Contact-dependent growth inhibition induces high levels of antibiotic-tolerant persister cells in clonal bacterial populations.

ABSTRACT: Bacterial populations can use bet-hedging strategies to cope with rapidly changing environments. One example is non-growing cells in clonal bacterial populations that are able to persist antibiotic treatment. Previous studies suggest that persisters arise in bacterial populations either stochastically through variation in levels of global signalling molecules between individual cells, or in response to various stresses. Here, we show that toxins used in contact-dependent growth inhibition (CDI) create persisters upon direct contact with cells lacking sufficient levels of CdiI immunity protein, which would otherwise bind to and neutralize toxin activity. CDI-mediated persisters form through a feedforward cycle where the toxic activity of the CdiA toxin increases cellular (p)ppGpp levels, wh

SUBMITTER: Ghosh A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5920241 | biostudies-literature | 2018 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature