Single-molecule nanopore sequencing reveals extreme target copy number heterogeneity in arylomycin-resistant mutants.

ABSTRACT: Tandem gene amplification is a frequent and dynamic source of antibiotic resistance in bacteria. Ongoing expansions and contractions of repeat arrays during population growth are expected to manifest as cell-to-cell differences in copy number (CN). As a result, a clonal bacterial culture could comprise subpopulations of cells with different levels of antibiotic sensitivity that result from variable gene dosage. Despite the high potential for misclassification of heterogenous cell populations as either antibiotic-susceptible or fully resistant in clinical settings, and the concomitant risk of inappropriate treatment, CN distribution among cells has defied analysis. Here, we use the MinION single-molecule nanopore sequencer to uncover CN heterogeneity in clonal populations of Escherichia col

SUBMITTER: Girgis HS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7817135 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature