Reader Comments

Post a new comment on this article

Referee comments: Referee 1

Posted by PLOS_ONE_Group on 25 Feb 2008 at 12:10 GMT

Referee 1's review:

This manuscript addresses an interesting novel subject, the intrinsic bacterial resistosome and links intrinsic resistance not only with known resistance mechanisms such as efflux and impermeability but also to a multitude of other functional gene categories. Fot their work the authors used a library of transposon-tagged P. aeruginosa mutants. The manuscript in essence is well written and I have only some minor remarks:

1. Abstract: The sentences "Mutants in some genes..." and also "Others are more resistant..." are difficult to understand unless the reader has read the full text. These sentences should be rewritten to be clearly understandable.
2. Introduction: 1. senctence. The statement that increasing life expectancy is largely attributable to effective antibiotics is definitely not true. There are other many factors that influence our life expectancy including above all nutritional factors and living conditions.
3. Introduction, 2nd para, first sentence. Intrinsic resistence is not confined to nosocomial pathogens. You are in fact dealing with an environmental organism.
4. Introduction, 4th para. The sentence ...P. aeruginosa is a freee living organism capable to colonize different environments may be rephrased to "P. aeruginosa is a freee living organism capable to thrive in different environments".
5. It appears that the in press publication from Martinez et al. is cited at a strikingly high frequency without giving access to this source.

**********
N.B. These are the comments made by the referee when reviewing an earlier version of this paper. Prior to publication the manuscript has been revised in light of these comments and to address other editorial requirements.

report a concern respond to this posting