TY - JOUR

T1 - Polymicrobial infections can select against Pseudomonas aeruginosa mutators because of quorum-sensing trade-offs

AU - Luján, Adela M.

AU - Paterson, Steve

AU - Hesse, Elze

AU - Sommer, Lea M.

AU - Marvig, Rasmus L.

AU - Sharma, M. D.

AU - Alseth, Ellinor O.

AU - Ciofu, Oana

AU - Smania, Andrea M.

AU - Molin, Søren

AU - Johansen, Helle Krogh

AU - Buckling, Angus

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.

PY - 2022

Y1 - 2022

N2 - Bacteria with increased mutation rates (mutators) are common in chronic infections and are associated with poorer clinical outcomes, especially in the case of Pseudomonas aeruginosa infecting cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. There is, however, considerable between-patient variation in both P. aeruginosa mutator frequency and the composition of co-infecting pathogen communities. We investigated whether community context might affect selection of mutators. Using an in vitro CF model community, we show that P. aeruginosa mutators were favoured in the absence of other species but not in their presence. This was because there were trade-offs between adaptation to the biotic and abiotic environments (for example, loss of quorum sensing and associated toxin production was beneficial in the latter but not the former in our in vitro model community) limiting the evolvability advantage of an elevated mutation rate. Consistent with a role of co-infecting pathogens selecting against P. aeruginosa mutators in vivo, we show that the mutation frequency of P. aeruginosa population was negatively correlated with the frequency and diversity of co-infecting bacteria in CF infections. Our results suggest that co-infecting taxa can select against P. aeruginosa mutators, which may have potentially beneficial clinical consequences.

AB - Bacteria with increased mutation rates (mutators) are common in chronic infections and are associated with poorer clinical outcomes, especially in the case of Pseudomonas aeruginosa infecting cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. There is, however, considerable between-patient variation in both P. aeruginosa mutator frequency and the composition of co-infecting pathogen communities. We investigated whether community context might affect selection of mutators. Using an in vitro CF model community, we show that P. aeruginosa mutators were favoured in the absence of other species but not in their presence. This was because there were trade-offs between adaptation to the biotic and abiotic environments (for example, loss of quorum sensing and associated toxin production was beneficial in the latter but not the former in our in vitro model community) limiting the evolvability advantage of an elevated mutation rate. Consistent with a role of co-infecting pathogens selecting against P. aeruginosa mutators in vivo, we show that the mutation frequency of P. aeruginosa population was negatively correlated with the frequency and diversity of co-infecting bacteria in CF infections. Our results suggest that co-infecting taxa can select against P. aeruginosa mutators, which may have potentially beneficial clinical consequences.

U2 - 10.1038/s41559-022-01768-1

DO - 10.1038/s41559-022-01768-1

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 35618819

AN - SCOPUS:85130729333

VL - 6

SP - 979

EP - 988

JO - Nature Ecology & Evolution

JF - Nature Ecology & Evolution

SN - 2397-334X

ER -