Identification and Characterization of Pleiotropic High-Persistence Mutations in the Beta Subunit of the Bacterial RNA Polymerase.

ABSTRACT: Mutations conferring resistance to bactericidal antibiotics reduce the average susceptibility of mutant populations. It is unknown, however, how those mutations affect the survival of individual bacteria. Since surviving bacteria can be a reservoir for recurring infections, it is important to know how survival rates may be affected by resistance mutations and by the choice of antibiotics. Here, we present evidence that (i) Escherichia coli mutants with 100 to 1,000 times increased frequency of survival in ciprofloxacin, an archetypal fluoroquinolone antibiotic, can be readily obtained in a stepwise selection; (ii) the high survival frequency is conferred by mutations in the switch region of the beta subunit of the RNA polymerase; (iii) the switch-region mutations are (p)ppGpp mimics, parti

SUBMITTER: Ostrer L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8522781 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature