Genetic determinants of pOXA-48 plasmid maintenance and propagation in Escherichia coli.

ABSTRACT: Conjugative plasmids are the main drivers of antibiotic resistance dissemination contributing to the emergence and extensive spread of multidrug resistance clinical bacterial pathogens. pOXA-48 plasmids, belonging to the IncL group, emerge as the primary vehicle for carbapenem resistance in Enterobacteriaceae. Despite the problematic prevalence of pOXA-48, most research focus on epidemiology and genomics, leaving gaps in our understanding of the mechanisms behind its propagation. In this study, we use a transposon sequencing approach to identify genetic elements critical for plasmid stability, replication, and conjugative transfer. Our results identify a novel type I toxin-antitoxin system, uncharacterized essential maintenance factors, and components of the type IV secretion system and re

SUBMITTER: Baffert Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12365149 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature