Physiologic Stresses Reveal a Salmonella Persister State and TA Family Toxins Modulate Tolerance to These Stresses.

ABSTRACT: Bacterial persister cells are considered a basis for chronic infections and relapse caused by bacterial pathogens. Persisters are phenotypic variants characterized by low metabolic activity and slow or no replication. This low metabolic state increases pathogen tolerance to antibiotics and host immune defenses that target actively growing cells. In this study we demonstrate that within a population of Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium, a small percentage of bacteria are reversibly tolerant to specific stressors that mimic the macrophage host environment. Numerous studies show that Toxin-Antitoxin (TA) systems contribute to persister states, based on toxin inhibition of bacterial metabolism or growth. To identify toxins that may promote a persister state in response to host-associate

SUBMITTER: Silva-Herzog E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4669091 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature