Ibberson, Carolyn B.Stacy, ApolloFleming, DerekDees, Justine L.Rumbaugh, KendraGilmore, MichaelWhiteley, Marvin2018-02-262018Ibberson, Carolyn B., Apollo Stacy, Derek Fleming, Justine L. Dees, Kendra Rumbaugh, Michael S. Gilmore, and Marvin Whiteley. 2018. “Co-infecting microbes dramatically alter pathogen gene essentiality during polymicrobial infection.” Nature microbiology 2 (1): 17079. doi:10.1038/nmicrobiol.2017.79. http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nmicrobiol.2017.79.http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:34868814Identifying genes required by pathogens during infection is critical for antimicrobial development. Here, we used a Monte Carlo simulation-based method to analyze high-throughput transposon sequencing data to determine the role of infection site and co-infecting microbes on the in vivo ‘essential’ genome of Staphylococcus aureus. We discovered that co-infection of murine surgical wounds with Pseudomonas aeruginosa results in conversion of ~25% of the in vivo S. aureus mono-culture essential genes to non-essential. Furthermore, 182 S. aureus genes are uniquely essential during co-infection. These “Community Dependent Essential” (CoDE) genes illustrate the importance of studying pathogen gene essentiality in polymicrobial communities.en-USwound infectionessential genomeCoDE genesJournal Article2018-02-2610.1038/nmicrobiol.2017.79