Functional genomics to identify the factors contributing to successful persistence and global spread of an antibiotic resistance plasmid.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The spread of bacterial plasmids is an increasing global problem contributing to the widespread dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes including β-lactamases. Our understanding of the details of the biological mechanisms by which these natural plasmids are able to persist in bacterial populations and are able to establish themselves in new hosts via conjugative transfer is very poor. We recently identified and sequenced a globally successful plasmid, pCT, conferring β-lactam resistance.

Results

Here, we investigated six plasmid encoded factors (tra and pil loci; rci shufflon recombinase, a putative sigma factor, a putative parB partitioning gene and a pndACB toxin-antitoxin system) hypothesised to contribute to the 'evolutionary success' of plasmid pCT. Usin

SUBMITTER: Cottell JL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4083329 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature