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Cell Host & Microbe Apr 2020Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) facilitates spead of antibiotic resistance elements. In this issue of Cell Host & Microbe, Domenech et al. discover that compounds...
Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) facilitates spead of antibiotic resistance elements. In this issue of Cell Host & Microbe, Domenech et al. discover that compounds disrupting proton motive force block natural competence (COM) and interrupt intraspecies HGT and exchange of antibiotic resistance. Such strategies might minimize clinical spread of antibiotic resistance.
Topics: Bacteria; Drug Resistance, Microbial; Gene Transfer, Horizontal; Plasmids; Proton-Motive Force
PubMed: 32272070
DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2020.03.013 -
MBio Jun 2022Bacteria have evolved to develop multiple strategies for antibiotic resistance by effectively reducing intracellular antibiotic concentrations or antibiotic binding...
Bacteria have evolved to develop multiple strategies for antibiotic resistance by effectively reducing intracellular antibiotic concentrations or antibiotic binding affinities, but the role of cell morphology in antibiotic resistance remains poorly understood. By analyzing cell morphological data for different bacterial species under antibiotic stress, we find that bacteria increase or decrease the cell surface-to-volume ratio depending on the antibiotic target. Using quantitative modeling, we show that by reducing the surface-to-volume ratio, bacteria can effectively reduce the intracellular antibiotic concentration by decreasing antibiotic influx. The model further predicts that bacteria can increase the surface-to-volume ratio to induce the dilution of membrane-targeting antibiotics, in agreement with experimental data. Using a whole-cell model for the regulation of cell shape and growth by antibiotics, we predict shape transformations that bacteria can utilize to increase their fitness in the presence of antibiotics. We conclude by discussing additional pathways for antibiotic resistance that may act in synergy with shape-induced resistance.
Topics: Anti-Bacterial Agents; Bacteria; Cell Shape; Drug Resistance, Bacterial; Drug Resistance, Microbial
PubMed: 35616332
DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00659-22 -
ELife Nov 2017Bacteria can overcome environmental challenges by killing nearby bacteria and incorporating their DNA.
Bacteria can overcome environmental challenges by killing nearby bacteria and incorporating their DNA.
Topics: Acinetobacter; Bacteria; Drug Resistance, Microbial; Gene Transfer, Horizontal; Population Dynamics
PubMed: 29148975
DOI: 10.7554/eLife.32703 -
Cell Reports Methods Dec 2023We created a generalizable pipeline for antibiotic-resistance-gene-free plasmid (ARGFP)-based cloning using a dual auxotrophic- and essential-gene-based selection...
We created a generalizable pipeline for antibiotic-resistance-gene-free plasmid (ARGFP)-based cloning using a dual auxotrophic- and essential-gene-based selection strategy. We use auxotrophic selection to construct plasmids in engineered E. coli DH10B cloning strains and both auxotrophic- and essential-gene-based selection to (1) select for recombinant strains and (2) maintain a plasmid in E. coli Nissle 1917, a common chassis for engineered probiotic applications, and E. coli MG1655, the laboratory "wild-type" E. coli strain. We show that our approach has comparable efficiency to that of antibiotic-resistance-gene-based cloning. We also show that the double-knockout Nissle and MG1655 strains are simple to transform with plasmids of interest. Notably, we show that the engineered Nissle strains are amenable to long-term plasmid maintenance in repeated culturing as well as in the mouse gut, demonstrating the potential for broad applications while minimizing the risk of antibiotic resistance spread via horizontal gene transfer.
Topics: Animals; Mice; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Escherichia coli; Plasmids; Drug Resistance, Microbial; Cloning, Molecular
PubMed: 38086386
DOI: 10.1016/j.crmeth.2023.100669 -
The British Journal of General Practice... Jan 2022
Topics: COVID-19; Climate Change; Drug Resistance, Microbial; Humans; Pandemics
PubMed: 34972798
DOI: 10.3399/bjgp22X718145 -
Frontiers in Cellular and Infection... 2023
Topics: Humans; Helicobacter Infections; Helicobacter pylori; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Gastritis; Drug Resistance, Microbial
PubMed: 37850053
DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1296784 -
Microbiome Jul 2023The resistome, the collection of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in a microbiome, is increasingly recognised as relevant to the development of clinically relevant...
BACKGROUND
The resistome, the collection of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in a microbiome, is increasingly recognised as relevant to the development of clinically relevant antibiotic resistance. Many metagenomic studies have reported resistome differences between groups, often in connection with disease and/or antibiotic treatment. However, the consistency of resistome associations with antibiotic- and non-antibiotic-treated diseases has not been established. In this study, we re-analysed human gut microbiome data from 26 case-control studies to assess the link between disease and the resistome.
RESULTS
The human gut resistome is highly variable between individuals both within and between studies, but may also vary significantly between case and control groups even in the absence of large taxonomic differences. We found that for diseases commonly treated with antibiotics, namely cystic fibrosis and diarrhoea, patient microbiomes had significantly elevated ARG abundances compared to controls. Disease-associated resistome expansion was found even when ARG abundance was high in controls, suggesting ongoing and additive ARG acquisition in disease-associated strains. We also found a trend for increased ARG abundance in cases from some studies on diseases that are not treated with antibiotics, such as colorectal cancer.
