Mining microbial metatranscriptomes for expression of antibiotic resistance genes under natural conditions.

ABSTRACT: Antibiotic resistance genes are found in a broad range of ecological niches associated with complex microbiota. Here we investigated if resistance genes are not only present, but also transcribed under natural conditions. Furthermore, we examined the potential for antibiotic production by assessing the expression of associated secondary metabolite biosynthesis gene clusters. Metatranscriptome datasets from intestinal microbiota of four human adults, one human infant, 15 mice and six pigs, of which only the latter have received antibiotics prior to the study, as well as from sea bacterioplankton, a marine sponge, forest soil and sub-seafloor sediment, were investigated. We found that resistance genes are expressed in all studied ecological niches, albeit with niche-specific differences in r

SUBMITTER: Versluis D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4495384 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature