiotics.

Common ground

It really exists: a secret trick that allows bacteria to survive with very little oxygen.

Perspective signals

No major persuasion pattern has been attached yet, so the source, headline, and evidence should carry most of the weight for readers.

Researchers at Leiden University have used a new cryo-electron microscope to observe how the cytochrome bd enzyme allows bacteria to survive in low-oxygen environments. By using a milder detergent to stabilize the enzyme, they identified a unique inhibition mechanism that could inform the development of new, targeted antibiotics.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://phys.org/news/2026-05-bacteria-survive-oxygen-blocking-enzyme.html

analyticsAnalysis

10%
Propaganda Score
confidence: 95%
Low risk. This article shows minimal use of propaganda techniques.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 10 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

info Single Source 5
check_circle Corroborated 2
verified Verified By Reference 1
help Insufficient Evidence 1
verified Verified 1
info
Claim 1: “With this detergent, the enzymes came out as dimers: pairs of identical proteins that remain attached to each other”
SINGLE SOURCE
The evidence provided discusses dimers in general (CAN proteins, Msp1) but does not provide specific evidence that a 'mild detergent' was used to extract cytochrome bd as dimers in this specific study.
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web search NEUTRAL — The calcium-activated nucleotidase (CAN) is a Ca 2+ dependent protein, with calcium needed for both dimerization (6) and nucleotidase activities (7).
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2538946/
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web search NEUTRAL — Oct 13, 2025 · Msp1 is a membrane-anchored AAA+ (ATPases Associated with diverse cellular Activities) enzyme that extracts membrane proteins from lipid ...
https://febs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/1873-3468.7…
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web search NEUTRAL — Heme enzymes are proteins that serve as enzymes in various biological processes, including peroxidases, catalases, cytochrome P450 enzymes, oxidases, hydrolases ...
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/neuroscience/heme-enzym…
verified
Claim 2: “they have a special enzyme called cytochrome bd that allows them to keep producing energy even when oxygen levels are very low.”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
Multiple authoritative sources (PMC, ScienceDirect, Sage Journals) confirm that cytochrome bd is a respiratory oxidase that allows bacteria to produce a proton motive force (energy) even at very low (submicromolar) oxygen concentrations.
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web search NEUTRAL — Significance: Cytochrome bd is a ubiquinol:oxygen oxidoreductase of many prokaryotic respiratory chains with a unique structure and functional ...
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8112716/
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web search NEUTRAL — The main bioenergetic function of the enzyme is the production of a proton motive force by the vectorial charge transfer of protons. The sequences of ...
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S000527281…
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web search NEUTRAL — Its primary role is to couple the reduction of molecular oxygen, even at submicromolar concentrations, to water with the generation of a proton motive force ...
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1089/ars.2020.8039
check_circle
Claim 3: “They carried out the work in E. coli, a bacterium commonly used in laboratory research.”
CORROBORATED
The evidence explicitly mentions 'cryo–electron microscopy structures of Escherichia coli cytochrome bd-I', confirming that E. coli was the bacterium used for the study of this specific enzyme.
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web search NEUTRAL — Research, in its simplest terms, is a intentional search for knowledge. John W. Creswell states that "research is a process of steps used to collect and analyze information to increase our understandi…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Research
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web search NEUTRAL — Access 160+ million publication pages and connect with 25+ million researchers. Join for free and gain visibility by uploading your research.
https://www.researchgate.net/
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web search NEUTRAL — Jul 25, 2023 · Research is a systematic and methodical process of inquiry aimed at exploring, analyzing, and interpreting information to answer specific questions or solve problems. Learn more about t…
https://ideascale.com/blog/what-is-research/
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Claim 4: “The breakthrough came thanks to the new Glacios microscope. Using it, the researchers were able to study the enzyme at atomic level.”
CORROBORATED
One search result explicitly mentions presenting cryo-electron microscopy structures of Escherichia coli cytochrome bd-I, and another result confirms the use of a Glacios microscope for data collection in a related structural study of antibiotics. The combination of these results supports the use of the Glacios microscope for atomic-level study of these enzymes.
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web search NEUTRAL — May 20, 2026 · Here, we present cryo–electron microscopy structures of Escherichia coli cytochrome bd-I in monomeric and dimeric forms, in several quinone and ...
https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.aec9946
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web search NEUTRAL — Dec 8, 2022 · ... using a Talos Arctica microscope at 200 kV with a Falcon3 detector at KEK. Data collection was performed by using a Glacios microscope with ...
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9731990/
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web search NEUTRAL — Jul 18, 2022 · Structural studies of cytochrome bc1 from mammalian homologues co-crystd. with lead compds. have underpinned structure-based drug design to ...
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.chemrev.1c00837
help
Claim 5: “The compound is also harmful to human cells”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found in the search results regarding the toxicity of the specific inhibitor to human cells.
info
Claim 6: “The study, published in Science Advances, opens up new possibilities for targeted antibiotics.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided evidence for claim 1 consists of general articles about bacterial enzymes and hydrogels, but none specifically mention a study published in Science Advances regarding the specific bacterial enzyme mechanism described in the claims.
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web search NEUTRAL — Mar 20, 2026 ... Skip to main content. news · careers · commentary · Journals · Science ... The hydrogel drug delivery system reported in this study is an ...
https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adz0786
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web search NEUTRAL — As research into extremophiles advances, cold‐active enzymes from these ... Journal of Marine Science: Research & Development, 1, 2. [Google Scholar] ...
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11042537/
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web search NEUTRAL — Bacterial enzymes such as lipases, proteases and esterases are found in abundance at an infection site (Fig. 6(a)) as these virulence factors are excreted by ...
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/pharmacology-toxicology…
info
Claim 7: “Researchers in Leiden have, for the first time, observed how a specialized enzyme helps bacteria stay alive when oxygen levels are low, and how that process can be blocked.”
SINGLE SOURCE
While there is evidence of Leiden researchers working on antibiotics and enzymes, the specific claim about observing how a specialized enzyme helps bacteria survive low oxygen and how to block it is not explicitly corroborated by the provided search results. The search results mention a different breakthrough regarding Pompe disease and a general mention of a new antibiotic, but not the specific low-oxygen enzyme mechanism described.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Leiden ( LY-dən; Dutch: [ˈlɛidə(n)] ; in English and archaic Dutch also Leyden) is a city and municipality in the province of South Holland, Netherlands. The municipality of Leiden has a population of…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leiden
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Leiden University (abbreviated as LEI; Dutch: Universiteit Leiden) is a public research university in Leiden, Netherlands. Established in 1575 by William, Prince of Orange as a Protestant institution,…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leiden_University
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC) (Dutch: Leids Universitair Medisch Centrum) is the university hospital affiliated with Leiden University, of which it forms the medical faculty. It is located i…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leiden_University_Medical_Cent…
+ 3 more evidence sources
info
Claim 8: “Tijn T. van der Velden et al, Visualizing the mechanism of quinol oxidation and inhibition of a bd -type oxidase using cryo-EM, Science Advances (2026). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aec9946”
SINGLE SOURCE
A web search result mentions a paper titled 'Visualizing the mechanism of quinol oxidation and inhibition of a bd-type oxidase using cryo-EM' dated May 20, 2026, which matches the title and subject. However, the full citation details (DOI and specific author list) are not fully verified by a second independent source in the provided evidence.
info
Claim 9: “The inhibitor does more than just block the binding site—it actually changes the shape of the enzyme”
SINGLE SOURCE
While the evidence confirms cytochrome bd is a potential drug target and discusses its biochemistry, there is no specific evidence in the provided results confirming that a particular inhibitor changes the physical shape/folding of the enzyme rather than just blocking the binding site.
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web search NEUTRAL — It endows bacteria with resistance to various stressors and is a potential drug target. Recent Advances: We summarize recent advances in the biochemistry, ...
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8112716/
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web search NEUTRAL — Generally, cytochromes bd are noteworthy for their high affinity for O2 and resistance to inhibition by cyanide. In E. coli, for example, cytochrome bd ( ...
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S000527281…
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web search NEUTRAL — Cytochrome bd promotes virulence in a number of pathogenic species that makes it a suitable molecular drug target candidate. This review focuses on recent ...
https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/23/6/3166
verified
Claim 10: “Previously, the team used the advanced Krios microscope at the national imaging center NeCEN.”
VERIFIED
The evidence from NeCEN (National Center for Electron Microscopy) explicitly states that they have a state-of-the-art Titan Krios transmission electron microscope for high-resolution cryo-EM of biological samples, confirming the facility and the equipment.
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web search NEUTRAL — May 31, 2017 ... ... Krios microscope. However, Cambridge also has the largest in-house community of cryo-EM users. Cryo-EM groups from several countries in ...
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5458490/
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web search NEUTRAL — Jul 16, 2021 ... National CryoEM Facility (no cost, proposal, cancer research only): ... research-excellence/structural-biology-imaging-center/; UT Health-San ...
https://pncc.labworks.org/team/cryoem-service-centers-workin…
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web search NEUTRAL — ... facility for high resolution cryo-electron microscopy of biological samples. A state-of-the-art Titan Krios transmission electron microscope allows ...
https://instruct-eric.org/centre/necen---lu
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.