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Detection of Horizontal Gene Transfer Mediated by Natural Conjugative Plasmids in E. coli
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Detection of Horizontal Gene Transfer Mediated by Natural Conjugative Plasmids in E. coli

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Conjugative plasmids interact with insertion sequences to shape the horizontal transfer of antimicrobial resistance

You Che1, Yu Yang1, Xiaoqing Xu1

  • 1Environmental Microbiome Engineering and Biotechnology Laboratory, Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
|February 2, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Plasmids and mobile genetic elements interact to spread antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes. This study reveals a network linking conjugative plasmids and insertion sequences, facilitating AMR gene transfer in microbial communities.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Genetics
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Plasmids are key drivers of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) gene dissemination.
  • The role of interactions between plasmid types and other mobile genetic elements (MGEs) in AMR spread is poorly understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of plasmid-MGE interactions in AMR gene dissemination.
  • To characterize the network of AMR gene transfer mediated by plasmids and insertion sequences (ISs).

Main Methods:

  • Developed a tool for plasmid classification, AMR gene annotation, and visualization.
  • Analyzed plasmid-borne AMR genes, including those in class 1 integrons.
  • Identified and characterized an IS-associated AMR gene transfer network.

Main Results:

  • Most plasmid-borne AMR genes are enriched in conjugative plasmids.
  • Discovered a large network (245 combinations) linking conjugative plasmids, 59 AMR gene subtypes, and 53 ISs.
  • Experimental validation confirmed the role of these interactions in horizontal gene transfer.

Conclusions:

  • Conjugative plasmids and ISs form a significant network facilitating AMR gene transfer.
  • These interactions represent a general evolutionary mechanism for horizontal AMR gene transfer.
  • The findings highlight the importance of plasmid-MGE interactions in AMR spread within microbial communities.
Keywords:
antimicrobial resistancehorizontal gene transferlong-reads sequencingmobile genetic elementswhole genome

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