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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 -
Upsala Journal of Medical Sciences May 2014Spread of antibiotic resistance is mediated by clonal lineages of bacteria that besides being resistant also possess other properties promoting their success. Some... (Review)
Review
Spread of antibiotic resistance is mediated by clonal lineages of bacteria that besides being resistant also possess other properties promoting their success. Some vaccines already in use, such as the pneumococcal conjugate vaccines, have had an effect on these successful clones, but at the same time have allowed for the expansion and resistance evolution of previously minor clones not covered by the vaccine. Since resistance frequently is horizontally transferred it will be difficult to generate a vaccine that covers all possible genetic lineages prone to develop resistance unless the vaccine target(s) is absolutely necessary for spread and/or disease development. Targeting the resistance mechanism itself by a vaccine is an interesting but hitherto unexplored approach.
Topics: Bacterial Vaccines; Drug Resistance, Microbial
PubMed: 24694025
DOI: 10.3109/03009734.2014.903324 -
Frontiers in Cellular and Infection... 2021
Topics: Anti-Bacterial Agents; Drug Resistance, Bacterial; Drug Resistance, Microbial; Escherichia coli; Escherichia coli Infections; Escherichia coli Proteins; Humans; Phylogeny; Virulence; Virulence Factors
PubMed: 33869085
DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.654283 -
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 -
EcoSal Plus Mar 2021As the spread of antibiotic resistance threatens our ability to treat infections, avoiding the return of a preantibiotic era requires the discovery of new drugs. While... (Review)
Review
As the spread of antibiotic resistance threatens our ability to treat infections, avoiding the return of a preantibiotic era requires the discovery of new drugs. While therapeutic use of antibiotics followed by the inevitable selection of resistance is a modern phenomenon, these molecules and the genetic determinants of resistance were in use by environmental microbes long before humans discovered them. In this review, we discuss evidence that antibiotics and resistance were present in the environment before anthropogenic use, describing techniques including direct sampling of ancient DNA and phylogenetic analyses that are used to reconstruct the past. We also pay special attention to the ecological and evolutionary forces that have shaped the natural history of antibiotic biosynthesis, including a discussion of competitive versus signaling roles for antibiotics, proto-resistance, and substrate promiscuity of biosynthetic and resistance enzymes. Finally, by applying an evolutionary lens, we describe concepts governing the origins and evolution of biosynthetic gene clusters and cluster-associated resistance determinants. These insights into microbes' use of antibiotics in nature, a game they have been playing for millennia, can provide inspiration for discovery technologies and management strategies to combat the growing resistance crisis.
Topics: Anti-Bacterial Agents; Drug Resistance, Microbial; Humans; Multigene Family; Phylogeny
PubMed: 33734062
DOI: 10.1128/ecosalplus.ESP-0027-2020 -
Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety Apr 2023Antibiotic resistance is currently one of the greatest threats to human health. Widespread use and residues of antibiotics in humans, animals, and the environment can... (Review)
Review
Antibiotic resistance is currently one of the greatest threats to human health. Widespread use and residues of antibiotics in humans, animals, and the environment can exert selective pressure on antibiotic resistance bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic resistance gene (ARG), accelerating the flow of antibiotic resistance. As ARG spreads to the population, the burden of antibiotic resistance in humans increases, which may have potential health effects on people. Therefore, it is critical to mitigate the spread of antibiotic resistance to humans and reduce the load of antibiotic resistance in humans. This review briefly described the information of global antibiotic consumption information and national action plans (NAPs) to combat antibiotic resistance and provided a set of feasible control strategies for the transmission of ARB and ARG to humans in three areas including (a) Reducing the colonization capacity of exogenous ARB, (b) Enhancing human colonization resistance and mitigating the horizontal gene transfer (HGT) of ARG, (c) Reversing ARB antibiotic resistance. With the hope of achieving interdisciplinary one-health prevention and control of bacterial resistance.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Bacteria; Angiotensin Receptor Antagonists; Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors; Genes, Bacterial; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Drug Resistance, Microbial; Drug Resistance, Bacterial
PubMed: 36950985
DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2023.114734 -
Poultry Science Mar 2022Antibiotic resistance is a serious concern for public health. Farm environments are relevant reservoirs of antibiotic resistant bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes...
Antibiotic resistance is a serious concern for public health. Farm environments are relevant reservoirs of antibiotic resistant bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), thus strategies to limit the spread of ARGs from farms to the environment are needed. In this study a broiler farm, where antibiotics have never been used for any purpose, was selected to evaluate if this measure is effective in reducing the ARGs load in farm environment (FE) and in meat processing environment (MPE). Faecal samples from FE and MPE were processed for DNA extraction. Detection and quantification of the 16S rRNA gene and selected ARGs (bla, qnrS, sul2, and tetA) were carried out by PCR and digital droplet PCR (ddPCR), respectively. Generally, the relative abundance of the quantified ARGs in FE was similar or higher than that measured in intensive farms. Furthermore, apart for tetA, no differences in relative abundances of the other ARGs between FE and MPE were determined. These results suggest that the choice to not use antibiotics in broiler farming is not so effective to limit the ARGs spread in MPE and that further sources of ARGs should be considered including the preceding production phase with particular reference to the breeding stage.
Topics: Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Chickens; Drug Resistance, Microbial; Farms; Genes, Bacterial; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S
PubMed: 35091251
DOI: 10.1016/j.psj.2021.101675 -
International Dental Journal Dec 2021
Topics: Anti-Bacterial Agents; Dentistry; Drug Resistance, Microbial; Humans
PubMed: 33581869
DOI: 10.1016/j.identj.2020.12.023 -
International Journal of Environmental... May 2023The role of microplastics (MPs) in the spread of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) is increasingly attracting global research attention due to their unique ecological... (Review)
Review
The role of microplastics (MPs) in the spread of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) is increasingly attracting global research attention due to their unique ecological and environmental effects. The ubiquitous use of plastics and their release into the environment by anthropic/industrial activities are the main sources for MP contamination, especially of water bodies. Because of their physical and chemical characteristics, MPs represent an ideal substrate for microbial colonization and formation of biofilm, where horizontal gene transfer is facilitated. In addition, the widespread and often injudicious use of antibiotics in various human activities leads to their release into the environment, mainly through wastewater. For these reasons, wastewater treatment plants, in particular hospital plants, are considered hotspots for the selection of ARGs and their diffusion in the environment. As a result, the interaction of MPs with drug-resistant bacteria and ARGs make them vectors for the transport and spread of ARGs and harmful microorganisms. Microplastic-associated antimicrobial resistance is an emerging threat to the environment and consequently for human health. More studies are required to better understand the interaction of these pollutants with the environment as well as to identify effective management systems to reduce the related risk.
Topics: Humans; Microplastics; Wastewater; Plastics; Genes, Bacterial; Drug Resistance, Microbial; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Hospitals
PubMed: 37239594
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20105868 -
Upsala Journal of Medical Sciences May 2014Most of the literature on the consequences of emergence and spread of bacteria resistant to antibiotics among animals relate to the potential impact on public health.... (Review)
Review
Most of the literature on the consequences of emergence and spread of bacteria resistant to antibiotics among animals relate to the potential impact on public health. But antibiotics are used to treat sick animals, and resistance in animal pathogens may lead to therapy failure. This has received little scientific attention, and therefore, in this article, we discuss examples that illustrate the possible impact of resistance on animal health and consequences thereof. For all animals, there may be a negative effect on health and welfare when diseases cannot be treated. Other consequences will vary depending on why and how different animal species are kept. Animals kept as companions or for sports often receive advanced care, and antibiotic resistance can lead to negative social and economic consequences for the owners. Further, spread of hospital-acquired infections can have an economic impact on the affected premises. As to animals kept for food production, antibiotics are not needed to promote growth, but, if infectious diseases cannot be treated when they occur, this can have a negative effect on the productivity and economy of affected businesses. Antibiotic resistance in animal bacteria can also have positive consequences by creating incentives for adoption of alternative regimes for treatment and prevention. It is probable that new antibiotic classes placed on the market in the future will not reach veterinary medicine, which further emphasizes the need to preserve the efficacy of currently available antibiotics through antibiotic stewardship. A cornerstone in this work is prevention, as healthy animals do not need antibiotics.
Topics: Animal Welfare; Animals; Drug Resistance, Microbial; Meat Products; Veterinary Medicine
PubMed: 24678738
DOI: 10.3109/03009734.2014.901445