Adaptation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to the cystic fibrosis airway: an evolutionary perspective

TY - JOUR

T1 - Adaptation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to the cystic fibrosis airway

T2 - an evolutionary perspective

AU - Folkesson, Anders

AU - Jelsbak, Lars

AU - Yang, Lei

AU - Johansen, Helle Krogh

AU - Ciofu, Oana

AU - Høiby, Niels

AU - Molin, Søren

PY - 2012/12

Y1 - 2012/12

N2 - The airways of patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) are nearly always infected with many different microorganisms. This environment offers warm, humid and nutrient-rich conditions, but is also stressful owing to frequent antibiotic therapy and the host immune response. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is commonly isolated from the airways of patients with CF, where it most often establishes chronic infections that usually persist for the rest of the lives of the patients. This bacterium is a major cause of mortality and morbidity and has therefore been studied intensely. Here, we discuss how P. aeruginosa evolves from a state of early, recurrent intermittent colonization of the airways of patients with CF to a chronic infection state, and how this process offers opportunities to study bacterial evolution in natural environments. We believe that such studies are valuable not only for our understanding of bacterial evolution but also for the future development of new therapeutic strategies to treat severe chronic infections.

AB - The airways of patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) are nearly always infected with many different microorganisms. This environment offers warm, humid and nutrient-rich conditions, but is also stressful owing to frequent antibiotic therapy and the host immune response. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is commonly isolated from the airways of patients with CF, where it most often establishes chronic infections that usually persist for the rest of the lives of the patients. This bacterium is a major cause of mortality and morbidity and has therefore been studied intensely. Here, we discuss how P. aeruginosa evolves from a state of early, recurrent intermittent colonization of the airways of patients with CF to a chronic infection state, and how this process offers opportunities to study bacterial evolution in natural environments. We believe that such studies are valuable not only for our understanding of bacterial evolution but also for the future development of new therapeutic strategies to treat severe chronic infections.

KW - Biological Evolution

KW - Cystic Fibrosis

KW - Host-Parasite Interactions

KW - Humans

KW - Pseudomonas Infections

KW - Pseudomonas aeruginosa

KW - Respiratory System

U2 - 10.1038/nrmicro2907

DO - 10.1038/nrmicro2907

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 23147702

SN - 1740-1526

VL - 10

SP - 841

EP - 851

JO - Nature Reviews Microbiology

JF - Nature Reviews Microbiology

IS - 12

ER -