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Intra- and interpopulation transposition of mobile genetic elements driven by antibiotic selection
Yi Yao1, Rohan Maddamsetti1, Andrea Weiss1
1Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
Nature Ecology & Evolution
|March 29, 2022
Summary
Antibiotic treatment accelerates the spread of antibiotic resistance genes. Stronger antibiotic selection drives resistance genes from chromosomes to plasmids, enhancing their horizontal gene transfer (HGT) and spread in microbial communities.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Genetics
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) facilitates the spread of antibiotic resistance genes.
- Transposons are mobile genetic elements that mediate gene translocation between chromosomes and plasmids.
- The role of environmental factors, particularly antibiotic treatment, in modulating this process remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if antibiotic exposure selects for transposition of resistance genes onto plasmids.
- To determine if antibiotic concentration influences the distribution of resistance genes between chromosomes and plasmids.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of transposition dynamics of synthetic and natural transposons encoding antibiotic resistance.
- Quantitative assessment of resistance gene distribution under varying antibiotic selection pressures.
Main Results:
- Antibiotic exposure promotes the translocation of resistance genes onto plasmids.
- Increased antibiotic selection pressure results in a higher proportion of resistance genes on plasmids.
- Higher copy numbers on plasmids enhance gene expression and cell survival.
Conclusions:
- Antibiotic selection acts as a driving force for the transfer of resistance genes to plasmids.
- This mechanism accelerates the dissemination of antibiotic resistance within microbial populations.
- Findings provide quantitative evidence for antibiotic-induced spread of resistance.
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