{"database":"biostudies-literature","file_versions":[],"scores":null,"additional":{"omics_type":["Unknown"],"volume":["13(1)"],"submitter":["Boyd-Vorsah S"],"pubmed_abstract":["<h4>Background and objectives</h4>Copper is an essential micronutrient and a widely used antimicrobial, yet its widespread application may accelerate microbial resistance. We investigated how long-term copper (II) sulfate (CuSO₄) exposure drives genetic and phenotypic changes in <i>Escherichia coli</i>, focusing on survival, resistance mechanisms, and antibiotic cross-resistance.<h4>Methodology</h4>Fifty <i>E. coli</i> populations were evolved for 55 days under progressively increasing CuSO₄ concentrations. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) identified genetic adaptations, while phenotypic changes were assessed using minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and fitness assays across CuSO₄ and antibiotic gradients.<h4>Results</h4>CuSO₄ imposed strong selective pressure, with only 16% of populations surviving prolonged exposure. Survivors exhibited up to eight-fold increases in CuSO₄ resistance, though some reverted to ancestral resistance levels when selective pressure was removed. Fitness assays showed that CuSO₄-selected populations maintained significantly higher fitness in high CuSO₄ environments than controls and ancestors (<i>P</i> < .001). WGS revealed diverse mutations in stress-response and metal-tolerance genes (<i>cusA</i>, <i>acrB</i>, <i>corA</i>, <i>fur</i>, and <i>ybhA</i>) without a single resistance signature. Although antibiotic cross-resistance was not observed, some CuSO₄-selected populations displayed elevated MICs for levofloxacin, colistin, trimethoprim, fosfomycin, and meropenem. Similar trends in controls suggest that additional factors, such as adaptation to laboratory media, also contribute to resistance.<h4>Conclusions and implications</h4>CuSO₄ exerts strong and variable selective pressure on <i>E. coli</i> populations, promoting diverse resistance pathways through distinct genetic and physiological mechanisms. While some CuSO₄-selected strains exhibited increased antibiotic resistance, trends in controls highlight the complexity of resistance evolution. These findings emphasize the need to monitor copper-driven antimicrobial resistance."],"journal":["Evolution, medicine, and public health"],"pagination":["176-187"],"full_dataset_link":["https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC12409786"],"repository":["biostudies-literature"],"pubmed_title":["Survival, resistance, and fitness dynamics of &lt;i&gt;Escherichia coli&lt;/i&gt; populations after prolonged exposure to copper."],"pmcid":["PMC12409786"],"pubmed_authors":["Bui B","Yeh PJ","Torres Ortiz A","Boyd-Vorsah S","Pulido S"],"additional_accession":[]},"is_claimable":false,"name":"Survival, resistance, and fitness dynamics of &lt;i&gt;Escherichia coli&lt;/i&gt; populations after prolonged exposure to copper.","description":"<h4>Background and objectives</h4>Copper is an essential micronutrient and a widely used antimicrobial, yet its widespread application may accelerate microbial resistance. We investigated how long-term copper (II) sulfate (CuSO₄) exposure drives genetic and phenotypic changes in <i>Escherichia coli</i>, focusing on survival, resistance mechanisms, and antibiotic cross-resistance.<h4>Methodology</h4>Fifty <i>E. coli</i> populations were evolved for 55 days under progressively increasing CuSO₄ concentrations. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) identified genetic adaptations, while phenotypic changes were assessed using minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and fitness assays across CuSO₄ and antibiotic gradients.<h4>Results</h4>CuSO₄ imposed strong selective pressure, with only 16% of populations surviving prolonged exposure. Survivors exhibited up to eight-fold increases in CuSO₄ resistance, though some reverted to ancestral resistance levels when selective pressure was removed. Fitness assays showed that CuSO₄-selected populations maintained significantly higher fitness in high CuSO₄ environments than controls and ancestors (<i>P</i> < .001). WGS revealed diverse mutations in stress-response and metal-tolerance genes (<i>cusA</i>, <i>acrB</i>, <i>corA</i>, <i>fur</i>, and <i>ybhA</i>) without a single resistance signature. Although antibiotic cross-resistance was not observed, some CuSO₄-selected populations displayed elevated MICs for levofloxacin, colistin, trimethoprim, fosfomycin, and meropenem. Similar trends in controls suggest that additional factors, such as adaptation to laboratory media, also contribute to resistance.<h4>Conclusions and implications</h4>CuSO₄ exerts strong and variable selective pressure on <i>E. coli</i> populations, promoting diverse resistance pathways through distinct genetic and physiological mechanisms. While some CuSO₄-selected strains exhibited increased antibiotic resistance, trends in controls highlight the complexity of resistance evolution. These findings emphasize the need to monitor copper-driven antimicrobial resistance.","dates":{"release":"2025-01-01T00:00:00Z","publication":"2025","modification":"2026-06-03T02:53:42.404Z","creation":"2026-04-23T03:12:59.516Z"},"accession":"S-EPMC12409786","cross_references":{"pubmed":["40917634"],"doi":["10.1093/emph/eoaf015"]}}