CONCLUSIONS
Diseases commonly treated with antibiotics are associated with expanded gut resistomes, suggesting that historical exposure to antibiotics has exerted considerable selective pressure for ARG acquisition in disease-associated strains. Video Abstract.
Topics: Humans; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Microbiota; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Drug Resistance, Microbial; Genes, Bacterial
PubMed: 37507809
DOI: 10.1186/s40168-023-01610-1 -
The Journal of Antimicrobial... Nov 2021Clostridioides difficile (CD) is one of the top five urgent antibiotic resistance threats in USA. There is a worldwide increase in MDR of CD, with emergence of novel... (Review)
Review
Clostridioides difficile (CD) is one of the top five urgent antibiotic resistance threats in USA. There is a worldwide increase in MDR of CD, with emergence of novel strains which are often more virulent and MDR. Antibiotic resistance in CD is constantly evolving with acquisition of novel resistance mechanisms, which can be transferred between different species of bacteria and among different CD strains present in the clinical setting, community, and environment. Therefore, understanding the antibiotic resistance mechanisms of CD is important to guide optimal antibiotic stewardship policies and to identify novel therapeutic targets to combat CD as well as other bacteria. Epidemiology of CD is driven by the evolution of antibiotic resistance. Prevalence of different CD strains and their characteristic resistomes show distinct global geographical patterns. Understanding epidemiologically driven and strain-specific characteristics of antibiotic resistance is important for effective epidemiological surveillance of antibiotic resistance and to curb the inter-strain and -species spread of the CD resistome. CD has developed resistance to antibiotics with diverse mechanisms such as drug alteration, modification of the antibiotic target site and extrusion of drugs via efflux pumps. In this review, we summarized the most recent advancements in the understanding of mechanisms of antibiotic resistance in CD and analysed the antibiotic resistance factors present in genomes of a few representative well known, epidemic and MDR CD strains found predominantly in different regions of the world.
Topics: Anti-Bacterial Agents; Clostridioides; Clostridioides difficile; Drug Resistance, Microbial; Microbial Sensitivity Tests
PubMed: 34297842
DOI: 10.1093/jac/dkab231 -
Biochemistry. Biokhimiia Nov 2020This issue of the Biochemistry (Moscow) journal presents reviews and experimental articles on the new strategies for solving the problem of antibiotic resistance and on...
This issue of the Biochemistry (Moscow) journal presents reviews and experimental articles on the new strategies for solving the problem of antibiotic resistance and on the search for novel antimicrobial preparations using the methods of molecular biology, genetics, and nanotechnology. A wide variety of scientific approaches and successful (as a rule) research results give hope for overcoming microbial antibiotic resistance in the fight against infectious diseases.
Topics: Anti-Bacterial Agents; Bacteria; Drug Resistance, Microbial; Humans
PubMed: 33280573
DOI: 10.1134/S0006297920110012 -
Recent Patents on Anti-infective Drug... 2018Antibiotic resistance is one of the most serious health threats to modern medicine. The lack of potent antibiotics puts us at a disadvantage in the fight against... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Antibiotic resistance is one of the most serious health threats to modern medicine. The lack of potent antibiotics puts us at a disadvantage in the fight against infectious diseases, especially those caused by antibiotic-resistant microbial strains. To this end, an urgent need to search for alternative antimicrobial approaches has arisen. In the last decade, light-based anti-infective therapy has made significant strides in this fight to combat antibiotic resistance among various microbial strains. This method includes utilizing antimicrobial blue light, antimicrobial photodynamic therapy, and germicidal ultraviolet irradiation, among others. Light-based therapy is advantageous over traditional antibiotics in that it eradicates microbial cells rapidly and the likelihood of light-resistance development by microbes is low.
METHODS
This review highlights the patents on light-based therapy that were filed approximately within the last decade and are dedicated to eradicating pathogenic microorganisms. The primary database that was used for the search was Google Patents. The searches were performed using the keywords including blue light, antimicrobial photodynamic therapy, ultraviolet irradiation, antibiotic resistance, disinfection, bacterium, fungus, and virus.
RESULTS
Forty-five patents were obtained in our search: 9 patents for the antimicrobial blue light approach, 21 for antimicrobial photodynamic therapy, 11 for UV irradiation, and lastly 4 for other light-based anti-infective approaches. The treatments and devices discussed in this review are interestingly enough able to be used in various different functions and settings, such as dental applications, certain eye diseases, skin and hard surface cleansing, decontamination of internal organs (e.g., the stomach), decontamination of apparel and equipment, eradication of pathogenic microorganisms from buildings and rooms, etc. Most of the devices and inventions introduce methods of destroying pathogenic bacteria and fungi without harming human cells and tissues.
CONCLUSIONS
Light-based antimicrobial approaches hold great promise for the future in regards to treating antibiotic-resistant infections and related diseases.
Topics: Anti-Infective Agents; Drug Resistance, Microbial; Humans; Patents as Topic; Photochemotherapy; Phototherapy; Ultraviolet Therapy
PubMed: 29119936
DOI: 10.2174/1872213X11666171108104104