Antibiotic persistence

Bacterial cells in an isogenic population may exhibit phenotypic differences, allowing them to survive some stressors such as antibiotics. This survival may occur through antibiotic persistence, in which a subset of cells transition to an inactive, drug-tolerant state without resistance genes, leading to slower elimination and eventual relapse of infection. Persistence is observed in biphasic killing curves (19, 20, 21, 22).

Bacterial persisters represent a metabolically dormant or slow-growing subpopulation within bacterial communities that exhibit resistance to antibiotics. They endure bactericidal antibiotic treatment despite being genetically sensitive. These cells can resume active proliferation after th…