Deciphering MCR-2 Colistin Resistance.

ABSTRACT: Antibiotic resistance is a prevalent problem in public health worldwide. In general, the carbapenem β-lactam antibiotics are considered a final resort against lethal infections by multidrug-resistant bacteria. Colistin is a cationic polypeptide antibiotic and acts as the last line of defense for treatment of carbapenem-resistant bacteria. Very recently, a new plasmid-borne colistin resistance gene, mcr-2, was revealed soon after the discovery of the paradigm gene mcr-1, which has disseminated globally. However, the molecular mechanisms for MCR-2 colistin resistance are poorly understood. Here we show a unique transposon unit that facilitates the acquisition and transfer of mcr-2 Evolutionary analyses suggested that both MCR-2 and MCR-1 might be traced to their cousin p

SUBMITTER: Sun J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5424208 | biostudies-literature | 2017 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature