Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 9, 2026

Isolation and Identification of Waterborne Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria and Molecular Characterization of their Antibiotic Resistance Genes
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Isolation and Identification of Waterborne Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria and Molecular Characterization of their Antibiotic Resistance Genes

Published on: March 3, 2023

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Genomic characterization of mobile genetic elements associated with antimicrobial resistance in Streptococcus

Gabriel Temitope Sunmonu1,2, Rosa C Coldbeck-Shackley3, Rikki M A Graham4

  • 1School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Adelaide University, Roseworthy, South Australia 5371, Australia.

Microbial Genomics
|April 8, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Mobile genetic elements (MGEs) drive antimicrobial resistance (AMR) spread in Streptococcus pneumoniae, particularly macrolide and tetracycline resistance. Genomic surveillance is crucial for antibiotic stewardship and vaccine strategies in Australia.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Genomics
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Streptococcus pneumoniae poses a significant threat to public health.
  • Mobile genetic elements (MGEs) are key drivers of AMR gene dissemination.
  • While beta-lactams are first-line treatments in Australia, resistance to other antibiotics is rising.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the distribution of MGEs in S. pneumoniae genomes from Australia.
  • To analyze the association between MGEs and acquired AMR genes.
  • To understand the role of MGEs in shaping the pneumococcal resistome.

Main Methods:

  • Whole-genome sequencing of 573 S. pneumoniae isolates from Australia.
  • Identification of resistance genes and MGEs using AMRFinderPlus and MobileElementFinder.
  • Serotyping, sequence typing, and GPSC assignment using SeroBA, MLST, and GPS pipeline.

Main Results:

  • 547 genomes passed quality checks; MGEs like Tn916-like and Tn5253-like elements carried various AMR genes.
  • Macrolide and tetracycline resistance genes frequently co-occurred on MGEs (80.7%).
  • Common MGE-positive serotypes included 33F/ST717/GPSC3 and 4/ST2759/GPSC162, reflecting global trends in non-vaccine serotypes.

Conclusions:

  • MGEs play a critical evolutionary role in the spread of AMR in S. pneumoniae.
  • Findings highlight the importance of MGEs in multidrug-resistant clones and expanding non-vaccine serotypes.
  • Continuous genomic surveillance is essential for informing antibiotic stewardship and vaccine strategies in Australia.
Keywords:
Streptococcus pneumoniaeantimicrobial resistanceintegrative conjugative elementsmobile genetic elementsmultidrug resistance

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