Inter-species population dynamics enhance microbial horizontal gene transfer and spread of antibiotic resistance
- University of California, San Diego, United States
Abstract
Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) plays a major role in the spread of antibiotic resistance. Of particular concern are Acinetobacter baumannii bacteria, which recently emerged as global pathogens, with nosocomial mortality rates reaching 19-54%. Acinetobacter gains antibiotic resistance remarkably rapidly, with multi drug-resistance (MDR) rates exceeding 60%. Despite growing concern, the mechanisms underlying this extensive HGT remain poorly understood. Here, we show bacterial predation by Acinetobacter baylyi increases cross-species HGT by orders of magnitude, and we observe predator cells functionally acquiring adaptive resistance genes from adjacent prey. We then develop a population-dynamic model quantifying killing and HGT on solid surfaces. We show DNA released via cell lysis is readily available for HGT and may be partially protected from the environment, describe the effects of cell density, and evaluate potential environmental inhibitors. These findings establish a framework for understanding, quantifying, and combating HGT within the microbiome and the emergence of MDR super-bugs.
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Author details
Funding
Hartwell Foundation
- Robert M Cooper
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (San Diego Center for Systems Biology - P50 GM085764)
- Robert M Cooper
- Lev Tsimring
- Jeff Hasty
The funders had no role in study design, data collection and interpretation, or the decision to submit the work for publication.
Copyright
© 2017, Cooper et al.
This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License permitting unrestricted use and redistribution provided that the original author and source are credited.
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Inter-species population dynamics enhance microbial horizontal gene transfer and spread of antibiotic resistance
eLife 6:e25950.
https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.25950
