Effect of clpP and clpC deletion on persister cell number in Staphylococcus aureus.

This study was conducted to determine the effect of clpP and clpC deletion on S. aureus persister cell numbers following antibiotic treatment. Deletion of clpP resulted in a significant decrease in persister cells following treatment with oxacillin and erythromycin but not with levofloxacin and daptomycin. Deletion of clpC resulted in a decrease in persister cells following treatment with oxacillin. These differences were dependent on the antibiotic class and the CFU/ml in which the cells were treated. Persister revival assays for all the bacterial strains in these studies demonstrated a significant delay in resumption of growth characteristic of persister cells indicating that the surviving organisms in this study were not likely due to spontaneous antibiotic resistance. Based on our results, ClpP and possibly ClpC plays a role in persister cell formation or maintenance and this effect is dependent on antibiotic class and the CFU/ml or the growth phase of the cells. PMID: 27375177 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: Journal of Medical Microbiology - Category: Microbiology Authors: Tags: J Med Microbiol Source Type: research