Bacterial antimicrobial metal ion resistance

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Environmental Science
• Medicinal Chemistry

Background:

• Metals like silver, mercury, arsenic, and copper have historical antimicrobial applications.
• The advent of antibiotics led to a decline in metal-based antimicrobials, though silver remains in use for burns.
• Bacterial resistance to metal ions emerged in the mid-20th century, with mechanisms now well-understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review current and historical uses of antimicrobial metals.
• To investigate the prevalence and co-occurrence of antimicrobial metal resistance genes with antibiotic resistance genes.
• To assess the potential impact of widespread metal resistance on the efficacy of metal-based antimicrobials and the broader antibiotic resistance crisis.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of antimicrobial metal usage.
• Analysis of existing data on bacterial metal ion resistance mechanisms.
• Examination of studies on the linkage and horizontal gene transfer of metal resistance genes.
• Discussion of the implications for public health and antimicrobial stewardship.

Main Results:

• Antimicrobial metals have diverse and persistent applications.
• Metal resistance genes are prevalent in bacteria and often linked to antibiotic resistance genes.
• Evidence suggests horizontal gene transfer of these resistance determinants occurs.

Conclusions:

• The increasing prevalence of antimicrobial metal resistance is significant.
• Widespread metal resistance could compromise the effectiveness of re-emerging metal-based treatments.
• This poses a potential threat to managing the global antibiotic resistance problem.