Metabolic rewiring of bacterial subpopulations governs polymyxin responses in Acinetobacter baumannii.

Subpopulations of Acinetobacter baumannii exhibit distinct metabolic responses to polymyxins, with PI-positive cells increasing phosphatidylethanolamine and PI-negative cells upregulating arginine metabolism.

• Why it matters: Understanding bacterial heterogeneity during antibiotic treatment is crucial because it influences treatment outcomes and resistance development, yet most studies overlook this diversity.
• What they did: The study used time-lapse imaging, fluorescent probes, and fluorescence-activated cell sorting to isolate and profile PI-positive and PI-negative subpopulations, revealing their unique metabolic adaptations.
• The result: Findings demonstrate that metabolic heterogeneity underpins polymyxin responses, suggesting new strategies to target bacterial vulnerabilities and improve antibiotic efficacy while reducing resistance.