A systems analysis of E. coli short and long-term transcriptomic response to biocides

The mechanisms of bacterial response to biocides are poorly understood, despite their broad application. To identify the genetic basis and pathways implicated in the biocide stress response, we exposed populations to ten ubiquitous biocides. By comparing the transcriptional responses between short (...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Applied and environmental microbiology 2020-05
Main Authors: Merchel Piovesan Pereira, Beatriz, Wang, Xiaokang, Tagkopoulos, Ilias
Format: Article
Language:English
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The mechanisms of bacterial response to biocides are poorly understood, despite their broad application. To identify the genetic basis and pathways implicated in the biocide stress response, we exposed populations to ten ubiquitous biocides. By comparing the transcriptional responses between short (30min) and long-term (8 to 12h) exposure to biocide stress, we established the common gene and pathways clusters that are implicated in general and biocide-specific stress response. Our analysis revealed a temporal choreography, starting from the upregulation of chaperones to the subsequent repression of motility and chemotaxis pathways, induction of an anaerobic pool of enzymes, and biofilm regulators. A systematic analysis of the transcriptional data identified a -regulated gene cluster to be highly active in the stress response against sodium hypochlorite and peracetic acid, presenting a link between biocide stress response and zinc homeostasis. Susceptibility assays of knockout mutants further validated our findings and provide clear targets for downstream investigation of the implicated mechanisms of action. Antiseptics and disinfectant products are of great importance to control and eliminate pathogens, especially in settings such as hospitals and the food industry. Such products are widely distributed and frequently poorly regulated. Occasional outbreaks have been associated with microbes resistant to such compounds, and researchers have indicated potential cross-resistance with antibiotics. Despite that, there are many gaps in knowledge about the bacterial stress response and microbial resistance mechanisms to antiseptics and disinfectants. We investigated the stress response of the bacteria to ten common disinfectant and antiseptic chemicals to shed light on the potential mechanisms of tolerance to such compounds.
ISSN:1098-5336