KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Centre of Microbial and Plant Genetics, Kasteelpark Arenberg 20, Box 2460, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium.
Smart Systems and Emerging Technologies Unit, Department of Life Science Technologies, imec, Leuven, Belgium.
FEMS Microbiol Rev. 2017 May 1;41(3):219-251. doi: 10.1093/femsre/fux001.
Persisters are transiently tolerant variants that allow populations to avoid eradication by antibiotic treatment. Their antibiotic tolerance is non-genetic, not inheritable and results from a phenotypic switch from the normal, sensitive cell type to the tolerant, persister state. Here we give a comprehensive overview on bacterial persistence. We first define persistence, summarize the various aspects of persister physiology and show their heterogeneous nature. We then focus on the role of key cellular processes and mechanisms controlling the formation of a subpopulation of tolerant cells. Being a prime example of a risk-spreading strategy, we next discuss the eco-evolutionary aspects of persistence, e.g. how persistence evolves in the face of treatment with antibiotics. Finally, we illustrate the clinical importance of persisters, as persistence is worsening the worldwide antibiotic crisis by prolonging antibiotic treatment, causing therapy failure or catalyzing the development of genetically encoded antibiotic resistance. A better understanding of this phenotype is critical in our fight against pathogenic bacteria and to obtain a better outlook on future therapies.
持久菌是一种短暂耐受的变异体，它可以使细菌种群避免被抗生素治疗消灭。它们对抗生素的耐受性是非遗传的，不可遗传的，是由正常敏感细胞类型向耐受、持久状态的表型转换引起的。本文对细菌持久菌进行了全面概述。我们首先定义了持久性，总结了持久菌生理学的各个方面，并展示了其异质性。然后，我们重点关注控制耐受细胞亚群形成的关键细胞过程和机制的作用。作为风险传播策略的一个典型例子，我们接下来讨论了持久性的生态进化方面，例如，在面临抗生素治疗时，持久性是如何进化的。最后，我们说明了持久菌的临床重要性，因为持久性通过延长抗生素治疗、导致治疗失败或促进遗传编码抗生素耐药性的发展，使全球抗生素危机恶化。更好地理解这种表型对于我们对抗致病菌以及对未来治疗方法的展望至关重要。
