In vivo competition and horizontal gene transfer among distinct Staphylococcus aureus lineages as major drivers for adaptational changes during long-term persistence in humans

Langhanki L, Berger P, Treffon J, Catania F, Kahl BC, Mellmann A

Abstract

Background The airways of the majority of adolescent cystic fibrosis (CF) patients are persistently colonized or infected byStaphylococcus aureus. Using whole genome sequencing, we studied the evolutionary traits within aS. aureuspopulation in the airways of a CF patient hypothesizing that horizontal gene transfer (HGT) and inter-bacterial interaction play a major role in adaptation during long-term persistence. Results Whole genome sequencing of 21S. aureusisolates spanning 13years resulted in seven lineages defined by thespatypes t012, t021, t331, t338, t364, t056, and t2351. Of these, the successfully persisting lineages t012 and t021 were closely related suggesting the evolution of t021 from t012, which was further corroborated by a nearly identical, syntenic set of mobile genetic elements. During transformation from t012 to t021, an increase of genomic changes including HGT from otherS. aureuslineages was detected. Conclusions In summary, our in vivo data enabled us to conceptualize an evolutionary model showing the impact of HGT and inter-bacterial interaction on bacterial long-term adaptation to the human host during CF.