Heterogeneity in populations of enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli undergoing D-serine adaptation.
Curr Genet
; 67(2): 221-224, 2021 Apr.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-33219834
ABSTRACT
Phenotypic and genetic heterogeneities are conserved features of prokaryotic populations. During periods of stress, this programmed diversity increases the likelihood that variants within the population will survive the adverse conditions, allowing for proliferation. Phenotypic heterogeneity can have a mutational or indeed a non-mutational basis as observed in bet-hedging strategies adopted by antibiotic-tolerant persister cells. Genetic variants can arise by phase variation (slip-strand mispairing, promoter inversions etc.), nucleotide polymorphisms resulting from replication errors or larger rearrangements such as deletions and insertions. In the face of selective pressures, these alterations may be neutral, beneficial or deleterious.We recently described the genetic basis of tolerance to a normally toxic metabolite, D-serine (D-ser) in enterohaemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC). Here we summarize our work in the context of population dynamics, provide further discussion on the distinction between these tolerance mechanisms and the importance of heterogeneity for maximising adaptive potential.
Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Serina
/
Heterogeneidade Genética
/
Infecções por Escherichia coli
/
Escherichia coli Êntero-Hemorrágica
Limite:
Humans
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2021
Tipo de documento:
Article