Rapid evolution of culture-impaired bacteria during adaptation to biofilm growth.

ABSTRACT: Biofilm growth increases the fitness of bacteria in harsh conditions. However, bacteria from clinical and environmental biofilms can exhibit impaired growth in culture, even when the species involved are readily culturable and permissive conditions are used. Here, we show that culture-impaired variants of Pseudomonas aeruginosa arise rapidly and become abundant in laboratory biofilms. The culture-impaired phenotype is caused by mutations that alter the outer-membrane lipopolysaccharide structure. Within biofilms, the lipopolysaccharide mutations markedly increase bacterial fitness. However, outside the protected biofilm environment, the mutations sensitize the variants to killing by a self-produced antimicrobial agent. Thus, a biofilm-mediated adaptation produces a stark fitness trade-off

SUBMITTER: Penterman J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3941072 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature