Within-Host Evolution of Bacterial Pathogens in Acute and Chronic Infection

Annu Rev Pathol. 2023 Oct 13. doi: 10.1146/annurev-pathmechdis-051122-111408. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTBacterial pathogens undergo remarkable adaptive change in response to the selective forces they encounter during host colonization and infection. Studies performed over the past few decades have demonstrated that many general evolutionary processes can be discerned during the course of host adaptation, including genetic diversification of lineages, clonal succession events, convergent evolution, and balanced fitness trade-offs. In some cases, elevated mutation rates resulting from mismatch repair or proofreading deficiencies accelerate evolution, and active mobile genetic elements or phages may facilitate genome plasticity. The host immune response provides another critical component of the fitness landscapes guiding adaptation, and selection operating on pathogens at this level may lead to immune evasion and the establishment of chronic infection. This review summarizes recent advances in this field, with a special focus on different forms of bacterial genome plasticity in the context of infection, and considers clinical consequences of adaptive changes for the host. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Pathology: Mechanisms of Disease, Volume 19 is January 2024. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.PMID:37832940 | DOI:10.1146/annurev-pathmechdis-051122-111408

Source: Annual Review of Pathology - October 13, 2023 Category: Pathology Authors: John P Dekker Source Type: research