title: An overview on phase variation, mechanisms and roles in bacterial adaptation.
abstract: In nature, bacteria are exposed to multiple stress conditions posing threat to their life. However, bacteria evolve constantly and employ myriad of genetic and phenotypic strategies for successful survival. One such adaptive process is phase variation - a random, frequent and reversible ON/OFF switching of contingency genes generating phenotypical variations within the bacterial population. Pathogenic and commensal bacteria make use of this heritable process as a tool for adaptation, generating intra-strain diversity and immune evasion. Unveiling molecular basis of this aspect of bacterial pathogenesis is vital in yielding significant implications to understand health and diseases. The current review was planned to overview this hot topic of research, its molecular basis and biological significance.
authors.affiliation: National Center for Bioinformatics (NCB), Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad.
authors.forename: Sajjad
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ahmad
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Bacha Khan Medical College, Mardan.
authors.forename: Mushtaq
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ahmad
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad.
authors.forename: Salman
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad.
authors.forename: Faisal
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ahmad
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad.
authors.forename: Sabir
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nawaz
authors.affiliation: Center of Biotechnology and Microbiology (COBAM), University of Peshawar, Peshawar, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Farman Ullah
authors.initials: FU
authors.lastname: Khan
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018407:Bacterial Physiological Phenomena / Q000235:genetics*; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology
keywords: Phase variation, Phasevarion, Contigency gene.