The initial colonizing strains (non-adapted isolates labelled CF paediatric, 0.5–7 years of age) tended to have reduced putP and significantly elevated adsA expression compared with a laboratory control strain, whereas isolates from long-standing infection (adapted isolates labelled CF adult), instead had significantly reduced adsA but increased putP and scpA, with respect to a WT control (Fig. 1a,b). Here, RNF170 is linked to cystic fibrosis.