The growth advantage in stationary-phase (GASP) phenomenon in mixed cultures of enterobacteria

FEMS Microbiol Lett. 2007 Jan;266(1):119-27. doi: 10.1111/j.1574-6968.2006.00515.x.

Abstract

Growth advantage in stationary phase (GASP) is the term used to describe the ability of mutants with an increased fitness from 10-day-old enterobacteria culture to out-compete 1-day-old cells of the same initial strain during a prolonged stationary phase, although the aged cells are introduced as a minority. We studied this bacterial trait in mixed cultures of two enterobacterial species, Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica, wild type in addition to derived mutants from both strains that contain chromosomal-encoded resistance to either nalidixic acid or streptomycin. The strong GASP phenotype was obtained in mixed cultures with the aged mutant strains, but not when the isogenic antibiotic-sensitive strains were used. This phenomenon was associated with chromosomal rearrangements in 10-day-old bacterial antibiotic-resistant mutated cells.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology
  • Bacteriological Techniques
  • Chromosomes, Bacterial
  • Coculture Techniques
  • Drug Resistance, Bacterial
  • Escherichia coli / drug effects
  • Escherichia coli / genetics
  • Escherichia coli / growth & development*
  • Mutation
  • Nalidixic Acid / pharmacology
  • Phenotype
  • Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length
  • Salmonella enterica / drug effects
  • Salmonella enterica / genetics
  • Salmonella enterica / growth & development*
  • Streptomycin / pharmacology

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Nalidixic Acid
  • Streptomycin