Transfer and Persistence of a Multi-Drug Resistance Plasmid in situ of the Infant Gut Microbiota in the Absence of Antibiotic Treatment.

ABSTRACT: The microbial ecosystem residing in the human gut is believed to play an important role in horizontal exchange of virulence and antibiotic resistance genes that threatens human health. While the diversity of gut-microorganisms and their genetic content has been studied extensively, high-resolution insight into the plasticity, and selective forces shaping individual genomes is scarce. In a longitudinal study, we followed the dynamics of co-existing Escherichia coli lineages in an infant not receiving antibiotics. Using whole genome sequencing, we observed large genomic deletions, bacteriophage infections, as well as the loss and acquisition of plasmids in these lineages during their colonization of the human gut. In particular, we captured the exchange of multidrug resistance genes,

SUBMITTER: Gumpert H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5622998 | biostudies-literature | 2017

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature