WEDNESDAY, April 23 (HealthDay News) -- Bacteria that are in a dormant persister state associated with tolerance to antibiotics are actually not dormant for a brief period, during which they are sensitive to antibiotics, according to a study in the April 22 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Orit Gefen of Hebrew University in Jerusalem and colleagues examined protein production in single Escherichia coli bacteria that were in a dormant state (persisters) using a microfluidic device.

The researchers found that the "dormant" bacteria did in fact synthesize proteins for a short period after exiting the stationary phase of growth, "suggesting that differentiation into persisters fully develops over this time window and not during starvation, as previously believed." Exposing bacteria to the antibiotic ampicillin during this period significantly reduced persistence.

"Our results point to new strategies to fight persistent bacterial infections," Gefen and colleagues conclude.

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