---
title: "Convergent genetic evolution of Burkholderia multivorans in cystic fibrosis correlates with lung f"
id: "biorxiv-6-convergent-genetic-evolution-within-burkholderia-multivorans-chronic-infections"
canonical_url: "https://medichelpline.com/clinical-feed/biorxiv-6-convergent-genetic-evolution-within-burkholderia-multivorans-chronic-infections"
content_type: "clinical_feed_article"
specialty: "Infectious Disease"
source_name: "bioRxiv (Biomedical Preprints)"
source_url: "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.16.751994v1?rss=1"
published_at: "2026-09-20T12:00:00.000Z"
evidence_level: "Verified Feed"
license: "CC-BY-NC-4.0 / Informational Use"
---
# Convergent genetic evolution of Burkholderia multivorans in cystic fibrosis correlates with lung f
## Provenance & Clinical Metadata
- **Canonical URL:** https://medichelpline.com/clinical-feed/biorxiv-6-convergent-genetic-evolution-within-burkholderia-multivorans-chronic-infections
- **Specialty:** [Infectious Disease](https://medichelpline.com/clinical-feed/infectious-disease.md)
- **Primary Source:** bioRxiv (Biomedical Preprints)
- **Source URL:** [Original Journal Publication](https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.16.751994v1?rss=1)
- **Published At:** 2026-09-20T12:00:00.000Z
- **Evidence Rating:** Verified Feed
## Executive GIST (TL;DR)
- The study tracked evolution of **Burkholderia multivorans** populations from chronic airway infections in eight cystic fibrosis (CF) patients over 7–17 years. - Seven distinct infecting strains, despite different origins, showed a common pattern: early diversification followed by emergence of a **dominant lineage** within each patient. - Defining mutations in those dominant lineages repeatedly affected the same set of global regulatory genes across infections, demonstrating **convergent genetic evolution**. - Mutated genes were linked to altered bacterial phenotypes including lipid metabolism, immune evasion, antibiotic resistance, biofilm production, and survival under low-oxygen conditions. - The presence of a dominant lineage (phylodynamic signal) within an infection was associated with faster decline in patient lung function, more so than any single mutation or gene. - Authors highlight the value of integrating pathogen genomic data and host clinical outcomes to connect bacterial adaptation trajectories to disease progression. - The study focuses on Burkholderia multivorans, the most prevalent CF pathogen within the Burkholderia cepacia complex, and unites findings across related species through shared adaptive targets. - Because the article is a preprint, it has not undergone peer review; full methodological details and additional data are reported in the source text but are not expanded here beyond the abstract.
## Clinical Analysis & Structured Key Points
Convergent genetic evolution within Burkholderia multivorans chronic infections correlates with lung function decline in cystic fibrosis patients | bioRxiv Skip to main content New Results Convergent genetic evolution within Burkholderia multivorans chronic infections correlates with lung function decline in cystic fibrosis patients Mirela R Ferreira , Sara C Gomes , James E A Zlosnik , View ORCID Profile Vaughn S Cooper , View ORCID Profile Leonilde M Moreira doi: https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.09.16.751994 Mirela R Ferreira 1 Universidade de Lisboa Instituto Superior Técnico: Universidade de Lisboa Instituto Superior Tecnico; Find this author on Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for this author on this site Sara C Gomes 1 Universidade de Lisboa Instituto Superior Técnico: Universidade de Lisboa Instituto Superior Tecnico; Find this author on Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for this author on this site James E A Zlosnik 2 The University of British Columbia; Find this author on Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for this author on this site Vaughn S Cooper 3 University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine; Find this author on Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for this author on this site ORCID record for Vaughn S Cooper Leonilde M Moreira 4 Universidade de Lisboa Instituto Superior Tecnico Find this author on Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for this author on this site ORCID record for Leonilde M Moreira For correspondence: lmoreira{at}tecnico.ulisboa.pt Abstract Info/History Metrics Preview PDF Abstract The patterns and pathways of pathogen adaptation during chronic infections can reveal the gateways microbes must unlock to colonize and persist. In chronic lung infections of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients, a longtime goal has been to anticipate disease outcome and to improve treatment. Understanding of these processes for Burkholderia multivorans, the most prevalent CF pathogen of the Burkholderia cepacia complex, is limited. We investigate the evolution of seven different strains recovered from chronic airway infections of eight CF patients over 7-17 years. Despite divergent origins, each infecting population followed similar phylogenetic patterns of early diversification followed by the emergence of a dominant clade. The defining mutations of these prevalent lineages also affected the same set of global regulators, which altered clinically significant bacterial phenotypes in parallel directions. Mutated genes govern lipid metabolism, immune evasion, antibiotic resistance, biofilm production, and survival under oxygen limitation, and unite studies of chronic infections by different species of the B. cepacia complex. Most significantly, the phylodynamic signal that a dominant lineage had emerged within the infection, more so than any particular set of mutations, was associated with a more rapid decline in patient lung function. These findings reveal the importance of combining data from pathogen and host to link bacterial adaptation to disease progression, and ultimately to identify paths to reinforce host defense. Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest. Copyright The copyright holder for this preprint is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under a CC-BY 4.0 International license . Back to top Previous Next Posted September 20, 2026. Download PDF Email Thank you for your interest in spreading the word about bioRxiv. NOTE: Your email address is requested solely to identify you as the sender of this article. Your Email * Your Name * Send To * Enter multiple addresses on separate lines or separate them with commas. You are going to email the following Convergent genetic evolution within Burkholderia multivorans chronic infections correlates with lung function decline in cystic fibrosis patients Message Subject (Your Name) has forwarded a page to you from bioRxiv Message Body (Your Name) thought you would like to see this page from the bioRxiv website. Your Personal Message CAPTCHA This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions. Share Convergent genetic evolution within Burkholderia multivorans chronic infections correlates with lung function decline in cystic fibrosis patients Mirela R Ferreira , Sara C Gomes , James E A Zlosnik , Vaughn S Cooper , Leonilde M Moreira bioRxiv 2026.09.16.751994; doi: https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.09.16.751994 Share This Article: Copy Citation Tools Convergent genetic evolution within Burkholderia multivorans chronic infections correlates with lung function decline in cystic fibrosis patients Mirela R Ferreira , Sara C Gomes , James E A Zlosnik , Vaughn S Cooper , Leonilde M Moreira bioRxiv 2026.09.16.751994; doi: https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.09.16.751994 Citation Manager Formats BibTeX Bookends EasyBib EndNote (tagged) EndNote 8 (xml) Medlars Mendeley Papers RefWorks Tagged Ref Manager RIS Zotero Tweet Widget Facebook Like Google Plus One Subject Areas All Articles Animal Behavior and Cognition (8013) Biochemistry (18739) Bioengineering (14888) Bioinformatics (44418) Biophysics (22599) Cancer Biology (19723) Cell Biology (26899) Clinical Trials (138) Developmental Biology (13965) Ecology (21005) Epidemiology (2067) Evolutionary Biology (25455) Genetics (16166) Genomics (23507) Immunology (18705) Microbiology (42503) Molecular Biology (18059) Neuroscience (93451) Paleontology (700) Pathology (2977) Pharmacology and Toxicology (5095) Physiology (8114) Plant Biology (15999) Scientific Communication and Education (2095) Synthetic Biology (4560) Systems Biology (10235) Zoology (2391)
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