SP28 - Pathogénie microbienne

Inherited heterogeneity in pathogenic bacteria

Inherited heterogeneity in pathogenic bacteria is crucial for their survival and ability to cause infection, as it allows them to adapt to fluctuating environments and evade the host immune system, with strategies such as immune evasion through surface structure alterations, division of labor among cells for different functions like growth or biofilm formation, bet-hedging to ensure some cells survive under stress, and the ability to colonize different surfaces in the host, all of which contribute to their persistence and pathogenicity, and these mechanisms of phenotypic inheritance include phase variation through DNA inversion, DNA methylation to regulate virulence gene expression, and positive feedback loops that reinforce the stable expression of certain traits, ensuring bacterial populations can thrive under selective pressures and maintain infection over time.