Enterococcus faecalis Strains with Compromised CRISPR-Cas Defense Emerge under Antibiotic Selection for a CRISPR-Targeted Plasmid.

ABSTRACT: Enterococcus faecalis is a Gram-positive bacterium that natively colonizes the human gastrointestinal tract and opportunistically causes life-threatening infections. Multidrug-resistant (MDR) E. faecalis strains have emerged that are replete with mobile genetic elements (MGEs). Non-MDR E. faecalis strains frequently possess CRISPR-Cas systems, which reduce the frequency of MGE acquisition. We demonstrated in previous studies that E. faecalis populations can transiently maintain both a functional CRISPR-Cas system and a CRISPR-Cas target. In this study, we used serial passage and deep sequencing to analyze these populations. In the presence of antibiotic selection for the plasmid, mutants with compromised CRISPR-Cas defense and enhanced ability to acquire a second antibiotic resistance plas

SUBMITTER: Huo W 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10304774 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature