{
  "abstract": "Broad-spectrum {beta}-lactam exposure can select for Enterococcus-dominated urinary communities in catheterized intensive-care patients, even when co-colonizing Escherichia coli remains susceptible. We investigated paired E. faecalis and E. coli isolates recovered before and after piperacillin-tazobactam (TZP) treatment using a catheter biofilm model and showed that their survival depends on mutualism and biofilm-dependent persistence. Without antibiotics, E. faecalis reduced E. coli biofilm formation yet promoted pre-attachment co-aggregation and reorganized mixed-biofilm architecture on the catheter. Despite TZP susceptibility and the absence of resistance determinants, catheter-associated biofilms and biofilm-dispersed cells survived concentrations 250- to 1000-fold above their MICs, whereas planktonic cells were eliminated. Survivors retained susceptibility but showed delayed regrowth, consistent with a transient persister-like state. In the post-treatment pair, each species sustained the other during recovery, coinciding with a nonsynonymous substitution in the enterococcal surface adhesin Esp. These findings show that antagonistic and cooperative interactions can coexist within catheter biofilms and enable susceptible polymicrobial communities to withstand {beta}-lactam treatment without {beta}-lactam resistance.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Uppsala university"
  ],
  "article_type": "New results",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 9,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "P. A. Karlsson"
    },
    {
      "name": "M. Skinkyte"
    },
    {
      "name": "C. Bolin"
    },
    {
      "name": "H. Zhou"
    },
    {
      "name": "H. Abenayake"
    },
    {
      "name": "E. Joffre"
    },
    {
      "name": "W. Xia"
    },
    {
      "name": "J. D. Jarhult"
    },
    {
      "name": "H. Wang"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/60wtpv8wyfnrq.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.64898/2026.08.31.748328",
  "fulltext_url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.08.31.748328v1.full",
  "id": "60wtpv8wyfnrq",
  "issns": [],
  "landing_url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.08.31.748328v1",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY-ND",
  "licence_label": "CC BY-ND",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "biorxiv",
      "microbiology"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "1312|Bacterial biofilms and quorum sensing"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7205005205",
  "pdf_url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.08.31.748328v1.full.pdf",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-08-31",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/60wtpv8wyfnrq.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:18:23Z",
      "native_id": "10.64898/2026.08.31.748328",
      "source": "biorxiv",
      "url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.08.31.748328v1"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biology",
      "origin": "biorxiv:microbiology",
      "subfield": "microbiology"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Polymicrobial catheter biofilms sustain susceptible Enterococcus faecalis and Escherichia coli during β-lactam treatment",
  "title_text": "Polymicrobial catheter biofilms sustain susceptible Enterococcus faecalis and Escherichia coli during β-lactam treatment",
  "type": "preprint",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:18:23Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/60wtpv8wyfnrq",
  "venue": "bioRxiv",
  "versions": []
}