Adaptive modulation of antibiotic resistance through intragenomic coevolution.

ABSTRACT: Bacteria gain antibiotic resistance genes by horizontal acquisition of mobile genetic elements (MGE) from other lineages. Newly acquired MGEs are often poorly adapted causing intragenomic conflicts, resolved by compensatory adaptation of the chromosome, the MGE or reciprocal coadaptation. The footprints of such intragenomic coevolution are present in bacterial genomes, suggesting an important role promoting genomic integration of horizontally acquired genes, but direct experimental evidence of the process is limited. Here we show adaptive modulation of tetracycline resistance via intragenomic coevolution between Escherichia coli and the multi-drug resistant (MDR) plasmid RK2. Tetracycline treatments, including monotherapy or combination therapies with ampicillin, favoured de novo

SUBMITTER: Bottery MJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5584659 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature