Distinct Long- and Short-Term Adaptive Mechanisms in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Abstract

Extreme environments, such as those encountered during an infection process in the human host, make effective bacterial adaptation inevitable. While bacteria adapt individually by activating stress responses, long-term adaptation of bacterial communities to challenging conditions can be achieved via genetic fixation of favorable traits.

Challenges in using transcriptome data to study the c-di-GMP signaling network in Pseudomonas aeruginosa clinical isolates

“…Although our overall approach was not successful, our finding that high gene expression levels of the two cyclases, at least in the two strains analyzed in this study (CH3484 and M70564993) are not stable is interesting. These results fit well with a recent study published by us, where we show that elevated c-di-GMP levels in a clinical strain is gradually lost upon sub culturing (Koska et al 2022 ). Interestingly, the gradual decline in elevated c-di-GMP concentrations appeared to be independent of genetic adaptation, but was reminiscent of a memory response in which the switch to low c-di-GMP concentrations in the studied P. aeruginosa isolate was delayed when the bacteria were cultured under non c-di-GMP-inducing conditions (Kordes et al 2019 ).…”

Disinfectants and antiseptics: mechanisms of action and resistance

“…Emerging small colony variants (SCV) following antibiotic 89,90 or biocide exposure 91 is driven by mutations 92,93 . SCV are associated with several survival advantages, including intracellular persistence and reduced antimicrobial susceptibility, and are implicated in disease 94 .…”