Phage Resistance Accompanies Reduced Fitness of Uropathogenic Escherichia coli in the Urinary Environment
Jacob J. Zulk, Justin R. Clark, Samantha Ottinger, Mallory B. Ballard, Marlyd E. Mejia, Vicki Mercado-Evans, Emmaline R. Heckmann, Belkys C. Sanchez, Barbara W. Trautner, Anthony W. Maresso, Kathryn A. Patras
Abstract
, these bacteria were less capable of growing in human urine and colonizing the murine bladder. These results suggest that phage therapy poses a viable UTI treatment if phage resistance confers fitness costs for the uropathogen. These results have implications for developing cocktails of phage with multiple different bacterial targets, of which each is evaded only at the cost of bacterial fitness.
Topics & Concepts
Phage therapyBacteriophageAntibioticsAntibiotic resistanceMicrobiologyBacteriaEscherichia coliBiologyGeneticsGeneBacteriophages and microbial interactionsVibrio bacteria research studiesEvolution and Genetic Dynamics