Enhanced antibiotic resistance development from fluoroquinolone persisters after a single exposure to antibiotic.

ABSTRACT: Bacterial persisters are able to tolerate high levels of antibiotics and give rise to new populations. Persister tolerance is generally attributed to minimally active cellular processes that prevent antibiotic-induced damage, which has led to the supposition that persister offspring give rise to antibiotic-resistant mutants at comparable rates to normal cells. Using time-lapse microscopy to monitor Escherichia coli populations following ofloxacin treatment, we find that persisters filament extensively and induce impressive SOS responses before returning to a normal appearance. Further, populations derived from fluoroquinolone persisters contain significantly greater quantities of antibiotic-resistant mutants than those from untreated controls. We confirm that resistance is heritable and th

SUBMITTER: Barrett TC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6414640 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature