CHANGES IN OUTER-MEMBRANE PROTEIN PROFILES OF BACTERIA AFTER MEROPENEM-INDUCED POSTANTIBIOTIC EFFECT STUDIED BY CAPILLARY-ELECTROPHORESIS

Persistent inhibition of bacterial growth, called postantibiotic effec t (PAE), after a short exposure to a new carbapenem, meropenem, was de termined in different strains of the Enterobacteriaceae family. Capill ary electrophoresis (CE), as well as sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacryla mide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) were used to study the outer membr ane protein (OMP) profiles before and after meropenem treatment. CE pr oved to be suitable for the characterization of the OMP profiles of ba cteria. Significant changes in the electrophoretic patterns were obser ved, showing the consequential effect of meropenem on bacteria.