Phenotypic and genotypic characteristics of small colony variants and their role in chronic infection

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Author
Johns, Benjamin
Purdy, Kevin J.
Tucker, Nicholas P.
Maddocks, Sarah
Date
2015-09-22Type
Article
Publisher
Libertas Academica Press
ISSN
1178-6361
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Small colony variant (SCV) bacteria arise spontaneously within apparently homogeneous microbial populations, largely in response to environmental stresses, such as antimicrobial treatment. They display unique phenotypic characteristics conferred in part by heritable genetic changes. Characteristically slow growing, SCVs comprise a minor proportion of the population from which they arise but persist by virtue of their inherent resilience and host adaptability. Consequently, SCVs are problematic in chronic infection, where antimicrobial treatment is administered during the acute phase of infection but fails to eradicate SCVs, which remain within the host causing recurrent or chronic infection. This review discusses some of the phenotypic and genotypic changes that enable SCVs to successfully proliferate within the host environment as potential pathogens and strategies that could ameliorate the resolution of infection where SCVs are present.
Journal/conference proceeding
Microbiology Insights
Citation
Johns, B.E., Purdy, K.J., Tucker, N.P. and Maddocks, S.E. (2015) 'Phenotypic and genotypic characteristics of small colony variants and their role in chronic infection', Microbiology Insights, 8, p.15.
Description
This article was published in Microbiology Insights on 22 December 2015 (online), available open access at http://dx.doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.4137/MBI.S25800
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Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License 3.0Creative Commons Attribution License 3.0 only upon request
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Except where otherwise noted, this item's license is described as Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License 3.0
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