Adaptation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis to Biofilm Growth Is Genetically Linked to Drug Tolerance.

ABSTRACT: Mycobacterium tuberculosis spontaneously grows at the air-medium interface, forming pellicle biofilms, which harbor more drug-tolerant persisters than planktonic cultures. The underlying basis for increased persisters in M. tuberculosis biofilms is unknown. Using a transposon sequencing (Tn-seq) approach, we show here that multiple genes that are necessary for fitness of M. tuberculosis cells within biofilms, but not in planktonic cultures, are also implicated in tolerance of bacilli to a diverse set of stressors and antibiotics. Thus, development of M. tuberculosis biofilms appears to be associated with an enrichment of population, in which challenging growth conditions within biofilm architecture select for cells that maintain intrinsic tolerance to exogenous

SUBMITTER: Richards JP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6811442 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature