Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Tatiana Dimitriu, Andrew C. Matthews, Angus Buckling
Summary: Conjugative plasmids can rapidly evolve increased transfer rates and antimicrobial resistance when confronted with susceptible hosts. This evolution is driven by mutations in the copA gene, leading to higher copy numbers and subsequently higher transfer rates and AMR. Correlated selection between plasmid transfer and AMR may increase the spread of AMR within populations and communities.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jonathan H. Bethke, Helena R. Ma, Ryan Tsoi, Li Cheng, Minfeng Xiao, Lingchong You
Summary: Plasmid fitness is determined by vertical and horizontal transfer processes. While improvements in either mode of transfer can enhance plasmid spread and persistence, the metabolic cost of conjugation could limit plasmid evolution. Through the study of 40 plasmids from clinical E. coli pathogens, we uncover a conjugation-growth tradeoff and its consequences and molecular basis. Most plasmids operate below a threshold of conjugation efficiency for significant growth effects, indicating strong selection for vertical transfer. E. coli demonstrates remarkable growth tolerance to changes in conjugation efficiency below this threshold, which diminishes as nutrients become scarce and horizontal transfer consumes a greater share of host resources. Our findings provide insights into evolutionary constraints on plasmid fitness and strategies to combat antibiotic resistance spread.
MOLECULAR SYSTEMS BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yuqian Jia, Zhiqiang Wang, Dan Fang, Bingqing Yang, Ruichao Li, Yuan Liu
Summary: This study demonstrated that acetaminophen can significantly accelerate plasmid-mediated conjugative transfer in bacteria by increasing cell membrane permeability, stimulating ROS production, and other mechanisms. These findings provide new insights into the potential risks associated with the clinical use of acetaminophen.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Henriette Lyng Roder, Eleni Christidi, Cristina I. Amador, Samra Music, Asmus Kalckar Olesen, Birte Svensson, Jonas Stenlokke Madsen, Jakob Herschend, Jan-Ulrich Kreft, Mette Burmolle
Summary: The study revealed that flagella play a significant role in impacting plasmid transfer and uptake in bacterial biofilms, with mechanisms such as steric hindrance of pilus movement and binding reducing the frequency of contact and plasmid uptake. This finding adds a new layer of complexity to understanding bacterial conjugation in biofilms beyond traditional factors like distance and lag times.
APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Rafael Pinilla-Redondo, Asmus Kalckar Olesen, Jakob Russel, Lisbeth Elvira de Vries, Lisbeth Damkjaer Christensen, Sanin Musovic, Joseph Nesme, Soren Johannes Sorensen
Summary: The study found that plasmids can transfer at high frequencies and across distantly related taxa within rapid sand filter communities, highlighting their potential suitability for introducing bioremediation determinants in microbiomes of water treatment plants.
Review
Ecology
Isaiah Paolo A. Lee, Omar Tonsi Eldakar, J. Peter Gogarten, Cheryl P. Andam
Summary: Cooperation exists at all levels of biological organization, with bacteria cooperating by secreting beneficial molecules for the whole population. Recent findings show that mobile genetic elements promote bacterial cooperation through horizontal gene transfer (HGT), and cooperation can facilitate more frequent HGT. HGT itself can be considered as a form of cooperation and serves as an important enforcement mechanism in bacterial populations.
TRENDS IN ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Marion Hutinel, Jerker Fick, D. G. Joakim Larsson, Carl-Fredrik Flach
Summary: In this study, it was found that chemicals present in municipal wastewater did not induce horizontal gene transfer (HGT), while exposure to hospital wastewater led to an increase in the number of recipients acquiring sulfonamide resistance. Although concentrations were generally higher in hospital wastewater, none of the measured substances could individually explain its effects; the majority of captured mobile genetic elements were Inch plasmids.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Houpu Zhang, Jiajin Song, Zhiruo Zheng, Tongxin Li, Nan Shi, Yuling Han, Luqing Zhang, Yunlong Yu, Hua Fang
Summary: Co-pollution of soil with pesticide residues and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) is increasing due to the substantial usage of pesticides and organic fertilizers in greenhouse-based agricultural production. Non-antibiotic stresses, including those from agricultural fungicides, are potential co-selectors for the horizontal transfer of ARGs, but the underlying mechanism remains unclear.
Article
Microbiology
Cesar Gago-Cordoba, Jorge Val-Calvo, David Abia, Alberto Diaz-Talavera, Andres Miguel-Arribas, Rocio Aguilar Suarez, Jan Maarten van Dijl, Ling Juan Wu, Wilfried J. J. Meijer
Summary: Conjugation, the process of DNA transfer between bacterial cells through a connecting channel, plays a significant role in the spread of antibiotic resistance genes. Adhesin proteins encoded by conjugative elements, such as pLS20 in Bacillus subtilis, are essential for effective conjugation in Gram-positive bacteria. These adhesins, containing a class II type thioester domain (TED), are widely conserved in Gram-positive bacteria and may provide new insights into combating antibiotic resistance by targeting the first step of cell recognition and attachment in conjugation.
Article
Microbiology
Manlin Ding, Zi Ye, Lu Liu, Wei Wang, Qiao Chen, Feiyang Zhang, Ying Wang, Asa Sjoling, Alberto J. Martin-Rodriguez, Renjing Hu, Wenbi Chen, Yingshun Zhou
Summary: Horizontal gene transfer, especially plasmid-mediated conjugation transfer, plays a crucial role in the spread of antibiotic resistance. It is found that sub-minimal inhibitory concentrations (sub-MICs) of antibiotics can promote conjugation frequency, although the underlying mechanism remains unclear. In this study, the effects of sub-MICs of meropenem, ciprofloxacin, cefotaxime, and amikacin on conjugational transfer were investigated using Klebsiella pneumoniae as the donor strain. The results showed that sub-MIC levels of antibiotics significantly increased the transfer frequencies. Furthermore, the study also revealed changes in gene expression and metabolome under sub-MIC conditions. These findings highlight the importance of assessing the roles of sub-MIC levels of antibiotics in the spread of antibiotic resistance.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Aerospace
V. K. Ilyin, O. Orlov, Yu A. Morozova, M. A. Skedina, S. K. Vladimirov, E. Plotnikov, A. A. Artamonov
Summary: This study presents a phenomenological model for the horizontal spread of bacterial drug resistance genes in spacecraft crews, based on experiments involving identifying microbial communities in the nasopharynx and determining gene transfer frequencies in space flight conditions. The model predicts a multiple decrease in antibiotic resistance in space conditions, while R-plasmids are expected to show increased resistance.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Sulagna Mishra, Uli Kluemper, Veiko Voolaid, Thomas U. Berendonk, David Kneis
Summary: The study introduces a numerical model that considers fitness cost, temperature dependency, and other factors in estimating growth and plasmid transfer rate constants during bacterial conjugation experiments. Plasmid bearing costs significantly reduce growth rates between 20 and 37 degrees Celsius. The proposed model provides a better estimation of gene transmission among different bacterial and plasmid strains.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Editorial Material
Microbiology
Sophie Payot
Summary: The propagation of ICEBs1 in Bacillus subtilis biofilm depends mainly on transconjugants, which are restricted to clusters of bacteria in close proximity to initial donor cells. These clusters are heterogeneously distributed in the biofilm and expand vertically towards the air-liquid interface.
JOURNAL OF BACTERIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Infectious Diseases
Claudia Michaelis, Elisabeth Grohmann
Summary: Bacteria form biofilms to resist antibiotic treatment, and environmental biofilms are hotspots for the spread of antibiotic resistance genes. This review summarizes the latest research on biofilms and the techniques used to visualize horizontal gene transfer mechanisms in biofilms.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Adrian Alvarez-Molina, Elena Trigal, Miguel Prieto, Mercedes Lopez, Avelino Alvarez-Ordonez
Summary: Plasmids containing antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) are important for the horizontal transfer of resistance between bacteria. This study developed a conjugation procedure to monitor the transfer of a specific plasmid in different food chain-related scenarios. The results showed that temperature, pH, and the presence of certain biocidal agents can affect the conjugation rate. This procedure can be used to identify risk scenarios and develop strategies to combat antimicrobial resistance.
CURRENT RESEARCH IN FOOD SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Khadija Mathieu, Waqas Javed, Sylvain Vallet, Christian Lesterlin, Marie-Pierre Candusso, Feng Ding, Xiaohong Nancy Xu, Christine Ebel, Jean-Michel Jault, Cedric Orelle
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2019)
Article
Microbiology
Morgane Roussin, Sedera Rabarioelina, Laurence Cluzeau, Julien Cayron, Christian Lesterlin, Suzana P. Salcedo, Sarah Bigot
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2019)
Review
Microbiology
Audrey Reuter, Chloe Virolle, Kelly Goldlust, Annick Berne-Dedieu, Sophie Nolivos, Christian Lesterlin
FEMS MICROBIOLOGY REVIEWS
(2020)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Sandra Daniel, Kelly Goldlust, Valentin Quebre, Minjia Shen, Christian Lesterlin, Jean-Yves Bouet, Yoshiharu Yamaichi
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Mathew Stracy, Jakob Schweizer, David J. Sherratt, Achillefs N. Kapanidis, Stephan Uphoff, Christian Lesterlin
Summary: Despite diverse biochemical characteristics and functions, all DNA-binding proteins share the ability to accurately locate target sites, with their mobility during the search being dictated by DNA interactions rather than by molecular weights. While the nucleoid does not physically block protein diffusion, it does significantly slow down protein motion through frequent short-lived DNA interactions. Represenative DNA-binding proteins spend majority of search time bound to DNA, potentially due to chromosome crowding impacting their function.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Audrey Reuter, Cecile Hilpert, Annick Dedieu-Berne, Sophie Lematre, Erwan Gueguen, Guillaume Launay, Sarah Bigot, Christian Lesterlin
Summary: This study develops an innovative strategy based on targeted-antibacterial-plasmids (TAPs) using bacterial conjugation to deliver CRISPR/Cas systems for strain-specific antibacterial activity. TAPs are shown to induce strain-selective killing by introducing lethal double strand breaks (DSBs) into the targeted genomes, with potential to resensitize strains to antibiotics and modify microbiota for eradicating targeted resistant and/or pathogenic bacteria.
NUCLEIC ACIDS RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Julien Cayron, Annick Dedieu-Berne, Christian Lesterlin
Summary: Filamentation is a reversible morphological change in bacteria triggered by stresses, and this study investigates the dynamics of filament formation and recovery. The results show that both types of filaments, induced by cephalexin or UV-induced DNA-damage, recover through accelerated rounds of divisions at the filaments' tip, resulting in the rapid production of daughter cells with regulated size. The coordination between chromosome segregation and division within the mother filament is crucial for the DNA content, viability, and further division of the daughter cells.
MOLECULAR MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Agathe Couturier, Chloe Virolle, Kelly Goldlust, Annick Berne-Dedieu, Audrey Reuter, Sophie Nolivos, Yoshiharu Yamaichi, Sarah Bigot, Christian Lesterlin
Summary: Conjugation is a contact-dependent mechanism for the transfer of plasmid DNA between bacterial cells. Live-cell microscopy was used to visualize the intracellular dynamics of conjugation, revealing a molecular strategy for the sequential production of factors involved in establishing, maintaining, and disseminating the plasmid.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Minjia Shen, Kelly Goldlust, Sandra Daniel, Christian Lesterlin, Yoshiharu Yamaichi
Summary: Dissemination of antibiotic resistance is driven by bacterial conjugation, which involves the transfer of single-stranded DNA from the donor to the recipient cell. Host-encoded factors, such as the uvrD gene, can affect the frequency of conjugative plasmid transfer. Our study found that disruption of the recipient uvrD gene decreased the acquisition frequency of conjugative plasmids, and that ATPase activity of UvrD is required for successful plasmid establishment in recipient cells.
NUCLEIC ACIDS RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Sarah Djermoun, Audrey Reuter, Elisabeth Derollez, Christian Lesterlin, Sarah Bigot
Summary: The emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance has led to the inefficiency of antibiotics against multidrug resistant bacterial strains. We have developed a novel strategy using mobilizable Targeted-Antibacterial-Plasmids (TAPs) that deliver strain-specific antibacterial activity through CRISPR/Cas systems. By utilizing the F plasmid conjugation machinery and RP4 plasmid conjugation system, we have successfully targeted a variety of bacterial strains, including E. coli, Salmonella, Klebsiella, Vibrio, and Pseudomonas.