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Genomics, Transcriptomics, and Metabolomics Reveal That Minimal Modifications in the Host Are Crucial for the Compensatory Evolution of ColE1-Like Plasmids

Year: 2022

Type: article

Abstract: The ability of bacteria to horizontally transfer genetic material has turned antimicrobial resistance into one of the major sanitary crises of the 21st century. Plasmid conjugation is considered the main mechanism responsible for the mobilization of resistance genes, and its understanding is crucial to tackle this crisis. It is generally accepted that the acquisition and maintenance of mobile genetic elements entail a fitness cost to its host, which is susceptible to be alleviated through a coadaptation process or compensatory evolution. Notwithstanding, despite recent major efforts, the underlying mechanisms involved in this adaptation remain poorly characterized. Analyzing the plasmid/host coadaptation from a multiomic perspective sheds light on the physiological processes involved in the compensation, providing a new understanding on the genesis and evolution of plasmid-mediated antimicrobial-resistant bacteria.

Source: mSphere

DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00184-22