FIGURE 7.

Functional model depicting the metabolic status of SCF and NCF cells that promote higher resister generation frequency and enhanced resister generation from the population. Higher expression of NADH oxidase resulting in high superoxide levels, which gets dismutated to generate H₂O₂. The superoxide and H₂O₂ levels result in the higher extent of Fe²⁺ leaching, which along with H₂O₂ undergo Fenton reaction to generate hydroxyl radical. Higher ROS levels eventually inflict higher rate of mutation and thereby increase resister generation from SCF cells. The NCF cells display lesser extent of such processes and thereby lesser resister generation.