Abstract Title
The Effect of Species Interactions on the Conjugative Transfer of a Multidrug Resistance Plasmid
Additional Funding Sources
The project described was supported by the Research Experience for Undergraduates Program Site: Molecular and organismal evolution at the University of Idaho under Award No. 1757826.
Abstract
Plasmids are mobile genetic elements commonly found in bacteria. They replicate independently from the chromosome and often carry genes that confer traits beneficial to the bacterial host such as antibiotic resistance. The transfer of multidrug resistance (MDR) plasmids between bacteria by conjugation poses a particular problem to the medical field, where antibiotics used to treat common bacterial infections are becoming less effective. One potential hotspot for the spread of MDR plasmids is the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. To limit the spread of MDR plasmids we need to first understand what factors affect the frequency of plasmid transfer. Our work is part of a study that aimed to determine the effect of species interactions on the frequency of transfer of a broad-host-range plasmid between strains isolated from the zebrafish gut. Zebrafish have a GI tract that is similar to that of mammals, making it an effective model system. We showed that the transferability of a plasmid in plate matings greatly depends on the combination of donor and recipient. This suggests that the effectiveness of plasmid spread in gut and other microbiomes depends on the composition of the bacterial community.
The Effect of Species Interactions on the Conjugative Transfer of a Multidrug Resistance Plasmid
Plasmids are mobile genetic elements commonly found in bacteria. They replicate independently from the chromosome and often carry genes that confer traits beneficial to the bacterial host such as antibiotic resistance. The transfer of multidrug resistance (MDR) plasmids between bacteria by conjugation poses a particular problem to the medical field, where antibiotics used to treat common bacterial infections are becoming less effective. One potential hotspot for the spread of MDR plasmids is the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. To limit the spread of MDR plasmids we need to first understand what factors affect the frequency of plasmid transfer. Our work is part of a study that aimed to determine the effect of species interactions on the frequency of transfer of a broad-host-range plasmid between strains isolated from the zebrafish gut. Zebrafish have a GI tract that is similar to that of mammals, making it an effective model system. We showed that the transferability of a plasmid in plate matings greatly depends on the combination of donor and recipient. This suggests that the effectiveness of plasmid spread in gut and other microbiomes depends on the composition of the bacterial community.
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