Video Experimental Relacionado

Updated: Jan 8, 2026

Testing the Role of Multicopy Plasmids in the Evolution of Antibiotic Resistance

Testing the Role of Multicopy Plasmids in the Evolution of Antibiotic Resistance

Published on: May 2, 2018

Epidemiología genómica de la resistencia antimicrobiana en Proteus mirabilis: impulsores del genoma central y

Peng Zhang^1,2, Zhikang Cheng³, Yang Cao⁴

¹Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230022, China. zpeng@email.tjut.edu.cn.

BMC microbiology

|December 20, 2025

Abstract:

Proteus mirabilis has emerged as a clinically significant multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogen, yet the genomic drivers and dissemination mechanisms of its antimicrobial resistance (AMR) remain poorly characterized. To address this gap, we conducted a pangenome analysis of 2,013 P. mirabilis genomes, including 1,990 publicly available strains and 23 newly sequenced clinical isolates, to delineate the species-wide AMR landscape. Our study identified 197 AMR gene subtypes spanning 12 antibiotic classes, with seven resistance determinants embedded in the core genome. Clinically critical resistance phenotypes-notably to third-generation cephalosporins and carbapenems-were strongly associated with the proliferation of β-lactamase genes (bla_TEM-1, bla_CTX-M-15, bla_NDM-1) across lineages. Strikingly, 36.4% of AMR genes resided on mobile genetic elements, with conjugative IncC plasmids acting as primary vectors for high-risk resistance cassettes, including β-lactamase (bla_TEM-1, bla_NDM-1) and aminoglycoside-modifying [aac(6')-Ib-cr, aph(3'')-Ib] genes. Phylogenetic reconstruction revealed that bla_NDM-1-carrying IncC plasmids formed interspecies clusters with homologs from Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, and Salmonella enterica, demonstrating active cross-genera transmission within Enterobacteriaceae. These findings highlight two parallel evolutionary strategies in P. mirabilis: the conservation of core genome resistance mechanisms and horizontal acquisition of plasmid-borne MDR traits, which provide comprehensive understanding of AMR transmission in the bacterium.

Palabras clave:

transmisión de RAm resistencia a los antimicrobianos plásmido Proteus mirabilis

Más Videos Relacionados

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

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

Published on: March 3, 2023

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

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

Published on: March 24, 2023

Videos de Conceptos Relacionados

Development of Antibiotic Resistance

Development of Antibiotic Resistance

Antibiotic resistance is a major public health concern that arises when bacteria evolve mechanisms to withstand the effects of antibiotic treatments. This resistance can be intrinsic, acquired through genetic mutations, or transferred between bacteria via horizontal gene transfer. The development of antibiotic resistance poses significant challenges in treating bacterial infections and necessitates ongoing research to develop new therapeutic strategies.Intrinsic resistance occurs when bacterial...

Genomic DNA in Prokaryotes

Genomic DNA in Prokaryotes

The genome of most prokaryotic organisms consists of double-stranded DNA organized into one circular chromosome in a region of cytoplasm called the nucleoid. The chromosome is tightly wound, or supercoiled, for efficient storage. Prokaryotes also contain other circular pieces of DNA called plasmids. These plasmids are smaller than the chromosome and often carry genes that confer adaptive functions, such as antibiotic resistance.
Genomic Diversity in Bacteria
Although bacterial genomes are much...

Antibiotic Selection

Antibiotic Selection

Gene Regulation in Microbial Communities: Quorum Sensing

Gene Regulation in Microbial Communities: Quorum Sensing

Quorum sensing is a mechanism of bacterial communication that enables coordinated gene expression in response to changes in population density. This facilitates collective behaviors that enhance survival, resource acquisition, and ecological adaptation. This process relies on small signaling molecules called autoinducers that accumulate as bacterial populations grow. When a critical threshold concentration of autoinducers is reached, bacterial cells collectively modify gene expression,...

Plasmids

Plasmids

Plasmids are extrachromosomal DNA molecules found in bacteria, archaea, and some eukaryotic microbes like yeast. These small, circular DNA structures typically contain fewer than 30 genes, although some may exist linearly. Plasmids vary in their number within a cell, known as copy number. Single-copy plasmids are present in one copy per cell and multi-copy plasmids are present in multiple copies, reaching over 100 copies per cell.Plasmids usually replicate independently of the chromosomal DNA...

Genome Size and the Evolution of New Genes

Genome Size and the Evolution of New Genes

While every living organism has a genome of some kind (be it RNA, or DNA), there is considerable variation in the sizes of these blueprints. One major factor that impacts genome size is whether the organism is prokaryotic or eukaryotic. In prokaryotes, the genome contains little to no non-coding sequence, such that genes are tightly clustered in groups or operons sequentially along the chromosome. Conversely, the genes in eukaryotes are punctuated by long stretches of non-coding sequence.