1
|
Xiang G, Zhao Z, Zhang S, Cai Y, He Y, Zeng J, Chen C, Huang B. Porin deficiency or plasmid copy number increase mediated carbapenem-resistant Escherichia coli resistance evolution. Emerg Microbes Infect 2024; 13:2352432. [PMID: 38712634 PMCID: PMC11107853 DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2024.2352432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
This study investigated resistance evolution mechanisms of conjugated plasmids and bacterial hosts under different concentrations of antibiotic pressure. Ancestral strain ECNX52 was constructed by introducing the blaNDM-5-carrying IncX3 plasmid into E. coli C600, and was subjected to laboratory evolution under different concentrations of meropenem pressure. Minimal inhibitory concentrations and conjugation frequency were determined. Fitness of these strains was assessed. Whole genome sequencing and transcriptional changes were performed. Ancestral host or plasmids were recombined with evolved hosts or plasmids to verify plasmid or host factors in resistance evolution. Role of the repA mutation on plasmid copy number was determined. Two out of the four clones (EM2N1 and EM2N3) exhibited four-fold increase in MIC when exposed to a continuous pressure of 2 μg/mL MEM (1/32 MIC), by down regulating expression of outer membrane protein ompF. Besides, all four clones displayed four-fold increase in MIC and higher conjugation frequency when subjected to a continuous pressure of 4 μg/mL MEM (1/16 MIC), attributing to increasing plasmid copy number generated by repA D140Y (GAT→TAT) mutation. Bacterial hosts and conjugative plasmids can undergo resistance evolution under certain concentrations of antimicrobial pressure by reducing the expression of outer membrane proteins or increasing plasmid copy numbers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Guoxiu Xiang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zhiwei Zhao
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Shebin Zhang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yimei Cai
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yuting He
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jianming Zeng
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Cha Chen
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Bin Huang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Liu Z, Zhao Q, Xu C, Song H. Compensatory evolution of chromosomes and plasmids counteracts the plasmid fitness cost. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e70121. [PMID: 39170056 PMCID: PMC11336059 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.70121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2024] [Accepted: 07/23/2024] [Indexed: 08/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Plasmids incur a fitness cost that has the potential to restrict the dissemination of resistance in bacterial pathogens. However, bacteria can overcome this disadvantage by compensatory evolution to maintain their resistance. Compensatory evolution can occur via both chromosomes and plasmids, but there are a few reviews regarding this topic, and most of them focus on plasmids. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of the currently reported mechanisms underlying compensatory evolution on chromosomes and plasmids, elucidate key targets regulating plasmid fitness cost, and discuss future challenges in this field. We found that compensatory evolution on chromosomes primarily arises from mutations in transcriptional regulatory factors, whereas compensatory evolution of plasmids predominantly involves three pathways: plasmid copy number regulation, conjugation transfer efficiency, and expression of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes. Furthermore, the importance of reasonable selection of research subjects and effective integration of diverse advanced research methods is also emphasized in our future study on compensatory mechanisms. Overall, this review establishes a theoretical framework that aims to provide innovative ideas for minimizing the emergence and spread of AMR genes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ziyi Liu
- Key Laboratory of Applied Technology on Green‐Eco‐Healthy Animal Husbandry of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial Engineering Laboratory for Animal Health Inspection & Internet Technology, Zhejiang International Science and Technology Cooperation Base for Veterinary Medicine and Health Management, China‐Australia Joint Laboratory for Animal Health Big Data AnalyticsCollege of Animal Science and Technology & College of Veterinary Medicine of Zhejiang A&F UniversityHangzhouChina
| | - Qiuyun Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Applied Technology on Green‐Eco‐Healthy Animal Husbandry of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial Engineering Laboratory for Animal Health Inspection & Internet Technology, Zhejiang International Science and Technology Cooperation Base for Veterinary Medicine and Health Management, China‐Australia Joint Laboratory for Animal Health Big Data AnalyticsCollege of Animal Science and Technology & College of Veterinary Medicine of Zhejiang A&F UniversityHangzhouChina
| | - Chenggang Xu
- Key Laboratory of Applied Technology on Green‐Eco‐Healthy Animal Husbandry of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial Engineering Laboratory for Animal Health Inspection & Internet Technology, Zhejiang International Science and Technology Cooperation Base for Veterinary Medicine and Health Management, China‐Australia Joint Laboratory for Animal Health Big Data AnalyticsCollege of Animal Science and Technology & College of Veterinary Medicine of Zhejiang A&F UniversityHangzhouChina
| | - Houhui Song
- Key Laboratory of Applied Technology on Green‐Eco‐Healthy Animal Husbandry of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial Engineering Laboratory for Animal Health Inspection & Internet Technology, Zhejiang International Science and Technology Cooperation Base for Veterinary Medicine and Health Management, China‐Australia Joint Laboratory for Animal Health Big Data AnalyticsCollege of Animal Science and Technology & College of Veterinary Medicine of Zhejiang A&F UniversityHangzhouChina
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Elg CA, Mack E, Rolfsmeier M, McLean TC, Kosterlitz O, Soderling E, Narum S, Rowley PA, Thomas CM, Top EM. Evolution of a Plasmid Regulatory Circuit Ameliorates Plasmid Fitness Cost. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.02.05.579024. [PMID: 38370613 PMCID: PMC10871194 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.05.579024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
Plasmids play a major role in rapid adaptation of bacteria by facilitating horizontal transfer of diverse genes, most notably those conferring antibiotic resistance. While most plasmids that replicate in a broad range of bacteria also persist well in diverse hosts, there are exceptions that are poorly understood. We investigated why a broad-host range plasmid, pBP136, originally found in clinical Bordetella pertussis isolates, quickly became extinct in laboratory Escherichia coli populations. Through experimental evolution we found that inactivation of a previously uncharacterized plasmid gene, upf31, drastically improved plasmid maintenance in E. coli. This gene inactivation resulted in decreased transcription of the global plasmid regulators (korA, korB, and korC) and numerous genes in their regulons. It also caused transcriptional changes in many chromosomal genes primarily related to metabolism. In silico analyses suggested that the change in plasmid transcriptome may be initiated by Upf31 interacting with the plasmid regulator KorB. Expression of upf31 in trans negatively affected persistence of pBP136Δupf31 as well as the closely related archetypal IncP-1β plasmid R751, which is stable in E. coli and natively encodes a truncated upf31 allele. Our results demonstrate that while the upf31 allele in pBP136 might advantageously modulate gene expression in its original host, B. pertussis, it has harmful effects in E. coli. Thus, evolution of a single plasmid gene can change the range of hosts in which that plasmid persists, due to effects on the regulation of plasmid gene transcription.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Clinton A. Elg
- Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Program, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, USA
- Institute for Interdisciplinary Data Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, USA
| | - Erin Mack
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, USA
| | - Michael Rolfsmeier
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, USA
| | - Thomas C. McLean
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, John Innes Centre, Norwich, UK
| | - Olivia Kosterlitz
- Institute for Interdisciplinary Data Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, USA
- Biology Department, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | | | - Solana Narum
- Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Program, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, USA
- Institute for Interdisciplinary Data Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, USA
| | - Paul A. Rowley
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, USA
| | | | - Eva M. Top
- Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Program, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, USA
- Institute for Interdisciplinary Data Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Yu MK, Fogarty EC, Eren AM. Diverse plasmid systems and their ecology across human gut metagenomes revealed by PlasX and MobMess. Nat Microbiol 2024; 9:830-847. [PMID: 38443576 PMCID: PMC10914615 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-024-01610-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024]
Abstract
Plasmids alter microbial evolution and lifestyles by mobilizing genes that often confer fitness in changing environments across clades. Yet our ecological and evolutionary understanding of naturally occurring plasmids is far from complete. Here we developed a machine-learning model, PlasX, which identified 68,350 non-redundant plasmids across human gut metagenomes and organized them into 1,169 evolutionarily cohesive 'plasmid systems' using our sequence containment-aware network-partitioning algorithm, MobMess. Individual plasmids were often country specific, yet most plasmid systems spanned across geographically distinct human populations. Cargo genes in plasmid systems included well-known determinants of fitness, such as antibiotic resistance, but also many others including enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of essential nutrients and modification of transfer RNAs, revealing a wide repertoire of likely fitness determinants in complex environments. Our study introduces computational tools to recognize and organize plasmids, and uncovers the ecological and evolutionary patterns of diverse plasmids in naturally occurring habitats through plasmid systems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michael K Yu
- Toyota Technological Institute at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
| | - Emily C Fogarty
- Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Committee On Microbiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - A Murat Eren
- Josephine Bay Paul Center for Comparative Molecular Biology and Evolution, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA, USA.
- Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven, Germany.
- Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment, University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany.
- Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity, Oldenburg, Germany.
- Marine 'Omics Group, Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Sun H, Li H, Zhang X, Liu Y, Chen H, Zheng L, Zhai Y, Zheng H. The honeybee gut resistome and its role in antibiotic resistance dissemination. Integr Zool 2023; 18:1014-1026. [PMID: 36892101 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/10/2023]
Abstract
There is now general concern about widespread antibiotic resistance, and growing evidence indicates that gut microbiota is critical in providing antibiotic resistance. Honeybee is an important pollinator; the incidence of antibiotic resistance genes in honeybee gut causes potential risks to not only its own health but also to public and animal health, for its potential disseminator role, thus receiving more attention from the public. Recent analysis results reveal that the gut of honeybee serves as a reservoir of antibiotic resistance genes, probably due to antibiotics application history in beekeeping and horizontal gene transfer from the highly polluted environment. These antibiotic resistance genes accumulate in the honeybee gut and could be transferred to the pathogen, even having the potential to spread during pollination, tending, social interactions, etc. Newly acquired resistance traits may cause fitness reduction in bacteria whereas facilitating adaptive evolution as well. This review outlines the current knowledge about the resistome in honeybee gut and emphasizes its role in antibiotic resistance dissemination.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Huihui Sun
- Institute of Plant Protection, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan, China
- Sanya Institute of China Agricultural University, Sanya, China
| | - Hu Li
- Department of Entomology, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Xue Zhang
- Department of Entomology, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Yan Liu
- Institute of Plant Protection, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan, China
- Key Laboratory of Natural Enemies Insects, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Jinan, China
- Shandong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center on Biocontrol of Crops Diseases and Insect Pests, Jinan, China
| | - Hao Chen
- Institute of Plant Protection, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan, China
- Key Laboratory of Natural Enemies Insects, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Jinan, China
- Shandong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center on Biocontrol of Crops Diseases and Insect Pests, Jinan, China
| | - Li Zheng
- Institute of Plant Protection, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan, China
- Key Laboratory of Natural Enemies Insects, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Jinan, China
- Shandong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center on Biocontrol of Crops Diseases and Insect Pests, Jinan, China
| | - Yifan Zhai
- Institute of Plant Protection, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan, China
- Key Laboratory of Natural Enemies Insects, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Jinan, China
- Shandong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center on Biocontrol of Crops Diseases and Insect Pests, Jinan, China
| | - Hao Zheng
- Institute of Plant Protection, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan, China
- Key Laboratory of Natural Enemies Insects, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Jinan, China
- Shandong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center on Biocontrol of Crops Diseases and Insect Pests, Jinan, China
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Yang J, Wu R, Xia Q, Yu J, Yi LX, Huang Y, Deng M, He WY, Bai Y, Lv L, Burrus V, Wang C, Liu JH. The evolution of infectious transmission promotes the persistence of mcr-1 plasmids. mBio 2023; 14:e0044223. [PMID: 37314200 PMCID: PMC10470590 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00442-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Conjugative plasmids play a vital role in bacterial evolution and promote the spread of antibiotic resistance. They usually cause fitness costs that diminish the growth rates of the host bacteria. Compensatory mutations are known as an effective evolutionary solution to reduce the fitness cost and improve plasmid persistence. However, whether the plasmid transmission by conjugation is sufficient to improve plasmid persistence is debated since it is an inherently costly process. Here, we experimentally evolved an unstable and costly mcr-1 plasmid pHNSHP24 under laboratory conditions and assessed the effects of plasmid cost and transmission on the plasmid maintenance by the plasmid population dynamics model and a plasmid invasion experiment designed to measure the plasmid's ability to invade a plasmid-free bacterial population. The persistence of pHNSHP24 improved after 36 days evolution due to the plasmid-borne mutation A51G in the 5'UTR of gene traJ. This mutation largely increased the infectious transmission of the evolved plasmid, presumably by impairing the inhibitory effect of FinP on the expression of traJ. We showed that increased conjugation rate of the evolved plasmid could compensate for the plasmid loss. Furthermore, we determined that the evolved high transmissibility had little effect on the mcr-1-deficient ancestral plasmid, implying that high conjugation transfer is vital for maintaining the mcr-1-bearing plasmid. Altogether, our findings emphasized that, besides compensatory evolution that reduces fitness costs, the evolution of infectious transmission can improve the persistence of antibiotic-resistant plasmids, indicating that inhibition of the conjugation process could be useful to combat the spread of antibiotic-resistant plasmids. IMPORTANCE Conjugative plasmids play a key role in the spread of antibiotic resistance, and they are well-adapted to the host bacteria. However, the evolutionary adaptation of plasmid-bacteria associations is not well understood. In this study, we experimentally evolved an unstable colistin resistance (mcr-1) plasmid under laboratory conditions and found that increased conjugation rate was crucial for the persistence of this plasmid. Interestingly, the evolved conjugation was caused by a single-base mutation, which could rescue the unstable plasmid from extinction in bacterial populations. Our findings imply that inhibition of the conjugation process could be necessary for combating the persistence of antibiotic-resistance plasmids.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jun Yang
- College of Veterinary Medicine National Risk Assessment Laboratory for Antimicrobial Resistant of Microorganisms in Animals, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Veterinary Pharmaceutics Development and Safety Evaluation, Key Laboratory of Zoonosis of Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Affairs South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangzhou, China
| | - Renjie Wu
- College of Veterinary Medicine National Risk Assessment Laboratory for Antimicrobial Resistant of Microorganisms in Animals, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Veterinary Pharmaceutics Development and Safety Evaluation, Key Laboratory of Zoonosis of Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Affairs South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qiang Xia
- College of Mathematics and Informatics, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jingjing Yu
- College of Veterinary Medicine National Risk Assessment Laboratory for Antimicrobial Resistant of Microorganisms in Animals, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Veterinary Pharmaceutics Development and Safety Evaluation, Key Laboratory of Zoonosis of Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Affairs South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ling-Xian Yi
- College of Veterinary Medicine National Risk Assessment Laboratory for Antimicrobial Resistant of Microorganisms in Animals, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Veterinary Pharmaceutics Development and Safety Evaluation, Key Laboratory of Zoonosis of Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Affairs South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ying Huang
- College of Veterinary Medicine National Risk Assessment Laboratory for Antimicrobial Resistant of Microorganisms in Animals, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Veterinary Pharmaceutics Development and Safety Evaluation, Key Laboratory of Zoonosis of Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Affairs South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Meixin Deng
- College of Veterinary Medicine National Risk Assessment Laboratory for Antimicrobial Resistant of Microorganisms in Animals, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Veterinary Pharmaceutics Development and Safety Evaluation, Key Laboratory of Zoonosis of Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Affairs South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wan-Yun He
- College of Veterinary Medicine National Risk Assessment Laboratory for Antimicrobial Resistant of Microorganisms in Animals, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Veterinary Pharmaceutics Development and Safety Evaluation, Key Laboratory of Zoonosis of Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Affairs South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yuman Bai
- College of Veterinary Medicine National Risk Assessment Laboratory for Antimicrobial Resistant of Microorganisms in Animals, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Veterinary Pharmaceutics Development and Safety Evaluation, Key Laboratory of Zoonosis of Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Affairs South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Luchao Lv
- College of Veterinary Medicine National Risk Assessment Laboratory for Antimicrobial Resistant of Microorganisms in Animals, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Veterinary Pharmaceutics Development and Safety Evaluation, Key Laboratory of Zoonosis of Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Affairs South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Vincent Burrus
- Département de biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada
| | - Chengzhen Wang
- College of Veterinary Medicine National Risk Assessment Laboratory for Antimicrobial Resistant of Microorganisms in Animals, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Veterinary Pharmaceutics Development and Safety Evaluation, Key Laboratory of Zoonosis of Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Affairs South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jian-Hua Liu
- College of Veterinary Medicine National Risk Assessment Laboratory for Antimicrobial Resistant of Microorganisms in Animals, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Veterinary Pharmaceutics Development and Safety Evaluation, Key Laboratory of Zoonosis of Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Affairs South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangzhou, China
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Dewan I, Uecker H. A mathematician's guide to plasmids: an introduction to plasmid biology for modellers. MICROBIOLOGY (READING, ENGLAND) 2023; 169:001362. [PMID: 37505810 PMCID: PMC10433428 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.001362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Plasmids, extrachromosomal DNA molecules commonly found in bacterial and archaeal cells, play an important role in bacterial genetics and evolution. Our understanding of plasmid biology has been furthered greatly by the development of mathematical models, and there are many questions about plasmids that models would be useful in answering. In this review, we present an introductory, yet comprehensive, overview of the biology of plasmids suitable for modellers unfamiliar with plasmids who want to get up to speed and to begin working on plasmid-related models. In addition to reviewing the diversity of plasmids and the genes they carry, their key physiological functions, and interactions between plasmid and host, we also highlight selected plasmid topics that may be of particular interest to modellers and areas where there is a particular need for theoretical development. The world of plasmids holds a great variety of subjects that will interest mathematical biologists, and introducing new modellers to the subject will help to expand the existing body of plasmid theory.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ian Dewan
- Research Group Stochastic Evolutionary Dynamics, Department of Theoretical Biology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Plön, Germany
| | - Hildegard Uecker
- Research Group Stochastic Evolutionary Dynamics, Department of Theoretical Biology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Plön, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Wedel E, Bernabe-Balas C, Ares-Arroyo M, Montero N, Santos-Lopez A, Mazel D, Gonzalez-Zorn B. Insertion Sequences Determine Plasmid Adaptation to New Bacterial Hosts. mBio 2023:e0315822. [PMID: 37097157 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.03158-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Plasmids facilitate the vertical and horizontal spread of antimicrobial resistance genes between bacteria. The host range and adaptation of plasmids to new hosts determine their impact on the spread of resistance. In this work, we explore the mechanisms driving plasmid adaptation to novel hosts in experimental evolution. Using the small multicopy plasmid pB1000, usually found in Pasteurellaceae, we studied its adaptation to a host from a different bacterial family, Escherichia coli. We observed two different mechanisms of adaptation. One mechanism is single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the origin of replication (oriV) of the plasmid, which increase the copy number in E. coli cells, elevating the stability, and resistance profile. The second mechanism consists of two insertion sequences (ISs), IS1 and IS10, which decrease the fitness cost of the plasmid by disrupting an uncharacterized gene on pB1000 that is harmful to E. coli. Both mechanisms increase the stability of pB1000 independently, but only their combination allows long-term maintenance. Crucially, we show that the mechanisms have a different impact on the host range of the plasmid. SNPs in oriV prevent the replication in the original host, resulting in a shift of the host range. In contrast, the introduction of ISs either shifts or expands the host range, depending on the IS. While IS1 leads to expansion, IS10 cannot be reintroduced into the original host. This study gives new insights into the relevance of ISs in plasmid-host adaptation to understand the success in spreading resistance. IMPORTANCE ColE1-like plasmids are small, mobilizable plasmids that can be found across at least four orders of Gammaproteobacteria and are strongly associated with antimicrobial resistance genes. Plasmid pB1000 carries the gene blaROB-1, conferring high-level resistance to penicillins and cefaclor. pB1000 has been described in various species of the family Pasteurellaceae, for example, in Haemophilus influenzae, which can cause diseases such as otitis media, meningitis, and pneumonia. To understand the resistance spread through horizontal transfer, it is essential to study the mechanisms of plasmid adaptation to novel hosts. In this work we identify that a gene from pB1000, which encodes a peptide that is toxic for E. coli, and the low plasmid copy number (PCN) of pB1000 in E. coli cells are essential targets in the described plasmid-host adaptation and therefore limit the spread of pB1000-encoded blaROB-1. Furthermore, we show how the interplay of two adaptation mechanisms leads to successful plasmid maintenance in a different bacterial family.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emilia Wedel
- Antimicrobial Resistance Unit (ARU), Facultad de Veterinaria and Centro de Vigilancia Sanitaria Veterinaria (VISAVET), Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Cristina Bernabe-Balas
- Antimicrobial Resistance Unit (ARU), Facultad de Veterinaria and Centro de Vigilancia Sanitaria Veterinaria (VISAVET), Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Manuel Ares-Arroyo
- Antimicrobial Resistance Unit (ARU), Facultad de Veterinaria and Centro de Vigilancia Sanitaria Veterinaria (VISAVET), Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Natalia Montero
- Antimicrobial Resistance Unit (ARU), Facultad de Veterinaria and Centro de Vigilancia Sanitaria Veterinaria (VISAVET), Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Alfonso Santos-Lopez
- Antimicrobial Resistance Unit (ARU), Facultad de Veterinaria and Centro de Vigilancia Sanitaria Veterinaria (VISAVET), Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Didier Mazel
- Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris Cité, CNRS UMR3525, Unité de Plasticité du Génome Bactérien, Département Génomes et Génétique, Paris, France
| | - Bruno Gonzalez-Zorn
- Antimicrobial Resistance Unit (ARU), Facultad de Veterinaria and Centro de Vigilancia Sanitaria Veterinaria (VISAVET), Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Elmore JR, Dexter GN, Baldino H, Huenemann JD, Francis R, Peabody GL, Martinez-Baird J, Riley LA, Simmons T, Coleman-Derr D, Guss AM, Egbert RG. High-throughput genetic engineering of nonmodel and undomesticated bacteria via iterative site-specific genome integration. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eade1285. [PMID: 36897939 PMCID: PMC10005180 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.ade1285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Efficient genome engineering is critical to understand and use microbial functions. Despite recent development of tools such as CRISPR-Cas gene editing, efficient integration of exogenous DNA with well-characterized functions remains limited to model bacteria. Here, we describe serine recombinase-assisted genome engineering, or SAGE, an easy-to-use, highly efficient, and extensible technology that enables selection marker-free, site-specific genome integration of up to 10 DNA constructs, often with efficiency on par with or superior to replicating plasmids. SAGE uses no replicating plasmids and thus lacks the host range limitations of other genome engineering technologies. We demonstrate the value of SAGE by characterizing genome integration efficiency in five bacteria that span multiple taxonomy groups and biotechnology applications and by identifying more than 95 heterologous promoters in each host with consistent transcription across environmental and genetic contexts. We anticipate that SAGE will rapidly expand the number of industrial and environmental bacteria compatible with high-throughput genetics and synthetic biology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joshua R. Elmore
- Biological Science Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99354, USA
| | - Gara N. Dexter
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, One Bethel Valley Road, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA
| | - Henri Baldino
- Biological Science Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99354, USA
| | - Jay D. Huenemann
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, One Bethel Valley Road, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA
- Bredesen Center for Interdisciplinary Research, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996,USA
| | - Ryan Francis
- Biological Science Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99354, USA
| | - George L. Peabody
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, One Bethel Valley Road, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA
| | - Jessica Martinez-Baird
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, One Bethel Valley Road, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA
| | - Lauren A. Riley
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, One Bethel Valley Road, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA
- Bredesen Center for Interdisciplinary Research, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996,USA
| | - Tuesday Simmons
- Plant and Microbial Biology Department, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94701, USA
| | - Devin Coleman-Derr
- Plant and Microbial Biology Department, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94701, USA
- Plant Gene Expression Center, USDA-ARS, Albany, CA 94710, USA
| | - Adam M. Guss
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, One Bethel Valley Road, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA
| | - Robert G. Egbert
- Biological Science Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99354, USA
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Orlek A, Anjum MF, Mather AE, Stoesser N, Walker AS. Factors associated with plasmid antibiotic resistance gene carriage revealed using large-scale multivariable analysis. Sci Rep 2023; 13:2500. [PMID: 36781908 PMCID: PMC9925765 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-29530-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2022] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Plasmids are major vectors of bacterial antibiotic resistance, but understanding of factors associated with plasmid antibiotic resistance gene (ARG) carriage is limited. We curated > 14,000 publicly available plasmid genomes and associated metadata. Duplicate and replicate plasmids were excluded; where possible, sample metadata was validated externally (BacDive database). Using Generalised Additive Models (GAMs) we assessed the influence of 12 biotic/abiotic factors (e.g. plasmid genetic factors, isolation source, collection date) on ARG carriage, modelled as a binary outcome. Separate GAMs were built for 10 major ARG types. Multivariable analysis indicated that plasmid ARG carriage patterns across time (collection years), isolation sources (human/livestock) and host bacterial taxa were consistent with antibiotic selection pressure as a driver of plasmid-mediated antibiotic resistance. Only 0.42% livestock plasmids carried carbapenem resistance (compared with 12% human plasmids); conversely, tetracycline resistance was enriched in livestock vs human plasmids, reflecting known prescribing practices. Interpreting results using a timeline of ARG type acquisition (determined by literature review) yielded additional novel insights. More recently acquired ARG types (e.g. colistin and carbapenem) showed increases in plasmid carriage during the date range analysed (1994-2019), potentially reflecting recent onset of selection pressure; they also co-occurred less commonly with ARGs of other types, and virulence genes. Overall, this suggests that following acquisition, plasmid ARGs tend to accumulate under antibiotic selection pressure and co-associate with other adaptive genes (other ARG types, virulence genes), potentially re-enforcing plasmid ARG carriage through co-selection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alex Orlek
- HCAI, Fungal, AMR, AMU & Sepsis Division, UK Health Security Agency, London, UK.
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
- NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare Associated Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
| | - Muna F Anjum
- Department of Bacteriology, Animal and Plant Health Agency, Weybridge, Addlestone, UK
| | - Alison E Mather
- Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich, UK
- University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
| | - Nicole Stoesser
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - A Sarah Walker
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare Associated Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Genomics, Transcriptomics, and Metabolomics Reveal That Minimal Modifications in the Host Are Crucial for the Compensatory Evolution of ColE1-Like Plasmids. mSphere 2022; 7:e0018422. [PMID: 36416553 PMCID: PMC9769657 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00184-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasmid-mediated antimicrobial resistance is one of the major threats to public health worldwide. The mechanisms involved in the plasmid/host coadaptation are still poorly characterized, and their understanding is crucial to comprehend the genesis and evolution of multidrug-resistant bacteria. With this purpose, we designed an experimental evolution using Haemophilus influenzae RdKW20 as the model strain carrying the ColE1-like plasmid pB1000. Five H. influenzae populations adapted previously to the culture conditions were transformed with pB1000 and subsequently evolved to compensate for the plasmid-associated fitness cost. Afterward, we performed an integrative multiomic analysis combining genomics, transcriptomics, and metabolomics to explore the molecular mechanisms involved in the compensatory evolution of the plasmid. Our results demonstrate that minimal modifications in the host are responsible for plasmid adaptation. Among all of them, the most enriched process was amino acid metabolism, especially those pathways related to serine, tryptophan, and arginine, eventually related to the genesis and resolution of plasmid dimers. Additional rearrangements occurred during the plasmid adaptation, such as an overexpression of the ribonucleotide reductases and metabolic modifications within specific membrane phospholipids. All these findings demonstrate that the plasmid compensation occurs through the combination of diverse host-mediated mechanisms, of which some are beyond genomic and transcriptomic modifications. IMPORTANCE 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.
Collapse
|
12
|
Biofilms preserve the transmissibility of a multi-drug resistance plasmid. NPJ Biofilms Microbiomes 2022; 8:95. [PMID: 36481746 PMCID: PMC9732292 DOI: 10.1038/s41522-022-00357-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Self-transmissible multidrug resistance (MDR) plasmids are a major health concern because they can spread antibiotic resistance to pathogens. Even though most pathogens form biofilms, little is known about how MDR plasmids persist and evolve in biofilms. We hypothesize that (i) biofilms act as refugia of MDR plasmids by retaining them in the absence of antibiotics longer than well-mixed planktonic populations and that (ii) the evolutionary trajectories that account for the improvement of plasmid persistence over time differ between biofilms and planktonic populations. In this study, we evolved Acinetobacter baumannii with an MDR plasmid in biofilm and planktonic populations with and without antibiotic selection. In the absence of selection, biofilm populations were better able to maintain the MDR plasmid than planktonic populations. In planktonic populations, plasmid persistence improved rapidly but was accompanied by a loss of genes required for the horizontal transfer of plasmids. In contrast, in biofilms, most plasmids retained their transfer genes, but on average, plasmid, persistence improved less over time. Our results showed that biofilms can act as refugia of MDR plasmids and favor the horizontal mode of plasmid transfer, which has important implications for the spread of MDR.
Collapse
|
13
|
Lo HY, Martínez-Lavanchy PM, Goris T, Heider J, Boll M, Kaster AK, Müller JA. IncP-type plasmids carrying genes for antibiotic resistance or for aromatic compound degradation are prevalent in sequenced Aromatoleum and Thauera strains. Environ Microbiol 2022; 24:6411-6425. [PMID: 36306376 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.16262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Self-transferable plasmids of the incompatibility group P-1 (IncP-1) are considered important carriers of genes for antibiotic resistance and other adaptive functions. In the laboratory, these plasmids have a broad host range; however, little is known about their in situ host profile. In this study, we discovered that Thauera aromatica K172T , a facultative denitrifying microorganism capable of degrading various aromatic compounds, contains a plasmid highly similar to the IncP-1 ε archetype pKJK5. The plasmid harbours multiple antibiotic resistance genes and is maintained in strain K172T for at least 1000 generations without selection pressure from antibiotics. In a subsequent search, we found additional nine IncP-type plasmids in a total of 40 sequenced genomes of the closely related genera Aromatoleum and Thauera. Six of these plasmids form a novel IncP-1 subgroup designated θ, four of which carry genes for anaerobic or aerobic degradation of aromatic compounds. Pentanucleotide sequence analyses (k-mer profiling) indicated that Aromatoleum spp. and Thauera spp. are among the most suitable hosts for the θ plasmids. Our results highlight the importance of IncP-1 plasmids for the genetic adaptation of these common facultative denitrifying bacteria and provide novel insights into the in situ host profile of these plasmids.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hao-Yu Lo
- Department of Environmental Biotechnology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Leipzig, Germany.,Institute for Biological Interfaces (IBG-5), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany
| | - Paula M Martínez-Lavanchy
- Department of Environmental Biotechnology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Tobias Goris
- Department of Molecular Toxicology, Intestinal Microbiology, German Institute of Human Nutrition, Potsdam-Rehbruecke, Germany
| | - Johann Heider
- Department of Biology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Germany
| | - Matthias Boll
- Institute of Biology II, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Germany
| | - Anne-Kristin Kaster
- Institute for Biological Interfaces (IBG-5), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany
| | - Jochen A Müller
- Department of Environmental Biotechnology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Leipzig, Germany.,Institute for Biological Interfaces (IBG-5), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Xiao X, Liu Z, Chen X, Peng K, Li R, Liu Y, Wang Z. Persistence of plasmid and tet(X4) in an Escherichia coli isolate coharboring blaNDM-5 and mcr-1 after acquiring an IncFII tet(X4)-positive plasmid. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:1010387. [PMID: 36338060 PMCID: PMC9626518 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1010387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The prevalence of plasmid-mediated tigecycline resistance gene tet(X4) is presenting an increasing trend. Once tet(X4)-bearing plasmids are captured by multidrug-resistant bacteria, such as blaNDM and mcr-coharboring bacteria, it will promote bacteria to develop an ultra-broad resistance spectrum, limiting clinical treatment options. However, little is known about the destiny of such bacteria or how they will evolve in the future. Herein, we constructed a multidrug-resistant bacteria coharboring tet(X4), blaNDM-5, and mcr-1 by introducing a tet(X4)-bearing plasmid into a blaNDM-5 and mcr-1 positive E. coli strain. Subsequently, the stability of tet(X4) and the plasmid was measured after being evolved under tigecycline or antibiotic-free circumstance. Interestingly, we observed both tet(X4)-bearing plasmids in tigecycline treated strains and non-tigecycline treated strains were stable, which might be jointly affected by the increased conjugation frequency and the structural alterations of the tet(X4)-positive plasmid. However, the stability of tet(X4) gene showed different scenarios in the two types of evolved strains. The tet(X4) gene in non-tigecycline treated strains was stable whereas the tet(X4) gene was discarded rapidly in tigecycline treated strains. Accordingly, we found the expression levels of tet(X4) gene in tigecycline-treated strains were several times higher than in non-tigecycline treated strains and ancestral strains, which might in turn impose a stronger burden on the host bacteria. SNPs analysis revealed that a myriad of mutations occurred in genes involving in conjugation transfer, and the missense mutation of marR gene in chromosome of tigecycline treated strains might account for the completely different stability of tet(X4)-bearing plasmid and tet(X4) gene. Collectively, these findings shed a light on the possibility of the emergence of multidrug resistant bacteria due to the transmission of tet(X4)-bearing plasmid, and highlighted that the antibiotic residues may be critical to the development of such bacteria.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xia Xiao
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
- Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Ziyi Liu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
- Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xiaojun Chen
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
- Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Kai Peng
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
- Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Ruichao Li
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
- Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
- Institute of Comparative Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yuan Liu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
- Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
- Institute of Comparative Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Zhiqiang Wang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
- Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
- *Correspondence: Zhiqiang Wang,
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Domingues CPF, Rebelo JS, Monteiro F, Nogueira T, Dionisio F. Harmful behaviour through plasmid transfer: a successful evolutionary strategy of bacteria harbouring conjugative plasmids. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20200473. [PMID: 34839709 PMCID: PMC8628071 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Conjugative plasmids are extrachromosomal mobile genetic elements pervasive among bacteria. Plasmids' acquisition often lowers cells' growth rate, so their ubiquity has been a matter of debate. Chromosomes occasionally mutate, rendering plasmids cost-free. However, these compensatory mutations typically take hundreds of generations to appear after plasmid arrival. By then, it could be too late to compete with fast-growing plasmid-free cells successfully. Moreover, arriving plasmids would have to wait hundreds of generations for compensatory mutations to appear in the chromosome of their new host. We hypothesize that plasmid-donor cells may use the plasmid as a 'weapon' to compete with plasmid-free cells, particularly in structured environments. Cells already adapted to plasmids may increase their inclusive fitness through plasmid transfer to impose a cost to nearby plasmid-free cells and increase the replication opportunities of nearby relatives. A mathematical model suggests conditions under which the proposed hypothesis works, and computer simulations tested the long-term plasmid maintenance. Our hypothesis explains the maintenance of conjugative plasmids not coding for beneficial genes. This article is part of the theme issue 'The secret lives of microbial mobile genetic elements'.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Célia P. F. Domingues
- Evolutionary Ecology of Microorganisms Group, cE3c – Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal,INIAV - Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária, I.P., Oeiras and Vairão, Portugal
| | - João S. Rebelo
- Evolutionary Ecology of Microorganisms Group, cE3c – Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Francisca Monteiro
- Evolutionary Ecology of Microorganisms Group, cE3c – Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Teresa Nogueira
- Evolutionary Ecology of Microorganisms Group, cE3c – Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal,INIAV - Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária, I.P., Oeiras and Vairão, Portugal
| | - Francisco Dionisio
- Evolutionary Ecology of Microorganisms Group, cE3c – Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Cai W, Tang F, Jiang L, Li R, Wang Z, Liu Y. Histone-Like Nucleoid Structuring Protein Modulates the Fitness of tet(X4)-Bearing IncX1 Plasmids in Gram-Negative Bacteria. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:763288. [PMID: 34858374 PMCID: PMC8632487 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.763288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 10/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The emergence of plasmid-mediated tigecycline resistance gene tet(X4) poses a challenging threat to public health. Based on the analysis of tet(X4)-positive plasmids in the NCBI database, we found that the IncX1-type plasmid is one of the most common vectors for spreading tet(X4) gene, but the mechanisms by which these plasmids adapt to host bacteria and maintain the persistence of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) remain unclear. Herein, we investigated the underlying mechanisms of how host bacteria modulate the fitness cost of IncX1 plasmids carrying tet(X4) gene. Interestingly, we found that the tet(X4)-bearing IncX1 plasmids encoding H-NS protein imposed low or no fitness cost in Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae; instead, they partially promoted the virulence and biofilm formation in host bacteria. Regression analysis revealed that the expression of hns gene in plasmids was positively linked to the relative fitness of host bacteria. Furthermore, when pCE2::hns was introduced, the fitness of tet(X4)-positive IncX1 plasmid pRF55-1 without hns gene was significantly improved, indicating that hns mediates the improvement of fitness. Finally, we showed that the expression of hns gene is negatively correlated with the expression of tet(X4) gene, suggesting that the regulatory effect of H-NS on adaptability may be attributed to its inhibitory effect on the expression of ARGs. Together, our findings suggest the important role of plasmid-encoded H-NS protein in modulating the fitness of tet(X4)-bearing IncX1 plasmids, which shed new insight into the dissemination of tet(X4) gene in a biological environment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wenhui Cai
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Feifei Tang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Lijie Jiang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Ruichao Li
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China.,Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China.,Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety, The Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China.,Institute of Comparative Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Zhiqiang Wang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China.,Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China.,Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety, The Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Yuan Liu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China.,Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China.,Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety, The Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China.,Institute of Comparative Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Brockhurst MA, Harrison E. Ecological and evolutionary solutions to the plasmid paradox. Trends Microbiol 2021; 30:534-543. [PMID: 34848115 DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2021.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2021] [Revised: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The 'plasmid paradox' arises because, although plasmids are common features of bacterial genomes, theoretically they should not exist: rates of conjugation were believed insufficient to allow plasmids to persist by infectious transmission, whereas the costs of plasmid maintenance meant that plasmids should be purged by negative selection regardless of whether they encoded beneficial accessory traits because these traits should eventually be captured by the chromosome, enabling the loss of the redundant plasmid. In the decade since the plasmid paradox was described, new data and theory show that a range of ecological and evolutionary mechanisms operate in bacterial populations and communities to explain the widespread distribution and stable maintenance of plasmids. We conclude, therefore, that multiple solutions to the plasmid paradox are now well understood. The current challenge for the field, however, is to better understand how these solutions operate in natural bacterial communities to explain and predict the distribution of plasmids and the dynamics of the horizontal gene transfer that they mediate in bacterial (pan)genomes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michael A Brockhurst
- Division of Evolution and Genomic Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine, and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK.
| | - Ellie Harrison
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Hall JPJ, Wright RCT, Harrison E, Muddiman KJ, Wood AJ, Paterson S, Brockhurst MA. Plasmid fitness costs are caused by specific genetic conflicts enabling resolution by compensatory mutation. PLoS Biol 2021; 19:e3001225. [PMID: 34644303 PMCID: PMC8544851 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2021] [Revised: 10/25/2021] [Accepted: 09/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasmids play an important role in bacterial genome evolution by transferring genes between lineages. Fitness costs associated with plasmid carriage are expected to be a barrier to gene exchange, but the causes of plasmid fitness costs are poorly understood. Single compensatory mutations are often sufficient to completely ameliorate plasmid fitness costs, suggesting that such costs are caused by specific genetic conflicts rather than generic properties of plasmids, such as their size, metabolic burden, or gene expression level. By combining the results of experimental evolution with genetics and transcriptomics, we show here that fitness costs of 2 divergent large plasmids in Pseudomonas fluorescens are caused by inducing maladaptive expression of a chromosomal tailocin toxin operon. Mutations in single genes unrelated to the toxin operon, and located on either the chromosome or the plasmid, ameliorated the disruption associated with plasmid carriage. We identify one of these compensatory loci, the chromosomal gene PFLU4242, as the key mediator of the fitness costs of both plasmids, with the other compensatory loci either reducing expression of this gene or mitigating its deleterious effects by up-regulating a putative plasmid-borne ParAB operon. The chromosomal mobile genetic element Tn6291, which uses plasmids for transmission, remained up-regulated even in compensated strains, suggesting that mobile genetic elements communicate through pathways independent of general physiological disruption. Plasmid fitness costs caused by specific genetic conflicts are unlikely to act as a long-term barrier to horizontal gene transfer (HGT) due to their propensity for amelioration by single compensatory mutations, helping to explain why plasmids are so common in bacterial genomes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- James P. J. Hall
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behaviour, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Rosanna C. T. Wright
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
- Division of Evolution and Genomic Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Ellie Harrison
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Katie J. Muddiman
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - A. Jamie Wood
- Department of Biology, University of York, York, United Kingdom
- Department of Mathematics, University of York, York, United Kingdom
| | - Steve Paterson
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behaviour, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Michael A. Brockhurst
- Division of Evolution and Genomic Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Nguyen AQ, Vu HP, Nguyen LN, Wang Q, Djordjevic SP, Donner E, Yin H, Nghiem LD. Monitoring antibiotic resistance genes in wastewater treatment: Current strategies and future challenges. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 783:146964. [PMID: 33866168 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.146964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2021] [Revised: 04/01/2021] [Accepted: 04/01/2021] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing threat to human and animal health. Progress in molecular biology has revealed new and significant challenges for AMR mitigation given the immense diversity of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), the complexity of ARG transfer, and the broad range of omnipresent factors contributing to AMR. Municipal, hospital and abattoir wastewater are collected and treated in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), where the presence of diverse selection pressures together with a highly concentrated consortium of pathogenic/commensal microbes create favourable conditions for the transfer of ARGs and proliferation of antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB). The rapid emergence of antibiotic resistant pathogens of clinical and veterinary significance over the past 80 years has re-defined the role of WWTPs as a focal point in the fight against AMR. By reviewing the occurrence of ARGs in wastewater and sludge and the current technologies used to quantify ARGs and identify ARB, this paper provides a research roadmap to address existing challenges in AMR control via wastewater treatment. Wastewater treatment is a double-edged sword that can act as either a pathway for AMR spread or as a barrier to reduce the environmental release of anthropogenic AMR. State of the art ARB identification technologies, such as metagenomic sequencing and fluorescence-activated cell sorting, have enriched ARG/ARB databases, unveiled keystone species in AMR networks, and improved the resolution of AMR dissemination models. Data and information provided in this review highlight significant knowledge gaps. These include inconsistencies in ARG reporting units, lack of ARG/ARB monitoring surrogates, lack of a standardised protocol for determining ARG removal via wastewater treatments, and the inability to support appropriate risk assessment. This is due to a lack of standard monitoring targets and agreed threshold values, and paucity of information on the ARG-pathogen host relationship and risk management. These research gaps need to be addressed and research findings need to be transformed into practical guidance for WWTP operators to enable effective progress towards mitigating the evolution and spread of AMR.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anh Q Nguyen
- Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Hang P Vu
- Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Luong N Nguyen
- Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Qilin Wang
- Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Steven P Djordjevic
- Institute of Infection, Immunity and Innovation, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Erica Donner
- Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, SA 5095, Australia
| | - Huabing Yin
- School of Engineering, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8LT, UK
| | - Long D Nghiem
- Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia; Institute of Environmental Sciences, Nguyen Tat Thanh University, Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam.
