The Bacterial Genomic Context of Highly Trimethoprim-Resistant DfrB Dihydrofolate Reductases Highlights an Emerging Threat to Public Health.

ABSTRACT: Type B dihydrofolate reductase (dfrb) genes were identified following the introduction of trimethoprim in the 1960s. Although they intrinsically confer resistance to trimethoprim (TMP) that is orders of magnitude greater than through other mechanisms, the distribution and prevalence of these short (237 bp) genes is unknown. Indeed, this knowledge has been hampered by systematic biases in search methodologies. Here, we investigate the genomic context of dfrbs to gain information on their current distribution in bacterial genomes. Upon searching publicly available databases, we identified 61 sequences containing dfrbs within an analyzable genomic context. The majority (70%) of those sequences also harbor virulence genes and 97% of the dfrbs are found near a mobile

SUBMITTER: Lemay-St-Denis C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8103504 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature