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Updated: Jun 1, 2025

Isolation and Identification of Waterborne Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria and Molecular Characterization of their Antibiotic Resistance Genes
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Diversity and Evolution of the Mobilome Associated with Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Streptococcus anginosus

Yingting Wang1, Taoran Liu1, Yi Sida2

  • 1Department of Critical Care Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.

Microbial Drug Resistance (Larchmont, N.Y.)
|January 21, 2025
PubMed

Insights

Streptococcus anginosus harbors diverse mobile genetic elements (MGEs) carrying antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). These MGEs, including integrative and conjugative elements (ICEs) and composites, highlight S. anginosus as a potential reservoir for ARG transfer in streptococci.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Genetics
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Streptococcus anginosus causes significant pyogenic infections, bacteremia, and sinusitis.
  • Mobile genetic elements (MGEs) are crucial for lateral gene transfer, including antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs).
  • Research on ARG-associated MGEs in S. anginosus is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To characterize the diversity of the mobilome in clinical S. anginosus isolates.
  • To identify and analyze MGEs associated with antibiotic resistance in S. anginosus.
  • To understand the evolutionary implications of MGEs in S. anginosus.

Main Methods:

  • Comparative analysis of sequencing data from 11 clinical S. anginosus isolates.
  • Identification and classification of MGEs, including integrative and conjugative elements (ICEs), prophages, integrative mobilizable elements, and composites.
  • Analysis of insertion sites and structural composition of MGEs.

Main Results:

  • 47 well-characterized MGEs were identified, comprising 23 putative ICEs, 16 prophages/integrative mobilizable elements, and 8 composites.
  • MGEs were found at 16 distinct insertion positions, with 4 identified as hot spots.
  • ARG-associated ICEs were categorized into four groups based on integrase types, showing similarity to elements in other streptococci.
  • Eight composite MGEs were formed through successive accretion events.

Conclusions:

  • S. anginosus harbors a variety of ARG-associated ICEs and composite elements.
  • These findings suggest S. anginosus acts as a repository for ARG-associated MGEs, facilitating gene transfer within streptococci.
  • The study provides a model for investigating mobilome evolution through the analysis of composite elements.
Keywords:
Streptococcus anginosusantibiotic resistance genesgenomic evolutionintegrative and conjugative elementsmobilome

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