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Cheng P, Yang Y, Cao S, Liu H, Li X, Sun J, Li F, Ishfaq M, Zhang X. Prevalence and Characteristic of Swine-Origin mcr-1-Positive Escherichia coli in Northeastern China. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:712707. [PMID: 34354696 PMCID: PMC8329492 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.712707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2021] [Accepted: 06/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The emergence of the plasmid-mediated colistin resistance gene mcr-1 is threatening the last-line role of colistin in human medicine. With mcr-1-positive Escherichia coli (E. coli) isolated from food animal being frequently reported in China, the prevalence of mcr-1 in food animal has attracted public attention. In the present study, a total of 105 colistin-resistant E. coli strains were isolated from 200 fecal samples collected from six swine farms in northeastern China. mcr-PCR revealed that the prevalence of mcr-1 in colistin-resistant E. coli was 53.33% (56/105). mcr-1-positive E. coli showed extensive antimicrobial resistance profiles with the presence of additional resistance genes, increased expression of multidrug efflux pump-associated genes, and increased biofilm formation ability. MLST differentiated all the mcr-1-positive E. coli into 25 sequence types (STs) and five unknown ST, and the most common ST was ST10 (n = 11). By phylogenetic group classification, the distribution of all mcr-1-positive E. coli belonging to groups A, B1, B2, and D was 46.43, 35.71, 5.36, and 5.36%, respectively. Conjugation experiment demonstrated that most of the mcr-1 were transferable at frequencies of 2.68 × 10–6–3.73 × 10–3 among 30 representative mcr-1-positive E. coli. The plasmid replicon types IncI2 (n = 9), IncX4 (n = 5), IncHI2 (n = 3), IncN (n = 3), and IncP (n = 1) were detected in the transconjugants. The results of growth assay, competition experiment, and plasmid stability testing showed that acquisition of mcr-1-harboring plasmids could reduce the fitness of bacterial hosts, but mcr-1 remained stable in the recipient strain. Due to the potential possibility of these mcr-1-positive E. coli being transmitted to humans through the food chain or through horizontal transmission, therefore, it is necessary to continuously monitor the prevalence and dissemination of mcr-1 in food animal, particularly in swine.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ping Cheng
- Heilongjiang Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Pharmaceutical Development, Faculty of Basic Veterinary Science, College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China
| | - Yuqi Yang
- Pharmacology Teaching and Research Department, School of Basic Medicine, Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guiyang, China
| | - Sai Cao
- Heilongjiang Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Pharmaceutical Development, Faculty of Basic Veterinary Science, College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China
| | - Haibin Liu
- Heilongjiang Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Pharmaceutical Development, Faculty of Basic Veterinary Science, College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China
| | - Xiaoting Li
- Heilongjiang Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Pharmaceutical Development, Faculty of Basic Veterinary Science, College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China
| | - Jichao Sun
- Heilongjiang Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Pharmaceutical Development, Faculty of Basic Veterinary Science, College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China
| | - Fulei Li
- Heilongjiang Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Pharmaceutical Development, Faculty of Basic Veterinary Science, College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China
| | - Muhammad Ishfaq
- Heilongjiang Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Pharmaceutical Development, Faculty of Basic Veterinary Science, College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China
| | - Xiuying Zhang
- Heilongjiang Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Pharmaceutical Development, Faculty of Basic Veterinary Science, College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Wein T, Wang Y, Barz M, Stücker FT, Hammerschmidt K, Dagan T. Essential gene acquisition destabilizes plasmid inheritance. PLoS Genet 2021; 17:e1009656. [PMID: 34252089 PMCID: PMC8297927 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2020] [Revised: 07/22/2021] [Accepted: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Extra-chromosomal genetic elements are important drivers of evolutionary transformations and ecological adaptations in prokaryotes with their evolutionary success often depending on their ‘utility’ to the host. Examples are plasmids encoding antibiotic resistance genes, which are known to proliferate in the presence of antibiotics. Plasmids carrying an essential host function are recognized as permanent residents in their host. Essential plasmids have been reported in several taxa where they often encode essential metabolic functions; nonetheless, their evolution remains poorly understood. Here we show that essential genes are rarely encoded on plasmids; evolving essential plasmids in Escherichia coli we further find that acquisition of an essential chromosomal gene by a plasmid can lead to plasmid extinction. A comparative genomics analysis of Escherichia isolates reveals few plasmid-encoded essential genes, yet these are often integrated into plasmid-related functions; an example is the GroEL/GroES chaperonin. Experimental evolution of a chaperonin-encoding plasmid shows that the acquisition of an essential gene reduces plasmid fitness regardless of the stability of plasmid inheritance. Our results suggest that essential plasmid emergence leads to a dose effect caused by gene redundancy. The detrimental effect of essential gene acquisition on plasmid inheritance constitutes a barrier for plasmid-mediated lateral gene transfer and supplies a mechanistic understanding for the rarity of essential genes in extra-chromosomal genetic elements. Mobile genetic elements have been extensively studied due to their role as agents of genetic innovation and rapid adaptation in prokaryotes. Specifically, prokaryotic plasmids have been the focus of investigation in the context of bacterial survival under growth limiting conditions with the prime example of resistance to antibiotics and heavy metals. In contrast, plasmids that encode for functions that are essential to their host viability are rarely described. We investigate the evolution of plasmids that encode for genes previously identified as essential for bacterial life. Our analysis of Escherichia isolates reveals only few plasmid-encoded essential genes, which likely function in the plasmid rather than the host life cycle. Following the evolution of plasmids encoding an essential gene in Escherichia coli in real time, we further find that the acquisition of a chromosomal essential gene may lead to plasmid loss. Our study supplies data and a mechanistic understanding on the rarity of essential genes in mobile genetic elements. We conclude that prokaryotic plasmids are rarely essential for their bacterial host.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tanita Wein
- Institute of General Microbiology, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Yiqing Wang
- Institute of General Microbiology, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Myriam Barz
- Institute of General Microbiology, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Fenna T. Stücker
- Institute of General Microbiology, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | | | - Tal Dagan
- Institute of General Microbiology, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Stalder T, Cornwell B, Lacroix J, Kohler B, Dixon S, Yano H, Kerr B, Forney LJ, Top EM. Evolving Populations in Biofilms Contain More Persistent Plasmids. Mol Biol Evol 2021; 37:1563-1576. [PMID: 32027370 PMCID: PMC7253198 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msaa024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacterial plasmids substantially contribute to the rapid spread of antibiotic resistance, which is a crisis in healthcare today. Coevolution of plasmids and their hosts promotes this spread of resistance by ameliorating the cost of plasmid carriage. However, our knowledge of plasmid–bacteria coevolution is solely based on studies done in well-mixed liquid cultures, even though biofilms represent the main way of bacterial life on Earth and are responsible for most infections. The spatial structure and the heterogeneity provided by biofilms are known to lead to increased genetic diversity as compared with well-mixed liquids. Therefore, we expect that growth in this complex environment could affect the evolutionary trajectories of plasmid–host dyads. We experimentally evolved Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 with plasmid pBP136Gm in biofilms and chemostats and sequenced the genomes of clones and populations. Biofilm populations not only maintained a higher diversity of mutations than chemostat populations but contained a few clones with markedly more persistent plasmids that evolved via multiple distinct trajectories. These included the acquisition of a putative toxin–antitoxin transposon by the plasmid and chromosomal mutations. Some of these genetic changes resulted in loss of plasmid transferability or decrease in plasmid cost. Growth in chemostats led to a higher proportion of variants with decreased plasmid persistence, a phenomenon not detected in biofilms. We suggest that the presence of more stable plasmid–host dyads in biofilms reflects higher genetic diversity and possibly unknown selection pressures. Overall, this study underscores the importance of the mode of growth in the evolution of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Thibault Stalder
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID.,Institute for Bioinformatics and Evolutionary Studies, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID.,BEACON Center for the Study of Evolution in Action
| | - Brandon Cornwell
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID
| | - Jared Lacroix
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID
| | - Bethel Kohler
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID
| | - Seth Dixon
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID
| | - Hirokazu Yano
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Ben Kerr
- BEACON Center for the Study of Evolution in Action.,Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
| | - Larry J Forney
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID.,Institute for Bioinformatics and Evolutionary Studies, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID
| | - Eva M Top
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID.,Institute for Bioinformatics and Evolutionary Studies, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID.,BEACON Center for the Study of Evolution in Action.,Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Kloos J, Gama JA, Hegstad J, Samuelsen Ø, Johnsen PJ. Piggybacking on Niche Adaptation Improves the Maintenance of Multidrug-Resistance Plasmids. Mol Biol Evol 2021; 38:3188-3201. [PMID: 33760032 PMCID: PMC8321521 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msab091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2020] [Revised: 02/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The persistence of plasmids in bacterial populations represents a puzzling evolutionary problem with serious clinical implications due to their role in the ongoing antibiotic resistance crisis. Recently, major advancements have been made toward resolving this “plasmid paradox” but mainly in a nonclinical context. Here, we propose an additional explanation for the maintenance of multidrug‐resistance plasmids in clinical Escherichia coli strains. After coevolving two multidrug‐resistance plasmids encoding resistance to last resort carbapenems with an extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli strain, we observed that chromosomal media adaptive mutations in the global regulatory systems CCR (carbon catabolite repression) and ArcAB (aerobic respiration control) pleiotropically improved the maintenance of both plasmids. Mechanistically, a net downregulation of plasmid gene expression reduced the fitness cost. Our results suggest that global chromosomal transcriptional rewiring during bacterial niche adaptation may facilitate plasmid maintenance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Julia Kloos
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - João A Gama
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Joachim Hegstad
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway.,Department of Microbiology and Infection Control, University Hospital of North Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Ørjan Samuelsen
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway.,Norwegian National Advisory Unit on Detection of Antimicrobial Resistance, Department of Microbiology and Infection Control, University Hospital of North Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Pål J Johnsen
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Abstract
Plasmids have largely contributed to the spread of antimicrobial resistance genes among Staphylococcus strains. Knowledge about the fitness cost that plasmids confer on clinical staphylococcal isolates and the coevolutionary dynamics that drive plasmid maintenance is still scarce. In this study, we aimed to analyze the initial fitness cost of plasmids in the bacterial pathogen Staphylococcus aureus and the plasmid-host adaptations that occur over time. For that, we first designed a CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced palindromic repeats)-based tool that enables the removal of native S. aureus plasmids and then transferred three different plasmids isolated from clinical S. aureus strains to the same-background clinical cured strain. One of the plasmids, pUR2940, obtained from a livestock-associated methicillin-resistant S. aureus (LA-MRSA) ST398 strain, imposed a significant fitness cost on both its native and the new host. Experimental evolution in a nonselective medium resulted in a high rate pUR2940 loss and selected for clones with an alleviated fitness cost in which compensatory adaptation occurred via deletion of a 12.8-kb plasmid fragment, contained between two ISSau10 insertion sequences and harboring several antimicrobial resistance genes. Overall, our results describe the relevance of plasmid-borne insertion sequences in plasmid rearrangement and maintenance and suggest the potential benefits of reducing the use of antibiotics both in animal and clinical settings for the loss of clinical multidrug resistance plasmids.
Collapse
|
25
|
Hall JPJ, Wright RCT, Guymer D, Harrison E, Brockhurst MA. Extremely fast amelioration of plasmid fitness costs by multiple functionally diverse pathways. MICROBIOLOGY-SGM 2020; 166:56-62. [PMID: 31613206 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.000862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The acquisition of plasmids is often accompanied by fitness costs such that compensatory evolution is required to allow plasmid survival, but it is unclear whether compensatory evolution can be extensive or rapid enough to maintain plasmids when they are very costly. The mercury-resistance plasmid pQBR55 drastically reduced the growth of its host, Pseudomonas fluorescens SBW25, immediately after acquisition, causing a small colony phenotype. However, within 48 h of growth on agar plates we observed restoration of the ancestral large colony morphology, suggesting that compensatory mutations had occurred. Relative fitness of these evolved strains, in lab media and in soil microcosms, varied between replicates, indicating different mutational mechanisms. Using genome sequencing we identified that restoration was associated with chromosomal mutations in either a hypothetical DNA-binding protein PFLU4242, RNA polymerase or the GacA/S two-component system. Targeted deletions in PFLU4242, gacA or gacS recapitulated the ameliorated phenotype upon plasmid acquisition, indicating three distinct mutational pathways to compensation. Our data shows that plasmid compensatory evolution is fast enough to allow survival of a plasmid despite it imposing very high fitness costs upon its host, and indeed may regularly occur during the process of isolating and selecting individual plasmid-containing clones.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- James P J Hall
- Department of Biology, University of York, Wentworth Way, York, YO10 5DD, UK.,Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK.,Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behaviour, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool, L69 7ZB, UK
| | - Rosanna C T Wright
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| | - David Guymer
- Department of Biology, University of York, Wentworth Way, York, YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Ellie Harrison
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| | - Michael A Brockhurst
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Abstract
Plasmids are genetic elements that colonize and replicate in prokaryotic cells (Box 1). They are considered a major driving force of prokaryote evolution, as they can migrate between populations, making them potent agents of lateral DNA transfer and microbial warfare. The importance of plasmids goes beyond microbial evolution, as they are widely used as vectors for genetic engineering in basic research (e.g., random mutagenesis) as well as applications in biotechnology (e.g., insulin production), synthetic biology, agriculture (e.g., genetic engineering of crops) and medicine (e.g., biopharmaceuticals).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tanita Wein
- Institute of Microbiology, Kiel University, 24118 Kiel, Germany.
