Microbial biofilms on macroalgae harbour diverse integron gene cassettes.

ABSTRACT: Integrons are genetic platforms that capture, rearrange and express mobile modules called gene cassettes. The best characterized gene cassettes encode antibiotic resistance, but the function of most integron gene cassettes remains unknown. Functional predictions suggest that many gene cassettes could encode proteins that facilitate interactions with other cells and with the extracellular environment. Because cell interactions are essential for biofilm stability, we sequenced gene cassettes from biofilms growing on the surface of the marine macroalgae Ulva australis and Sargassum linearifolium. Algal samples were obtained from coastal rock platforms around Sydney, Australia, using seawater as a control. We demonstrated that integrons in microbial biofilms did not sample genes

SUBMITTER: Freddi S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10963911 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature