DNA duplication-mediated activation of a two-component regulatory system serves as a bet-hedging strategy for .

strain E264 (E264) and close relatives stochastically duplicate a 208.6 kb region of chromosome I via RecA-dependent recombination between two nearly identical insertion sequence elements. Because homologous recombination occurs at a constant, low level, populations of E264 are always heterogeneous, but cells containing two or more copies of the region (Dup+) have an advantage, and hence predominate, during biofilm growth, while those with a single copy (Dup-) are favored during planktonic growth.

Cytochrome oxidase requirements in Bordetella reveal insights into evolution towards life in the mammalian respiratory tract.

Little is known about oxygen utilization during infection by bacterial respiratory pathogens. The classical Bordetella species, including B. pertussis, the causal agent of human whooping cough, and B.