Genome evolution drives transcriptomic and phenotypic adaptation in Pseudomonas aeruginosa during 20 years of infection.

ABSTRACT: The opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa chronically infects the lungs of patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). During infection the bacteria evolve and adapt to the lung environment. Here we use genomic, transcriptomic and phenotypic approaches to compare multiple isolates of P. aeruginosa collected more than 20 years apart during a chronic infection in a CF patient. Complete genome sequencing of the isolates, using short- and long-read technologies, showed that a genetic bottleneck occurred during infection and was followed by diversification of the bacteria. A 125 kb deletion, an 0.9 Mb inversion and hundreds of smaller mutations occurred during evolution of the bacteria in the lung, with an average rate of 17 mutations per year. Many of the mutated genes are associ

SUBMITTER: Wardell SJT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8743555 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature