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Related Concept Videos

Clinical Significance of Antibiotic Resistance01:25

Clinical Significance of Antibiotic Resistance

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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...
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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...
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The genome of most prokaryotic organisms consists of double-stranded DNA organized into one circular chromosome in a region of cytoplasm called the nucleoid. The chromosome is tightly wound, or supercoiled, for efficient storage. Prokaryotes also contain other circular pieces of DNA called plasmids. These plasmids are smaller than the chromosome and often carry genes that confer adaptive functions, such as antibiotic resistance.
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Antibiotic resistance is a major public health concern that arises when bacteria evolve mechanisms to withstand the effects of antibiotic treatments. This resistance can be intrinsic, acquired through genetic mutations, or transferred between bacteria via horizontal gene transfer. The development of antibiotic resistance poses significant challenges in treating bacterial infections and necessitates ongoing research to develop new therapeutic strategies.Intrinsic resistance occurs when bacterial...
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Updated: Mar 30, 2026

Isolation and Identification of Waterborne Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria and Molecular Characterization of their Antibiotic Resistance Genes
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Antibiotic resistance is ancient.

Vanessa M D'Costa1, Christine E King, Lindsay Kalan

  • 1Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, L8N 3Z5.

Nature
|September 2, 2011
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Antibiotic resistance is a natural phenomenon, predating modern medicine. Ancient DNA analysis reveals diverse resistance genes in 30,000-year-old permafrost, challenging the view of resistance as a modern issue.

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Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Genetics
  • Paleogenomics

Background:

  • Antibiotics revolutionized medicine, but their use has always been accompanied by the rise of resistant microbes.
  • The emergence of antibiotic resistance in pathogenic bacteria is often considered a modern phenomenon.
  • Pre-antibiotic era microbial collections typically exhibit high susceptibility to antibiotics.

Observation:

  • Targeted metagenomic analysis of ancient DNA was performed on 30,000-year-old Beringian permafrost sediments.
  • A diverse array of genes conferring resistance to beta-lactam, tetracycline, and glycopeptide antibiotics was identified.
  • Structural and functional studies confirmed the similarity of ancient vancomycin resistance elements (VanA) to modern variants.

Findings:

  • Ancient DNA from permafrost harbors a rich diversity of antibiotic resistance genes.
  • The vancomycin resistance element VanA found in ancient DNA is structurally and functionally similar to its modern counterpart.
  • These findings demonstrate that antibiotic resistance is an ancient, natural phenomenon.

Implications:

  • Antibiotic resistance predates the widespread clinical use of antibiotics, indicating natural evolutionary processes.
  • Understanding ancient resistance mechanisms can inform strategies to combat modern antibiotic resistance.
  • The study reframes antibiotic resistance not as a solely modern problem but as an enduring evolutionary challenge.