Document details

Pseudomonas aeruginosa diversification during infection development in cystic fibrosis lungs - A review

Author(s): Sousa, A. M. ; Pereira, Maria Olívia

Date: 2014

Persistent ID: http://hdl.handle.net/1822/31840

Origin: RepositóriUM - Universidade do Minho

Project/scholarship: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/FCT/5876-PPCDTI/126270/PT ;

Subject(s): Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Cystic fibrosis; Clonal diversification; Phenotypic variation; Mucoid phenotype; Science & Technology


Description

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is the most prevalent pathogen of cystic fibrosis (CF) lung disease. Its long persistence in CF airways is associated with sophisticated mechanisms of adaptation, including biofilm formation, resistance to antibiotics, hypermutability and customized pathogenicity in which virulence factors are expressed according the infection stage. CF adaptation is triggered by high selective pressure of inflamed CF lungs and by antibiotic treatments. Bacteria undergo genetic, phenotypic, and physiological variations that are fastened by the repeating interplay of mutation and selection. During CF infection development, P. aeruginosa gradually shifts from an acute virulent pathogen of early infection to a host-adapted pathogen of chronic infection. This paper reviews the most common changes undergone by P. aeruginosa at each stage of infection development in CF lungs. The comprehensive understanding of the adaptation process of P. aeruginosa may help to design more effective antimicrobial treatments and to identify new targets for future drugs to prevent the progression of infection to chronic stages.

The authors thank the project FCT PTDC/SAUSAP/113196/2009/FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-016012, the Strategic Project PEst-OE/EQB/LA0023/2013, the Project. BioHealth-Biotechnology and Bioengineering approaches to improve health quality., Ref. NORTE-07-0124-FEDER-000027, co-funded by the Programa Operacional Regional do Norte (ON.2-O Novo Norte), QREN, FEDER, the project. RECI/BBB-EBI/0179/2012-Consolidating Research Expertise and Resources on Cellular and Molecular Biotechnology at CEB/IBB., Ref. FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-027462, FEDER. The authors also acknowledge PhD Grant of Ana MargaridaSousa SFRH/BD/72551/2010.

Document Type Journal article
Language English
Contributor(s) Universidade do Minho
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