Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 15, 2026

Testing the Role of Multicopy Plasmids in the Evolution of Antibiotic Resistance
09:00

Testing the Role of Multicopy Plasmids in the Evolution of Antibiotic Resistance

Published on: May 2, 2018

Complete nucleotide sequence and comparative analysis of pPR9, a 41.7-kilobase conjugative staphylococcal

Eduardo Pérez-Roth1, Stephen M Kwong, Julia Alcoba-Florez

  • 1Hospital Universitario Nuestra Señora de Candelaria, Departamento de Microbiología y Biología Celular, Universidad de La Laguna, La Laguna, Spain. eperroth@ull.es

Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy
|March 10, 2010
PubMed

Insights

We sequenced the pPR9 plasmid, identifying the ileS2 gene responsible for high-level mupirocin resistance. Its genetic backbone offers insights into the evolution of medically important plasmids and resistance in staphylococci.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Genetics
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • High-level mupirocin resistance is a growing concern in clinical settings.
  • Conjugative plasmids play a significant role in the spread of antibiotic resistance genes.
  • The ileS2 gene has been implicated in conferring mupirocin resistance.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To sequence and characterize the conjugative plasmid pPR9.
  • To understand the genetic basis and evolution of high-level mupirocin resistance.
  • To investigate the role of insertion sequence IS257 in plasmid evolution.

Main Methods:

  • Whole-genome sequencing of the pPR9 plasmid.
  • Comparative genomic analysis with related plasmids (pSK41/pGO1 family).
  • Identification and analysis of insertion sequences.

Main Results:

  • The pPR9 plasmid carries the ileS2 gene, contributing to high-level mupirocin resistance.
  • Plasmid backbone shows conservation with pSK41/pGO1 family but with key differences.
  • Insertion sequence IS257 was identified and its role in plasmid evolution highlighted.

Conclusions:

  • The pPR9 plasmid is a key element in the dissemination of mupirocin resistance.
  • Comparative analysis provides insights into the evolution of staphylococcal plasmids.
  • IS257 is important in the evolutionary dynamics of these medically significant plasmids.

More Related Videos

High-Resolution Comparison of Bacterial Conjugation Frequencies05:18

High-Resolution Comparison of Bacterial Conjugation Frequencies

Published on: January 10, 2019

Related Concept Videos

Clinical Significance of Antibiotic Resistance01:25

Clinical Significance of Antibiotic Resistance

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) presents a critical public health threat, arising from its capacity to resist β-lactam antibiotics due to acquisition of the mecA gene within the staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec). This gene encodes penicillin-binding protein 2a (PBP2a), which impairs binding efficacy of methicillin and other β-lactams. MRSA has evolved into distinct clonal lineages impacting humans and animals alike, reinforcing its significance within the One...
Mechanism of Antibiotic Resistance in MRSA01:25

Mechanism of Antibiotic Resistance in MRSA

Antibiotic resistance in bacteria arises when microorganisms evolve the ability to withstand drugs designed to kill them or inhibit their growth, rendering once-effective treatments useless. This phenomenon, driven by genetic change and selection under antibiotic exposure, poses a profound threat to modern medicine. Mechanisms include drug-inactivating enzymes (e.g., β-lactamases), efflux pumps that eject antibiotics, mutations altering antibiotic targets, decreased drug uptake, and acquisition...
Modern Molecular Taxonomy01:29

Modern Molecular Taxonomy

Advancements in molecular biology have revolutionized the identification and characterization of bacteria, with multiple methods leveraging DNA sequencing for enhanced precision. As sequencing technologies improve and costs decline, these approaches are increasingly used in clinical, environmental, and evolutionary studies.Multilocus Sequence Typing (MLST) examines several housekeeping genes, essential chromosomal genes encoding cellular functions, to distinguish strains. Approximately...