Work

Antimicrobial resistance acquisition via natural transformation: context is everything

Year: 2021

Type: review

Abstract: Natural transformation is a process where bacterial cells actively take up free DNA from the environment and recombine it into their genome or reconvert it into extra-chromosomal genetic elements. Although this mechanism is known to mediate the uptake of antibiotic resistance determinants in a range of human pathogens, its importance in the spread of antimicrobial resistance is not always appreciated. This review highlights the context in which transformation takes place: in diverse microbiomes, in interaction with other forms of horizontal gene transfer and in increasingly polluted environments. This examination of the abiotic and biotic drivers of transformation reveals that it could be more important in the dissemination of resistance genes than is often recognised.

Source: Current Opinion in Microbiology

DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2021.09.009

Authors: Macaulay Winter, Angus Buckling, Klaus Harms, Pål Jarle Johnsen, Michiel Vos

Institutions: University of Exeter, UiT The Arctic University of Norway

Language: English

Topic: Antibiotic Resistance in Bacteria

Subfield: Microbiology (medical)

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,850