Persistent bacterial infections, antibiotic tolerance, and the oxidative stress response

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 12, 2026

Time-Lapse Epifluorescence Microscopy Imaging of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus Heterogeneous Phenotypes
07:44

Time-Lapse Epifluorescence Microscopy Imaging of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus Heterogeneous Phenotypes

Published on: February 14, 2025

Sarah Schmidt Grant1, Deborah T Hung

  • 1Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA USA. sgrant@broadinstitute.org

Virulence
|April 9, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Persistent bacterial infections pose significant health risks and are hard to treat. This review highlights how bacteria develop resistance to antibiotics by increasing protection against oxidative stress.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Immunology
  • Pathogenesis

Background:

  • Certain bacterial pathogens evade host immune responses, leading to persistent infections.
  • Persistent infections increase morbidity, mortality, and disease dissemination.
  • Eradicating persistent infections is challenging, often requiring prolonged antibiotic treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the clinical significance of persistent bacterial infections.
  • To discuss in vitro models for studying bacterial physiology during persistence.
  • To focus on increased oxidative stress protection as a key factor in persistent infections.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of persistent bacterial infections.
  • Analysis of in vitro models used to study bacterial physiology.
  • Focus on recent research identifying mechanisms of antibiotic resistance.

Main Results:

  • Persistent bacterial infections are characterized by subpopulations refractory to antibiotics.
  • Altered bacterial physiology, including non-replication or metabolic changes, contributes to persistence.
  • Increased protection against oxidative stress is a common feature across various pathogens and in vitro models.

Conclusions:

  • Persistent bacterial infections represent a significant clinical challenge.
  • Understanding the altered physiology of persistent bacteria is crucial for developing new treatments.
  • Enhanced oxidative stress resistance is a key survival mechanism for persistent bacterial pathogens.
Keywords:
antibiotic tolerancebiofilmsoxidative stresspersistent bacterial infectionspersisterssmall colony variants

More Related Videos

High-throughput Screening of Chemical Compounds to Elucidate Their Effects on Bacterial Persistence07:25

High-throughput Screening of Chemical Compounds to Elucidate Their Effects on Bacterial Persistence

Published on: February 23, 2021

Stress-induced Antibiotic Susceptibility Testing on a Chip12:41

Stress-induced Antibiotic Susceptibility Testing on a Chip

Published on: January 8, 2014

Related Concept Videos

Development of Antibiotic Resistance01:30

Development of Antibiotic Resistance

Antibiotic resistance is a major public health concern that arises when bacteria evolve mechanisms to withstand the effects of antibiotic treatments. This resistance can be intrinsic, acquired through genetic mutations, or transferred between bacteria via horizontal gene transfer. The development of antibiotic resistance poses significant challenges in treating bacterial infections and necessitates ongoing research to develop new therapeutic strategies.Intrinsic resistance occurs when bacterial...
Clinical Significance of Antibiotic Resistance01:25

Clinical Significance of Antibiotic Resistance

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) presents a critical public health threat, arising from its capacity to resist β-lactam antibiotics due to acquisition of the mecA gene within the staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec). This gene encodes penicillin-binding protein 2a (PBP2a), which impairs binding efficacy of methicillin and other β-lactams. MRSA has evolved into distinct clonal lineages impacting humans and animals alike, reinforcing its significance within the One...
Defense Against Bacterial Pathogens01:31

Defense Against Bacterial Pathogens

The human immune system is a complex network of cells, tissues, and organs that work together to defend the body against bacterial infections. It consists of various immune cells, each playing a specific role in the defense mechanism.
Phagocytes
Phagocytes are the frontline soldiers of the immune system. They include neutrophils and macrophages. Neutrophils are the most abundant type of white blood cell and are quickly mobilized to the site of infection. Macrophages are larger cells that patrol...
Antibiotic Selection00:57

Antibiotic Selection

Overview
Oxygen Requirements and Growth Patterns01:29

Oxygen Requirements and Growth Patterns

Microorganisms exhibit diverse oxygen requirements and growth patterns driven by their metabolic strategies and environmental adaptations. Oxygen, while essential for many organisms, can also be toxic under certain conditions, shaping how microorganisms grow and survive.Oxygen Requirements of MicroorganismsMicroorganisms are classified based on their ability to use or tolerate oxygen:● Obligate aerobes like Mycobacterium tuberculosis need oxygen for energy production, as it serves as the...
Mechanism of Antibiotic Resistance in MRSA01:25

Mechanism of Antibiotic Resistance in MRSA

Antibiotic resistance in bacteria arises when microorganisms evolve the ability to withstand drugs designed to kill them or inhibit their growth, rendering once-effective treatments useless. This phenomenon, driven by genetic change and selection under antibiotic exposure, poses a profound threat to modern medicine. Mechanisms include drug-inactivating enzymes (e.g., β-lactamases), efflux pumps that eject antibiotics, mutations altering antibiotic targets, decreased drug uptake, and acquisition...