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Updated: Jun 10, 2025

A Fluorescence-based Method to Study Bacterial Gene Regulation in Infected Tissues
Published on: February 19, 2019
Diverse molecular mechanisms underpinning Staphylococcus aureus small colony variants
Maryam Mapar1, Thomas Rydzak1, Josefien W Hommes2
1Alberta Centre for Advanced Diagnostics, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Abstract:
Small colony variants (SCVs) of Staphylococcus aureus are a relatively rare but clinically significant growth morphotype. Infections with SCVs are frequently difficult to treat, inherently antibiotic-resistant, and can lead to persistent infections. Despite a long history of research, the molecular underpinnings of this morphotype and their impact on the clinical trajectory of infections remain unclear. However, a growing body of literature indicates that SCVs are caused by a diverse range of molecular factors. These recent findings suggest that SCVs should be thought of as an ensemble collection of loosely related phenotypes, and not as a single phenomenon. This review describes the diverse mechanisms currently known to contribute to SCVs and proposes an ensemble model for conceptualizing this morphotype.
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