| | - Tal Dagan
- Institute of Microbiology, Kiel University, 24118 Kiel, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Hülter NF, Wein T, Effe J, Garoña A, Dagan T. Intracellular Competitions Reveal Determinants of Plasmid Evolutionary Success. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:2062. [PMID: 33013753 PMCID: PMC7500096 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.02062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2020] [Accepted: 08/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasmids are autonomously replicating genetic elements that are ubiquitous in all taxa and habitats where they constitute an integral part of microbial genomes. The stable inheritance of plasmids depends on their segregation during cell division and their long-term persistence in a host population is thought to largely depend on their impact on the host fitness. Nonetheless, many plasmids found in nature are lacking a clear trait that is advantageous to their host; the determinants of plasmid evolutionary success in the absence of plasmid benefit to the host remain understudied. Here we show that stable plasmid inheritance is an important determinant of plasmid evolutionary success. Borrowing terminology from evolutionary biology of cellular living forms, we hypothesize that Darwinian fitness is key for the plasmid evolutionary success. Performing intracellular plasmid competitions between non-mobile plasmids enables us to compare the evolutionary success of plasmid genotypes within the host, i.e., the plasmid fitness. Intracellular head-to-head competitions between stable and unstable variants of the same model plasmid revealed that the stable plasmid variant has a higher fitness in comparison to the unstable plasmid. Preemptive plasmid competitions reveal that plasmid fitness may depend on the order of plasmid arrival in the host. Competitions between plasmids characterized by similar stability of inheritance reveal plasmid fitness differences depending on the plasmid-encoded trait. Our results further reveal that competing plasmids can be maintained in coexistence following plasmid fusions that maintain unstable plasmid variants over time. Plasmids are not only useful accessory genetic elements to their host but they are also evolving and replicating entities, similarly to cellular living forms. There is a clear link between plasmid genetics and plasmid evolutionary success – hence plasmids are evolving entities whose fitness is quantifiable.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nils F Hülter
- Institute of General Microbiology, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Tanita Wein
- Institute of General Microbiology, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Johannes Effe
- Institute of General Microbiology, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Ana Garoña
- Institute of General Microbiology, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Tal Dagan
- Institute of General Microbiology, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Gama JA, Zilhão R, Dionisio F. Plasmid Interactions Can Improve Plasmid Persistence in Bacterial Populations. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:2033. [PMID: 32983032 PMCID: PMC7487452 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.02033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2020] [Accepted: 07/31/2020] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
It is difficult to understand plasmid maintenance in the absence of selection and theoretical models predict the conditions for plasmid persistence to be limited. Plasmid-associated fitness costs decrease bacterial competitivity, while imperfect partition allows the emergence of plasmid-free cells during cell division. Although plasmid conjugative transfer allows mobility into plasmid-free cells, the rate of such events is generally not high enough to ensure plasmid persistence. Experimental data suggest several factors that may expand the conditions favorable for plasmid maintenance, such as compensatory mutations and accessory genes that allow positive selection. Most of the previous studies focus on bacteria that carry a single plasmid. However, there is increasing evidence that multiple plasmids inhabit the same bacterial population and that interactions between them affect their transmission and persistence. Here, we adapt previous mathematical models to include multiple plasmids and perform computer simulations to study how interactions among them affect plasmid maintenance. We tested the contribution of different plasmid interaction parameters that impact three biological features: host fitness, conjugative transfer and plasmid loss – which affect plasmid persistence. The interaction affecting conjugation was studied in the contexts of intracellular and intercellular interactions, i.e., the plasmids interact when present in the same cell or when in different cells, respectively. First, we tested the effect of each type of interaction alone and concluded that only interactions affecting fitness (epistasis) prevented plasmid extinction. Although not allowing plasmid maintenance, intracellular interactions increasing conjugative efficiencies had a more determinant impact in delaying extinction than the remaining parameters. Then, we allowed multiple interactions between plasmids and concluded that, in a few cases, a combined effect of (intracellular) interactions increasing conjugation and fitness lead to plasmid maintenance. Our results show a hierarchy among these interaction parameters. Those affecting fitness favor plasmid persistence more than those affecting conjugative transfer and lastly plasmid loss. These results suggest that interactions between different plasmids can favor their persistence in bacterial communities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- João Alves Gama
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Rita Zilhão
- Department of Plant Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Francisco Dionisio
- Department of Plant Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal.,cE3c - Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Kawano H, Suzuki-Minakuchi C, Sugiyama D, Watanabe N, Takahashi Y, Okada K, Nojiri H. A Novel Small RNA on the Pseudomonas putida KT2440 Chromosome Is Involved in the Fitness Cost Imposed by IncP-1 Plasmid RP4. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:1328. [PMID: 32655527 PMCID: PMC7324555 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.01328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2020] [Accepted: 05/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasmids can provide advantageous traits to host bacteria, although they may impose a fitness cost. Chromosome-encoded factors are important for regulating the expression of genes on plasmids, and host chromosomes may differ in terms of their interactions with a given plasmid. Accordingly, differences in fitness cost loading and compensatory co-evolution may occur for various host chromosome/plasmid combinations. However, the mechanisms of compensatory evolution are highly divergent and require further insights. Here, we reveal novel evolutionally mechanisms of Pseudomonas putida KT2440 to improve the fitness cost imposed by the incompatibility P-1 (IncP-1) multidrug resistance plasmid RP4. A mixed culture of RP4-harboring and -free KT2440 cells was serially transferred every 24 h under non-selective conditions. Initially, the proportion of RP4-harboring cells decreased rapidly, but it immediately recovered, suggesting that the fitness of RP4-harboring strains improved during cultivation. Larger-sized colonies appeared during 144-h mixed culture, and evolved strains isolated from larger-sized colonies showed higher growth rates and fitness than those of the ancestral strain. Whole-genome sequencing revealed that evolved strains had one of two mutations in the same intergenic region of the chromosome. Based on the research of another group, this region is predicted to contain a stress-inducible small RNA (sRNA). Identification of the transcriptional start site in this sRNA indicated that one mutation occurred within the sRNA region, whereas the other was in its promoter region. Quantitative reverse-transcription PCR showed that the expression of this sRNA was strongly induced by RP4 carriage in the ancestral strain but repressed in the evolved strains. When the sRNA region was overexpressed in the RP4-free strain, the fitness decreased, and the colony size became smaller. Using transcriptome analysis, we also showed that the genes involved in amino acid metabolism and stress responses were differentially transcribed by overexpression of the sRNA region. These results indicate that the RP4-inducible chromosomal sRNA was responsible for the fitness cost of RP4 on KT2440 cells, where this sRNA is of key importance in host evolution toward rapid amelioration of the cost.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hibiki Kawano
- Biotechnology Research Center, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Chiho Suzuki-Minakuchi
- Biotechnology Research Center, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Collaborative Research Institute for Innovative Microbiology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Daisuke Sugiyama
- Biotechnology Research Center, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Natsuki Watanabe
- Biotechnology Research Center, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yurika Takahashi
- Biotechnology Research Center and Department of Biotechnology, Toyama Prefectural University, Toyama, Japan
| | - Kazunori Okada
- Biotechnology Research Center, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hideaki Nojiri
- Biotechnology Research Center, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Collaborative Research Institute for Innovative Microbiology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Coevolution of host-plasmid pairs facilitates the emergence of novel multidrug resistance. Nat Ecol Evol 2020; 4:863-869. [PMID: 32251388 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-020-1170-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2019] [Accepted: 03/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Multidrug resistance (MDR) of pathogens is an ongoing public health crisis exacerbated by the horizontal transfer of antibiotic resistance genes via conjugative plasmids. Factors that stabilize these plasmids in bacterial communities contribute to an even higher incidence of MDR, given the increased likelihood that a host will already contain a plasmid when it acquires another through conjugation. Here, we show one such stabilizing factor is host-plasmid coevolution under antibiotic selection, which facilitated the emergence of MDR via two distinct plasmids in communities consisting of Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae once antibiotics were removed. In our system, evolution promoted greater stability of a plasmid in its coevolved host. Further, pleiotropic effects resulted in greater plasmid persistence in both novel host-plasmid combinations and, in some cases, multi-plasmid hosts. This evolved stability favoured the generation of MDR cells and thwarted their loss within communities with multiple plasmids. By selecting for plasmid persistence, the application of antibiotics may promote MDR well after their original period of use.
Collapse
|
31
|
Chromosome organization by a conserved condensin-ParB system in the actinobacterium Corynebacterium glutamicum. Nat Commun 2020; 11:1485. [PMID: 32198399 PMCID: PMC7083940 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-15238-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2019] [Accepted: 02/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Higher-order chromosome folding and segregation are tightly regulated in all domains of life. In bacteria, details on nucleoid organization regulatory mechanisms and function remain poorly characterized, especially in non-model species. Here, we investigate the role of DNA-partitioning protein ParB and SMC condensin complexes in the actinobacterium Corynebacterium glutamicum. Chromosome conformation capture reveals SMC-mediated long-range interactions around ten centromere-like parS sites clustered at the replication origin (oriC). At least one oriC-proximal parS site is necessary for reliable chromosome segregation. We use chromatin immunoprecipitation and photoactivated single-molecule localization microscopy to show the formation of distinct, parS-dependent ParB-nucleoprotein subclusters. We further show that SMC/ScpAB complexes, loaded via ParB at parS sites, mediate chromosomal inter-arm contacts (as previously shown in Bacillus subtilis). However, the MukBEF-like SMC complex MksBEFG does not contribute to chromosomal DNA-folding; instead, this complex is involved in plasmid maintenance and interacts with the polar oriC-tethering factor DivIVA. Our results complement current models of ParB-SMC/ScpAB crosstalk and show that some condensin complexes evolved functions that are apparently uncoupled from chromosome folding. The regulation of higher-order chromosome folding and segregation in bacteria is poorly understood. Here, Böhm et al. provide insights into the roles of DNA partitioning protein ParB and SMC condensin complexes in Corynebacterium glutamicum.
