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Updated: Jan 31, 2026

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

Published on: February 23, 2021

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A switch in the poly(dC)/RmlB complex regulates bacterial persister formation

Xu Chen1, Gen Li1, Xuewei Liao2

  • 1Soil Ecology Lab, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China.

Nature Communications
|January 4, 2019
PubMed

Insights

Bacterial persister cells, crucial for chronic infections, are linked to a novel poly(dC)/RmlB complex in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Environmental triggers alter this complex, inducing dormancy by reducing cellular energy and impacting antibiotic tolerance.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Bacterial Pathogenesis
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Bacterial persisters are dormant cells that survive antibiotic treatment, contributing to persistent and recurrent infections.
  • Understanding the molecular mechanisms of persister formation is critical for developing new therapeutic strategies against challenging infections.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of a novel extracellular poly(dC) and membrane-associated RmlB protein complex in Pseudomonas aeruginosa persistence.
  • To elucidate the signaling pathways and cellular changes associated with this complex's role in bacterial dormancy and antibiotic tolerance.

Main Methods:

  • Characterization of the poly(dC)/RmlB complex and its environmental state switching in Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
  • Analysis of cellular physiological changes, including proton motive force and ATP levels, upon complex state alteration.
  • Investigation of the involvement of (p)ppGpp signaling, inorganic polyphosphate, Lon protease, exonuclease VII, and type III secretion system.

Main Results:

  • A complex of extracellular poly(dC) and membrane-associated RmlB is identified and linked to Pseudomonas aeruginosa persistence.
  • Environmental stimuli induce a switch in the poly(dC)/RmlB complex, leading to decreased proton motive force and ATP levels, promoting cell dormancy.
  • This process is regulated by a (p)ppGpp-controlled pathway involving key cellular components and potentially serves as an adaptive response to dTDP-L-rhamnose pathway disruption.

Conclusions:

  • The poly(dC)/RmlB complex represents a novel mechanism contributing to bacterial persistence in Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
  • Modulation of this complex and its associated signaling pathway offers potential targets for combating chronic and antibiotic-resistant infections.

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