Escherichia coli adaptation and response to exposure to heavy atmospheric pollution

90% of the world population is exposed to heavy atmospheric pollution. This is a major public health issue causing 7 million death each year. Air pollution comprises an array of pollutants such as particulate matters, ozone and carbon monoxide imposing a multifactorial stress on living cells. Here, Escherichia coli was used as model cell and adapted for 390 generations to atmospheric pollution to assess its long-term effects at the genetic, transcriptomic and physiological levels. Over this period, E. coli evolved to grow faster and acquired an adaptive mutation in rpoB, which encodes the RNA polymerase β subunit. Transcriptomic and biochemical characterization showed alteration of the cell membrane composition resulting in lesser permeability after the adaptation process. A second significant change in the cell wall structure of the adapted strain was the greater accumulation of the exopolysaccharides colanic acid and cellulose in the extracellular fraction. Results also indicated that amino acids homeostasis was involved in E. coli response to atmospheric pollutants. This study demonstrates that adaptive mutation with transformative physiological impact can be fixed in genome after exposure to atmospheric pollution and also provides a comprehensive portrait of the cellular response mechanisms involved.