Membrane-Active Rhamnolipids Overcome Aminoglycoside Resistance

In this issue of Cell Chemical Biology, Radlinski et al. (2019) identify Pseudomonas-derived rhamnolipids that potentiate aminoglycoside antibiotics in the eradication of antibiotic-tolerant bacterial phenotypes. Microbial physiological and mechanistic studies indicate that rhamnolipids permeabilize S. aureus membrane and drive the uptake of aminoglycosides that is independent of proton-motive force.