PBP-3 directed therapy in VIM-producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa creates bacterial transformers, persisters in disguise

The proliferation of metallo-β-lactamase (MBL)-producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa represents a significant public health threat. P. aeruginosa undergoes significant phenotypic changes that drastically impair antibiotic efficacy. The objectives of this study were (1) to quantify the time-course of killing of VIM-2-producing P. aeruginosa in response to aztreonam-based therapies (including avibactam for coverage of AmpC), and (2) to document the capacity of P. aeruginosa to undergo morphological transformations that facilitate persistence.