Work

Survival of ampicillin-treated uropathogenic Escherichia coli is independent of single-cell growth rates

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: The refractoriness of persistent infections to antibiotics necessitates lengthy treatment regimens to prevent therapeutic failures and relapses. Persistence has been attributed to entry of a small fraction of bacterial cells into a slowly growing or non-growing physiological state, which is thought to protect them against antibiotics targeting growth-related processes. However, these conclusions are largely based on studies conducted with lab-adapted strains carrying mutations that confer abnormally high levels of persistence. Here, we perform single-cell studies of ampicillin-mediated killing and persistence in a clinical isolate of uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC). We show that the majority of surviving cells are growing and dividing normally at the time of ampicillin exposure. Conversely, we find that the majority of non-growing cells are readily killed by ampicillin exposure. These findings challenge the widespread assumption that bacterial dormancy and persistence are inextricably linked.

Source: npj Antimicrobials and Resistance

DOI: 10.1038/s44259-025-00180-6

Authors: Yoshiko Miyahara, François Signorino-Gelo, Nicolas Elian Michel Lonchampt, Paul Murima, John D. McKinney, Neeraj Dhar

Institutions: Kao Corporation (Japan), École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, University of Saskatchewan, Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization

Language: English

Topic: Bacterial Genetics and Biotechnology

Subfield: Genetics

Field: Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Domain: Life Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,190