The SOS response increases bacterial fitness, but not evolvability, under a sublethal dose of antibiotic.

ABSTRACT: Exposure to antibiotics induces the expression of mutagenic bacterial stress-response pathways, but the evolutionary benefits of these responses remain unclear. One possibility is that stress-response pathways provide a short-term advantage by protecting bacteria against the toxic effects of antibiotics. Second, it is possible that stress-induced mutagenesis provides a long-term advantage by accelerating the evolution of resistance. Here, we directly measure the contribution of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa SOS pathway to bacterial fitness and evolvability in the presence of sublethal doses of ciprofloxacin. Using short-term competition experiments, we demonstrate that the SOS pathway increases competitive fitness in the presence of ciprofloxacin. Continued exposure to ciprofloxacin results i

SUBMITTER: Torres-Barcelo C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4614765 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature