The association between the genetic structures of commonly incompatible plasmids in Gram-negative bacteria, their

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Lei Fang1, Ruyan Chen1, Chenyu Li1

  • 1Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China.

Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology
|December 11, 2024
PubMed

Insights

Incompatible plasmids facilitate antibiotic resistance spread in bacteria. This review details their discovery, genetic makeup, and role in bacterial evolution and resistance gene dissemination.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Genetics
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Incompatible plasmids are key drivers of antibiotic resistance transfer in bacteria, especially Gram-negative species.
  • These plasmids, discovered in the 1970s, carry diverse resistance genes and genetic elements.
  • Their broad host range and varied geographic distribution contribute to the global challenge of antibiotic resistance.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To provide a comprehensive review of incompatible plasmids.
  • To detail their discovery, host distribution, geographic prevalence, resistance genes, and genetic structures.
  • To enhance understanding of their role in bacterial evolution and antibiotic resistance dissemination.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of incompatible plasmids.
  • Analysis of plasmid discovery timelines.
  • Examination of genetic structures and carried resistance genes.
  • Review of host distribution and geographic prevalence data.

Main Results:

  • Incompatible plasmids have been studied since the 1970s.
  • They exhibit diverse genetic structures, host ranges, and carry numerous antibiotic resistance genes.
  • Specific incompatibility groups (IncA, IncC, IncF, IncL, IncM, IncH, IncP) were analyzed.

Conclusions:

  • Incompatible plasmids are critical in the evolution and spread of antibiotic resistance.
  • Understanding their genetic diversity and distribution is essential for combating antimicrobial resistance.
  • This review serves as a reference for researchers in microbiology and infectious diseases.
Keywords:
genetic elementgenetic structureshorizontal gene transferplasmidsresistance genes

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