Abstract
ABSTRACTAdaptation to one environment can often generate phenotypic and genotypic changes which impact the future ability of an organism to thrive in other environmental conditions. In the context of host-microbe interactions, biofilm formation can increase survival ratesin vivoupon exposure to stresses, like the host’s immune system or antibiotic therapy. However, how the generic process of adaptation impacts the ability to form biofilm and how it may change through time has seldomly been studied. To do so, we used a previous evolution experiment with three strains of theKlebsiella pneumoniaespecies complex, in which we did not specifically select for biofilm formation. We observed that changes in the ability to form biofilm happened very fast at first and afterwards reverted to ancestral levels in many populations. Biofilm changes were associated to phenotypic changes in population yield and surface polysaccharide production. Genotypically, mutational targets in the tip adhesin of type III fimbriae (mrkD) or thefimswitch of type I fimbriae were driven by nutrient availability during evolution, and their impact on biofilm formation was dependent on capsule production. Analyses of natural isolates revealed similar mutations inmrkD, suggesting that they also play an important role in adaptation outside the laboratory. Our work reveals that the latent evolution of biofilm formation, and its evolutionary dynamics, depend on nutrient availability, the genetic background and other intertwined phenotypic and genotypic changes. Ultimately, it suggests that small differences in the environment can alter an organism’s fate in more complex niches like the host.
Publisher
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Cited by
2 articles.
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