Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 7, 2025
07:25
High-throughput Screening of Chemical Compounds to Elucidate Their Effects on Bacterial Persistence
Published on: February 23, 2021
4.0K
Rethinking dormancy: Antibiotic persisters are metabolically active, non-growing cells
K M Taufiqur Rahman1, Ruqayyah Amaratunga1, Xuan Yi Butzin1
1Department of Biology and Microbiology, South Dakota State University, Brookings, South Dakota, USA.
International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents
|November 17, 2024
Summary
Bacterial persisters, a subpopulation of drug-tolerant Escherichia coli, are metabolically active, not dormant. This challenges the traditional view and has implications for treating relapsing infections and antibiotic resistance.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Molecular Biology
- Genetics
Background:
- Bacterial persisters are multidrug-tolerant cells contributing to relapsing infections and antibiotic resistance.
- The conventional view posits persisters are metabolically dormant.
Purpose of the Study:
- To challenge the notion that bacterial persisters are metabolically dormant.
- To provide evidence for metabolic activity in Escherichia coli persisters.
Main Methods:
- Transcriptomic analysis of E. coli persisters exposed to ampicillin.
- Examination of gene expression changes at multiple time points.
Main Results:
- Identified upregulated genes in ampicillin-treated persisters, indicating metabolic activity.
- Observed significant shifts in gene network activity over time, refuting dormancy.
Conclusions:
- Bacterial persisters are metabolically active, non-dividing cells.
- Findings challenge the traditional view of persister cell dormancy.
Related Concept Videos
01:30Development 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...
01:20Endospores and Sporulation
6
Endospores are specialized, dormant cells primarily formed by Gram-positive bacteria, including Bacillus and Clostridium, enabling survival under extreme environmental conditions. Due to their unique composition and formation process, these structures are highly resistant to physical and chemical insults, such as extreme heat, ultraviolet and ionizing radiation, desiccation, and toxic chemicals. Rare instances of endospore-like structures have also been observed in some Gram-negative bacteria,...
6
01:31Defense Against Bacterial Pathogens
1.4K
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...
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...
1.4K
00:57Antibiotic Selection
52.3K
Overview
52.3K
01:30Bacterial Phylum Actinobacteria
Coryneform bacteria are gram-positive, aerobic, nonmotile rods that exhibit irregular, club-shaped, or V-shaped arrangements. Their V-shape results from snapping division, where the inner cell wall layer forms the cross-wall, while the outer layer remains intact until it ruptures on one side, causing the daughter cells to bend away.The primary genera are Corynebacterium and Arthrobacter. Corynebacterium includes diverse species, ranging from saprophytes to pathogens like Corynebacterium...
01:24Bacterial Phylum Tenericutes
The phylum Tenericutes, which includes the single class Mollicutes, comprises bacteria that lack cell walls. The term "Mollicutes" derives from the Latin word mollis, meaning "soft." These organisms are among the smallest known and are commonly referred to as mycoplasmas due to the prominence of the genus Mycoplasma, which includes well-known human pathogens. Despite their inability to stain gram-positively (a result of their lack of cell walls), mycoplasmas are phylogenetically related to the...