iBB

B. multivorans is the most commonly isolated Burkholderia species from chronic infections of the airways of Cystic Fibrosis (CF) patients worldwide, yet our understanding of the traits required for bacterial colonization and persistence, as well as the molecular mechanisms underlying this adaptation, are limited. In a recently published paper in mSystems, Inês N. Silva and Leonilde M. Moreira from BSRG-iBB, in collaboration with researchers from Canada, US and Portugal, put together their expertise to study how the bacteria adapts in CF patients. The genomic and functional evolution of B. multivorans was analyzed by studying sputum samples collected from a CF patient over a 20-year period. The evolutionary history of these isolates highlighted bacterial genes and pathways that were likely subject to strong selection within the host and were associated with altered phenotypes, such as biofilm production, and antimicrobial resistance. Notably, multiple lineages coexisted for years or even decades within the infection, and the period of diversification within the dominant lineage was associated with deterioration of the patient’s lung function. The work sheds new light onto Burkholderia evolution and suggests that monitoring evolutionary and molecular patterns could be used to design responsive therapies that limit population diversity and disease progression. Click on the title to learn more and access paper at

 http://msystems.asm.org/content/1/3/e00029-16.