An Environmental Escherichia coli Strain Is Naturally Competent to Acquire Exogenous DNA.

ABSTRACT: The diffusion of antibiotic resistance determinants in different environments, e.g., soil and water, has become a public concern for global health and food safety and many efforts are currently devoted to clarify this complex ecological and evolutionary issue. Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) has an important role in the spread of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). However, among the different HGT mechanisms, the capacity of environmental bacteria to acquire naked exogenous DNA by natural competence is still poorly investigated. This study aimed to characterize the ability of the environmental Escherichia coli strain ED1, isolated from the crustacean Daphnia sp., to acquire exogenous DNA by natural competence. Transformation experiments were carried out varying different param

SUBMITTER: Riva F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7494812 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature