COLUMBUS, Ohio, Feb. 26 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists have identified the role of two proteins that contribute to disease-causing bacteria cells' versatility in resisting antibiotics.

Ohio State University researchers said their finding extends the understanding of how bacteria resist antibiotics and is a step toward development of drug therapies that could target bacterial resistance at its cellular source.

Bacteria cells resist antibiotics through the activities of two genetically distinct forms of what are called MprFs, or multiple peptide resistance factors.

The proteins the OSU scientists studied -- MprF1 and MprF2 -- were found to be key to allowing bacteria cells to change the electrical charge of their membrane, which is how the cells develop resistance to certain antimicrobial agents and how they adapt their membrane to new environmental conditions, the researchers said.

"Both of these proteins are potentially very good drug targets because, in theory, if you can target them and inhibit their action, you can make bacteria strains more susceptible to existing antibiotics," Associate Professor Michael Ibba said.

The findings by Ibba and postdoctoral researcher Herve Roy are described in the early online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.