Collapse
|
32
|
Ma T, Fu J, Xie N, Ma S, Lei L, Zhai W, Shen Y, Sun C, Wang S, Shen Z, Wang Y, Walsh TR, Shen J. Fitness Cost of blaNDM-5-Carrying p3R-IncX3 Plasmids in Wild-Type NDM-Free Enterobacteriaceae. Microorganisms 2020; 8:microorganisms8030377. [PMID: 32156014 PMCID: PMC7143814 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms8030377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2020] [Revised: 02/28/2020] [Accepted: 03/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The wide dissemination of New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase genes (blaNDM) has resulted in the treatment failure of most available β-lactam antibiotics, with IncX3-type blaNDM-5-carrying plasmids recognised as having spread worldwide. In China, bacteria carrying these plasmids are increasingly being detected from diverse samples, including hospitals, communities, livestock and poultry, and the environment, suggesting that IncX3 plasmids are becoming a vital vehicle for blaNDM dissemination. To elucidate the fitness cost of these plasmids on the bacterial host, we collected blaNDM-negative strains from different sources and tested their ability to acquire the blaNDM-5-harboring p3R-IncX3 plasmid. We then measured changes in antimicrobial susceptibility, growth kinetics, and biofilm formation following plasmid acquisition. Overall, 70.7% (29/41) of our Enterobacteriaceae recipients successfully acquired the blaNDM-5-harboring p3R-IncX3 plasmid. Contrary to previous plasmid burden theory, 75.9% (22/29) of the transconjugates showed little fitness cost as a result of plasmid acquisition, with 6.9% (2/29) of strains exhibiting enhanced growth compared with their respective wild-type strains. Following plasmid acquisition, all transconjugates demonstrated resistance to most β-lactams, while several strains showed enhanced biofilm formation, further complicating treatment and prevention measures. Moreover, the highly virulent Escherichia coli sequence type 131 strain that already harbored mcr-1 also demonstrated the ability to acquire the blaNDM-5-carrying p3R-IncX3 plasmid, resulting in further limited therapeutic options. This low fitness cost may partly explain the rapid global dissemination of blaNDM-5-harboring IncX3 plasmids. Our study highlights the growing threat of IncX3 plasmids in spreading blaNDM-5.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tengfei Ma
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Food Nutrition and Human Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China; (T.M.); (J.F.); (S.M.); (L.L.); (W.Z.); (Y.S.); (C.S.); (S.W.); (Z.S.); (T.R.W.)
| | - Jiani Fu
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Food Nutrition and Human Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China; (T.M.); (J.F.); (S.M.); (L.L.); (W.Z.); (Y.S.); (C.S.); (S.W.); (Z.S.); (T.R.W.)
| | - Ning Xie
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Food Nutrition and Human Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China; (T.M.); (J.F.); (S.M.); (L.L.); (W.Z.); (Y.S.); (C.S.); (S.W.); (Z.S.); (T.R.W.)
| | - Shizhen Ma
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Food Nutrition and Human Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China; (T.M.); (J.F.); (S.M.); (L.L.); (W.Z.); (Y.S.); (C.S.); (S.W.); (Z.S.); (T.R.W.)
| | - Lei Lei
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Food Nutrition and Human Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China; (T.M.); (J.F.); (S.M.); (L.L.); (W.Z.); (Y.S.); (C.S.); (S.W.); (Z.S.); (T.R.W.)
| | - Weishuai Zhai
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Food Nutrition and Human Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China; (T.M.); (J.F.); (S.M.); (L.L.); (W.Z.); (Y.S.); (C.S.); (S.W.); (Z.S.); (T.R.W.)
| | - Yingbo Shen
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Food Nutrition and Human Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China; (T.M.); (J.F.); (S.M.); (L.L.); (W.Z.); (Y.S.); (C.S.); (S.W.); (Z.S.); (T.R.W.)
| | - Chengtao Sun
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Food Nutrition and Human Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China; (T.M.); (J.F.); (S.M.); (L.L.); (W.Z.); (Y.S.); (C.S.); (S.W.); (Z.S.); (T.R.W.)
| | - Shaolin Wang
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Food Nutrition and Human Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China; (T.M.); (J.F.); (S.M.); (L.L.); (W.Z.); (Y.S.); (C.S.); (S.W.); (Z.S.); (T.R.W.)
| | - Zhangqi Shen
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Food Nutrition and Human Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China; (T.M.); (J.F.); (S.M.); (L.L.); (W.Z.); (Y.S.); (C.S.); (S.W.); (Z.S.); (T.R.W.)
| | - Yang Wang
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Food Nutrition and Human Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China; (T.M.); (J.F.); (S.M.); (L.L.); (W.Z.); (Y.S.); (C.S.); (S.W.); (Z.S.); (T.R.W.)
| | - Timothy R. Walsh
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Food Nutrition and Human Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China; (T.M.); (J.F.); (S.M.); (L.L.); (W.Z.); (Y.S.); (C.S.); (S.W.); (Z.S.); (T.R.W.)
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Disease, Institute of Infection & Immunity, Heath Park Hospital, Cardiff CF14 4XN, UK
| | - Jianzhong Shen
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Food Nutrition and Human Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China; (T.M.); (J.F.); (S.M.); (L.L.); (W.Z.); (Y.S.); (C.S.); (S.W.); (Z.S.); (T.R.W.)
- Correspondence:
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Vial L, Hommais F. Plasmid-chromosome cross-talks. Environ Microbiol 2019; 22:540-556. [PMID: 31782608 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.14880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2019] [Revised: 11/25/2019] [Accepted: 11/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Plasmids can be acquired by recipient bacteria at a significant cost while conferring them advantageous traits. To counterbalance the costs of plasmid carriage, both plasmids and host bacteria have developed a tight regulatory network that may involve a cross-talk between the chromosome and the plasmids. Although plasmid regulation by chromosomal regulators is generally well known, chromosome regulation by plasmid has been far less investigated. Yet, a growing number of studies have highlighted an impact of plasmids on their host bacteria. Here, we describe the plasmid-chromosome cross-talk from the plasmid point of view. We summarize data about the chromosomal adaptive mutations generated by plasmid carriage; the impact of the loss of a domesticated plasmid or the gain of a new plasmid. Then, we present the control of plasmid-encoded regulators on chromosomal gene expression. The involvement of regulators homologous to chromosome-encoded proteins is illustrated by the H-NS-like proteins, and by the Rap-Phr system. Finally, plasmid-specific regulators of chromosomal gene expression are presented, which highlight the involvement of transcription factors and sRNAs. A comprehensive analysis of the mechanisms that allow a given plasmid to impact the chromosome of bacterium will help to understand the tight cross-talk between plasmids and the chromosome.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ludovic Vial
- Université de Lyon, 69622, Lyon, France.,Université Lyon 1, 69622, Villeurbanne, France.,CNRS, UMR 5557 Ecologie Microbienne, 69622, Villeurbanne, France.,INRA, UMR1418 Ecologie Microbienne, 69622, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Florence Hommais
- Université de Lyon, 69622, Lyon, France.,Université Lyon 1, 69622, Villeurbanne, France.,CNRS, UMR 5240 Microbiologie Adaptation et Pathogénie, 69622, Villeurbanne, France
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Emergence of plasmid stability under non-selective conditions maintains antibiotic resistance. Nat Commun 2019; 10:2595. [PMID: 31197163 PMCID: PMC6565834 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-10600-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 116] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2019] [Accepted: 05/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Plasmid acquisition is an important mechanism of rapid adaptation and niche expansion in prokaryotes. Positive selection for plasmid-coded functions is a major driver of plasmid evolution, while plasmids that do not confer a selective advantage are considered costly and expected to go extinct. Yet, plasmids are ubiquitous in nature, and their persistence remains an evolutionary paradox. Here, we demonstrate that non-mobile plasmids persist over evolutionary timescales without selection for the plasmid function. Evolving a minimal plasmid encoding for antibiotics resistance in Escherichia coli, we discover that plasmid stability emerges in the absence of antibiotics and that plasmid loss is determined by transcription-replication conflicts. We further find that environmental conditions modulate these conflicts and plasmid persistence. Silencing the transcription of the resistance gene results in stable plasmids that become fixed in the population. Evolution of plasmid stability under non-selective conditions provides an evolutionary explanation for the ubiquity of plasmids in nature. It is expected that plasmids are costly and therefore that selection is required to maintain them within bacterial populations. Here, Wein et al. show that plasmid stability can emerge even in the absence of positive selection and that loss may be determined by transcription-replication conflict.
Collapse
|
35
|
Long D, Zhu LL, Du FL, Xiang TX, Wan LG, Wei DD, Zhang W, Liu Y. Phenotypical profile and global transcriptomic profile of Hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae due to carbapenemase-encoding plasmid acquisition. BMC Genomics 2019; 20:480. [PMID: 31185888 PMCID: PMC6558890 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-019-5705-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2018] [Accepted: 04/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Plasmids play an vital role in driving the rapid global spread of antimicrobial resistance and adaptation to changing ambient conditions. It has been suggested that the presence of plasmids can pose tremendous impacts on the host physiology. However, little is known regarding the contributions of carbapenemase-encoding plasmid carriage on the physiology and pathogenicity of hypervirulent K. pneumoniae (hvKP). Results Here we performed a transcriptomic analysis of hvKP with or without carbapenemase-encoding plasmid p24835-NDM5. The results had shown 683 genes with differential expression (false discovery rate, ≤0.001; > 2-fold change), of which 107 were up-regulated and 576 were down-regulated. Gene groups with functions relating to carbohydrate metabolism and multidrug efflux system were increased in genes with increased expression, and those relating to capsule biosynthesis and virulence factors were increased in the genes with decreased expression. In agreement with these changes, survival rate of TfpNDM-hvKP in the presence of normal human serum decreased, and competitive index (CI values) indicated significant fitness defects in the plasmid-carrying hvKP strain when co-cultured with its plasmid-free isogenic ancestor and the ATCC control. Moreover, the p24835-NDM5-containing hvKP strain retained its high neutrophil-mediated phagocytosis and murine lethality. Conclusion These data indicate that hvKP responds to carbapenemase-encoding plasmid by altering the expression of genes involved in carbohydrate metabolism, antibiotic resistance, capsule biosynthesis and virulence expression. Apart from antibiotic resistance selective advantages, carbapenemase-encoding plasmid carriage may also lead to virulence change or adaption to specific habitats in hvKP strain. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12864-019-5705-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dan Long
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang University, Yong wai zheng jie No. 17, Nanchang, 330006, People's Republic of China
| | - Lan-Lan Zhu
- Department of Respiratory, First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang University, Yong wai zheng jie No. 17, Nanchang, 330006, People's Republic of China
| | - Fang-Ling Du
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang University, Yong wai zheng jie No. 17, Nanchang, 330006, People's Republic of China
| | - Tian-Xin Xiang
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang University, Yong wai zheng jie No. 17, Nanchang, 330006, People's Republic of China
| | - La-Gen Wan
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang University, Yong wai zheng jie No. 17, Nanchang, 330006, People's Republic of China
| | - Dan-Dan Wei
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang University, Yong wai zheng jie No. 17, Nanchang, 330006, People's Republic of China
| | - Wei Zhang
- Department of Respiratory, First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang University, Yong wai zheng jie No. 17, Nanchang, 330006, People's Republic of China
| | - Yang Liu
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang University, Yong wai zheng jie No. 17, Nanchang, 330006, People's Republic of China.
