Reversing resistance: different routes and common themes across pathogens


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Date

2017-09-27

Publication Type

Review Article

ETH Bibliography

yes

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Abstract

Resistance spreads rapidly in pathogen or pest populations exposed to bio- cides, such as fungicides and antibiotics, and in many cases new biocides are in short supply. How can resistance be reversed in order to prolong the effec- tiveness of available treatments? Some key parameters affecting reversion of resistance are well known, such as the fitness cost of resistance. However, the population biological processes that actually cause resistance to persist or decline remain poorly characterized, and consequently our ability to manage reversion of resistance is limited. Where do susceptible genotypes that replace resistant lineages come from? What is the epidemiological scale of reversion? What information do we need to predict the mechanisms or likelihood of reversion? Here, we define some of the population biological processes that can drive reversion, using examples from a wide range of taxa and biocides. These processes differ primarily in the origin of revertant genotypes, but also in their sensitivity to factors such as coselection and compensatory evolution that can alter the rate of reversion, and the likelihood that resistance will re-emerge upon re-exposure to biocides. We therefore argue that discriminating among different types of reversion allows for better prediction of where resistance is most likely to persist.

Publication status

published

Editor

Book title

Volume

284 (1863)

Pages / Article No.

20171619

Publisher

Royal Society

Event

Edition / version

Methods

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Geographic location

Date collected

Date created

Subject

Reversing resistance; Biocides; Antimicrobials; Fungicides

Organisational unit

09497 - Hall, Alex / Hall, Alex check_circle
03516 - McDonald, Bruce (emeritus) / McDonald, Bruce (emeritus) check_circle
03584 - Bonhoeffer, Sebastian / Bonhoeffer, Sebastian check_circle

Notes

Funding

165803 - The role of bacteria-virus interactions in antimicrobial resistance (SNF)

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