An assay for determining minimal concentrations of antibiotics that drive horizontal transfer of resistance
Abstract
Ability to understand the factors driving horizontal transfer of antibiotic resistance from unknown, harmless bacteria to pathogens is crucial in order to tackle the growing resistance problem. However, current methods to measure effects of stressors on horizontal gene transfer have limitations and often fall short, as the estimated endpoints can be a mix of both the number of transfer events and clonal growth of transconjugants. Our aim was therefore to achieve a proper strategy for assessing the minimal concentration of a stressor (exemplified by tetracycline) that drives horizontal transfer of antibiotic resistance from a complex community to a model pathogen. Conditions were optimized to improve a culture-based approach using the bacterial community of treated sewage effluent as donor, and fluorescent, traceable Escherichia coli as recipient. Reduced level of background resistance, differentiation of isolates as well as decreased risk for measuring effects of selection were achieved through the use of chromogenic medium, optimization of conjugation time as well as applying a different antibiotic for isolation of transconjugants than the one tested for its ability to drive transfer. Using this assay, we showed that a very lo...Continue Reading
References
Broad host range plasmids can invade an unexpectedly diverse fraction of a soil bacterial community.
Citations
Related Concepts
Related Feeds
Antifungals
An antifungal, also known as an antimycotic medication, is a pharmaceutical fungicide or fungistatic used to treat and prevent mycosis such as athlete's foot, ringworm, candidiasis, cryptococcal meningitis, and others. Discover the latest research on antifungals here.
Antimicrobial Resistance (ASM)
Antimicrobial resistance poses a significant threat to the continued successful use of antimicrobial agents for the treatment of bacterial infections.
Allergy & Infectious Diseases (ASM)
Allergies result from the hyperreactivity of the immune system to some environmental substance and can be life-threatening. Infectious diseases are caused by organisms including bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites. They can be transmitted different ways, such as person-to-person. Here is the latest research on allergy and infectious diseases.
Antimicrobial Resistance
Antimicrobial resistance poses a significant threat to the continued successful use of antimicrobial agents for the treatment of bacterial infections.
Allergy & Infectious Diseases
Allergies result from the hyperreactivity of the immune system to some environmental substance and can be life-threatening. Infectious diseases are caused by organisms including bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites. They can be transmitted different ways, such as person-to-person. Here is the latest research on allergy and infectious diseases.
Antifungals (ASM)
An antifungal, also known as an antimycotic medication, is a pharmaceutical fungicide or fungistatic used to treat and prevent mycosis such as athlete's foot, ringworm, candidiasis, cryptococcal meningitis, and others. Discover the latest research on antifungals here.