Step-Specific Adaptation and Trade-Off over the Course of an Infection by GASP Mutation Small Colony Variants

Abstract

Within-host evolution has been described in many bacterial diseases, and the genetic basis behind the adaptations has stimulated a lot of interest. Yet, the studied adaptations are generally focused on antibiotic resistance and rarely on the adaptation to the environment given by the host, and the potential trade-offs hindering adaptations to each step of the infection are rarely considered.