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The complex resistomes of Paenibacillaceae reflect diverse antibiotic chemical ecologies

Andrew C Pawlowski1, Erin L Westman1, Kalinka Koteva1

  • 1Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

The ISME Journal
|December 21, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Environmental bacteria possess ancient antibiotic resistance genes, evolving independently of human drug use. Their resistomes are shaped by intrinsic factors, not mobile genetic elements, unlike pathogens.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Genomics

Background:

  • Antibiotic resistance is a major global health threat, driven by human drug use and environmental factors.
  • The natural history of antibiotic production and resistance in environmental bacteria is crucial for understanding pathogen resistance.
  • The resistome, encompassing all resistance genes, includes intrinsic and acquired elements that evolve over time.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the antibiotic resistome of the Paenibacillaceae family, focusing on environmental bacteria.
  • To understand the evolutionary dynamics and genetic basis of antibiotic resistance in Paenibacillaceae.
  • To compare resistome development in environmental bacteria with that of pathogens.

Main Methods:

  • Phylogenomic analysis of Paenibacillaceae.
  • Biochemical and gene expression analysis of antibiotic resistance mechanisms.
  • Comparative genomics to identify intrinsic and acquired resistance genes.

Main Results:

  • Discovery of an ancient intrinsic resistome in Paenibacillus sp. LC231 from Lechuguilla cave.
  • Characterization of the resistome in Brevibacillus brevis VM4, revealing cryptic, redundant, and orthologous genes.
  • Paenibacillaceae resistomes evolve independently of secondary metabolite production and are not significantly remodeled by mobile genetic elements.

Conclusions:

  • Environmental bacteria like Paenibacillaceae possess complex and ancient resistomes.
  • Resistome evolution in environmental bacteria differs significantly from that in pathogens, particularly regarding the role of mobile genetic elements.
  • Understanding these divergent evolutionary paths is essential for combating antibiotic resistance.

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