Pathogen to commensal? Longitudinal within-host population dynamics, evolution, and adaptation during a chronic >16-year Burkholderia pseudomallei infection.

ABSTRACT: Although acute melioidosis is the most common outcome of Burkholderia pseudomallei infection, we have documented a case, P314, where disease severity lessened with time, and the pathogen evolved towards a commensal relationship with the host. In the current study, we used whole-genome sequencing to monitor this long-term symbiotic relationship to better understand B. pseudomallei persistence in P314's sputum despite intensive initial therapeutic regimens. We collected and sequenced 118 B. pseudomallei isolates from P314's airways over a >16-year period, and also sampled the patient's home environment, recovering six closely related B. pseudomallei isolates from the household water system. Using comparative genomics, we identified 126 SNPs in the core genome of the 124 isolates or 162 SNPs/

SUBMITTER: Pearson T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7077878 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature