eLife assessment
In this valuable work, Lodhiya et al. provide evidence that excessive ATP underlies the killing of the model organism Mycobacterium smegmatis by two mechanistically-distinct antibiotics. Clarification of the role(s) of reactive oxygen species and ADP, as well as discrepancies with existing literature, would strengthen the model proposed. The data are generally solid as the authors deploy multiple, orthogonal readouts and methods for manipulating reactive oxygen species and ATP. The work will be of interest to those studying antibiotic mechanisms of action.