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Kottara A, Hall JPJ, Harrison E, Brockhurst MA. Variable plasmid fitness effects and mobile genetic element dynamics across Pseudomonas species. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2019; 94:4689093. [PMID: 29228229 PMCID: PMC5812508 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fix172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2017] [Accepted: 11/30/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Mobile genetic elements (MGE) such as plasmids and transposons mobilise genes within and between species, playing a crucial role in bacterial evolution via horizontal gene transfer (HGT). Currently, we lack data on variation in MGE dynamics across bacterial host species. We tracked the dynamics of a large conjugative plasmid, pQBR103, and its Tn5042 mercury resistance transposon, in five diverse Pseudomonas species in environments with and without mercury selection. Plasmid fitness effects and stability varied extensively between host species and environments, as did the propensity for chromosomal capture of the Tn5042 mercury resistance transposon associated with loss of the plasmid. Whereas Pseudomonas fluorescens and Pseudomonas savastanoi stably maintained the plasmid in both environments, the plasmid was highly unstable in Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Pseudomonas putida, where plasmid-free genotypes with Tn5042 captured to the chromosome invaded to higher frequency under mercury selection. These data confirm that plasmid stability is dependent upon the specific genetic interaction of the plasmid and host chromosome rather than being a property of plasmids alone, and moreover imply that MGE dynamics in diverse natural communities are likely to be complex and driven by a subset of species capable of stably maintaining plasmids that would then act as hubs of HGT.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anastasia Kottara
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| | - James P J Hall
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| | - Ellie Harrison
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| | - Michael A Brockhurst
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
- Corresponding author: Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK. Tel: +44 (0)1142220051; E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Ma K, Feng Y, Zong Z. Fitness cost of a mcr-1-carrying IncHI2 plasmid. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0209706. [PMID: 30586457 PMCID: PMC6306219 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0209706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2018] [Accepted: 12/10/2018] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
IncHI2 is a common type of large mcr-1-carrying plasmids that have been found worldwide. Large plasmids could impose metabolic burden for host bacterial strains, we therefore examine the stability and fitness cost of a mcr-1-carrying 265.5-kb IncHI2 plasmid, pMCR1_1943, in Escherichia coli in nutrient-rich LB and nutrient-restricted M9 broth. Stability tests revealed that pMCR1_1943 was stably maintained with a stability frequency of 0.99±0.01 (mean ± standard deviation) after 880 generations in LB and 0.97±0.00 after 220 generations in M9 broth. Relative fitness (expressed as w, defined as relative fitness of the plasmid-carrying strain compared to the plasmid-free progenitor strain) was examined using the 24-h head to head competitions. pMCR1_1943 initially imposed costs (w, 0.88±0.03 in LB, 0.87±0.01 in M9) but such costs were largely reduced after 14-day cultures (w, 0.97±0.03 in LB, 0.95±0.03 in M9). The stable maintenance and the largely compensated cost after passage may contribute to the wide spread of mcr-1-carrying IncHI2 plasmids. To investigate potential mechanisms for the reduced fitness cost, we performed whole genome sequencing and single nucleotide polymorphism calling for the competitor strains. We identified that molecular chaperone-encoding dnaK, cell division protein-encoding cpoB and repeat protein-encoding rhsC were associated with the cost reduction for pMCR1_1943, which may represent new mechanisms for host bacterial strains to compensate fitness costs imposed by large plasmids and warrant further studies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ke Ma
- Center of Infectious Diseases, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Division of Infectious Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Chengdu, China
- Center for Pathogen Research, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yu Feng
- Center of Infectious Diseases, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Division of Infectious Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Chengdu, China
- Center for Pathogen Research, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Zhiyong Zong
- Center of Infectious Diseases, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Division of Infectious Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Chengdu, China
- Center for Pathogen Research, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Yano H, Shintani M, Tomita M, Suzuki H, Oshima T. Reconsidering plasmid maintenance factors for computational plasmid design. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2018; 17:70-81. [PMID: 30619542 PMCID: PMC6312765 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2018.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2018] [Revised: 12/08/2018] [Accepted: 12/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasmids are genetic parasites of microorganisms. The genomes of naturally occurring plasmids are expected to be polished via natural selection to achieve long-term persistence in the microbial cell population. However, plasmid genomes are extremely diverse, and the rules governing plasmid genomes are not fully understood. Therefore, computationally designing plasmid genomes optimized for model and nonmodel organisms remains challenging. Here, we summarize current knowledge of the plasmid genome organization and the factors that can affect plasmid persistence, with the aim of constructing synthetic plasmids for use in gram-negative bacteria. Then, we introduce publicly available resources, plasmid data, and bioinformatics tools that are useful for computational plasmid design.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hirokazu Yano
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, 2-1-1, Katahira, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8577, Japan
| | - Masaki Shintani
- Department of Engineering, Graduate School of Integrated Science and Technology, Shizuoka University, 3-5-1, Hamamatsu 432-8561, Japan
- Department of Bioscience, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Shizuoka University, 3-5-1, Hamamatsu 432-8561, Japan
| | - Masaru Tomita
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Keio University, 14-1, Baba-cho, Tsuruoka, Yamagata 997-0035, Japan
- Faculty of Environment and Information Studies, Keio University, 5322, Endo, Fujisawa, Kanagawa 252-0882, Japan
| | - Haruo Suzuki
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Keio University, 14-1, Baba-cho, Tsuruoka, Yamagata 997-0035, Japan
- Faculty of Environment and Information Studies, Keio University, 5322, Endo, Fujisawa, Kanagawa 252-0882, Japan
| | - Taku Oshima
- Department of Biotechnology, Toyama Prefectural University, 5180, Kurokawa, Imizu, Toyama 939-0398, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Van den Bergh B, Swings T, Fauvart M, Michiels J. Experimental Design, Population Dynamics, and Diversity in Microbial Experimental Evolution. Microbiol Mol Biol Rev 2018; 82:e00008-18. [PMID: 30045954 PMCID: PMC6094045 DOI: 10.1128/mmbr.00008-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
In experimental evolution, laboratory-controlled conditions select for the adaptation of species, which can be monitored in real time. Despite the current popularity of such experiments, nature's most pervasive biological force was long believed to be observable only on time scales that transcend a researcher's life-span, and studying evolution by natural selection was therefore carried out solely by comparative means. Eventually, microorganisms' propensity for fast evolutionary changes proved us wrong, displaying strong evolutionary adaptations over a limited time, nowadays massively exploited in laboratory evolution experiments. Here, we formulate a guide to experimental evolution with microorganisms, explaining experimental design and discussing evolutionary dynamics and outcomes and how it is used to assess ecoevolutionary theories, improve industrially important traits, and untangle complex phenotypes. Specifically, we give a comprehensive overview of the setups used in experimental evolution. Additionally, we address population dynamics and genetic or phenotypic diversity during evolution experiments and expand upon contributing factors, such as epistasis and the consequences of (a)sexual reproduction. Dynamics and outcomes of evolution are most profoundly affected by the spatiotemporal nature of the selective environment, where changing environments might lead to generalists and structured environments could foster diversity, aided by, for example, clonal interference and negative frequency-dependent selection. We conclude with future perspectives, with an emphasis on possibilities offered by fast-paced technological progress. This work is meant to serve as an introduction to those new to the field of experimental evolution, as a guide to the budding experimentalist, and as a reference work to the seasoned expert.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bram Van den Bergh
- Laboratory of Symbiotic and Pathogenic Interactions, Centre of Microbial and Plant Genetics, KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Michiels Lab, Center for Microbiology, VIB, Leuven, Belgium
- Douglas Lab, Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Toon Swings
- Laboratory of Symbiotic and Pathogenic Interactions, Centre of Microbial and Plant Genetics, KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Michiels Lab, Center for Microbiology, VIB, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Maarten Fauvart
- Laboratory of Symbiotic and Pathogenic Interactions, Centre of Microbial and Plant Genetics, KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Michiels Lab, Center for Microbiology, VIB, Leuven, Belgium
- imec, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jan Michiels
- Laboratory of Symbiotic and Pathogenic Interactions, Centre of Microbial and Plant Genetics, KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Michiels Lab, Center for Microbiology, VIB, Leuven, Belgium
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Pinilla-Redondo R, Cyriaque V, Jacquiod S, Sørensen SJ, Riber L. Monitoring plasmid-mediated horizontal gene transfer in microbiomes: recent advances and future perspectives. Plasmid 2018; 99:56-67. [PMID: 30086339 DOI: 10.1016/j.plasmid.2018.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2018] [Revised: 07/31/2018] [Accepted: 08/01/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
The emergence of antimicrobial resistant bacteria constitutes an increasing global health concern. Although it is well recognized that the cornerstone underlying this phenomenon is the dissemination of antimicrobial resistance via plasmids and other mobile genetic elements, the antimicrobial resistance transfer routes remain largely uncharted. In this review, we describe different methods for assessing the transfer frequency and host ranges of plasmids within complex microbiomes. The discussion is centered around the critical evaluation of recent advances for monitoring the fate of fluorescently tagged plasmids in bacterial communities through the coupling of fluorescence activated cell sorting and next generation sequencing techniques. We argue that this approach constitutes an exceptional tool for obtaining quantitative data regarding the extent of plasmid transfer, key disseminating taxa, and possible propagation routes. The integration of this information will provide valuable insights on how to develop alternative avenues for fighting the rise of antimicrobial resistant pathogens, as well as the means for constructing more comprehensive risk assessment models.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Valentine Cyriaque
- Proteomics and Microbiology Lab, Research Institute for Biosciences, UMONS, Mons, Belgium
| | | | - Søren J Sørensen
- Section of Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Leise Riber
- Section for Functional Genomics, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Abstract
Plasmids mediate the horizontal transmission of genetic information between bacteria, facilitating their adaptation to multiple environmental conditions. An especially important example of the ability of plasmids to catalyze bacterial adaptation and evolution is their instrumental role in the global spread of antibiotic resistance, which constitutes a major threat to public health. Plasmids provide bacteria with new adaptive tools, but they also entail a metabolic burden that, in the absence of selection for plasmid-encoded traits, reduces the competitiveness of the plasmid-carrying clone. Although this fitness reduction can be alleviated over time through compensatory evolution, the initial cost associated with plasmid carriage is the main constraint on the vertical and horizontal replication of these genetic elements. The fitness effects of plasmids therefore have a crucial influence on their ability to associate with new bacterial hosts and consequently on the evolution of plasmid-mediated antibiotic resistance. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying plasmid fitness cost remain poorly understood. Here, we analyze the literature in the field and examine the potential fitness effects produced by plasmids throughout their life cycle in the host bacterium. We also explore the various mechanisms evolved by plasmids and bacteria to minimize the cost entailed by these mobile genetic elements. Finally, we discuss potential future research directions in the field.
Collapse
|
42
|
Compensatory mutations improve general permissiveness to antibiotic resistance plasmids. Nat Ecol Evol 2017; 1:1354-1363. [PMID: 29046540 PMCID: PMC5649373 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-017-0243-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 112] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2016] [Accepted: 06/16/2017] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Horizontal gene transfer mediated by broad-host-range plasmids is an important mechanism of antibiotic resistance spread. While not all bacteria maintain plasmids equally well, plasmid persistence can improve over time, yet no general evolutionary mechanisms have emerged. Our goal was to identify these mechanisms and to assess if adaptation to one plasmid affects the permissiveness to others. We experimentally evolved Pseudomonas sp. H2 containing multidrug resistance plasmid RP4, determined plasmid persistence and cost using a joint experimental-modelling approach, resequenced evolved clones, and reconstructed key mutations. Plasmid persistence improved in fewer than 600 generations because the fitness cost turned into a benefit. Improved retention of naive plasmids indicated that the host evolved towards increased plasmid permissiveness. Key chromosomal mutations affected two accessory helicases and the RNA polymerase β-subunit. Our and other findings suggest that poor plasmid persistence can be caused by a high cost involving helicase-plasmid interactions that can be rapidly ameliorated.
Collapse
|
43
|
An evolutionary perspective on plasmid lifestyle modes. Curr Opin Microbiol 2017; 38:74-80. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2017.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2017] [Revised: 05/03/2017] [Accepted: 05/04/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
|
44
|
Stalder T, Rogers LM, Renfrow C, Yano H, Smith Z, Top EM. Emerging patterns of plasmid-host coevolution that stabilize antibiotic resistance. Sci Rep 2017; 7:4853. [PMID: 28687759 PMCID: PMC5501780 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-04662-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2017] [Accepted: 05/17/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Multidrug resistant bacterial pathogens have become a serious global human health threat, and conjugative plasmids are important drivers of the rapid spread of resistance to last-resort antibiotics. Whereas antibiotics have been shown to select for adaptation of resistance plasmids to their new bacterial hosts, or vice versa, a general evolutionary mechanism has not yet emerged. Here we conducted an experimental evolution study aimed at determining general patterns of plasmid-bacteria evolution. Specifically, we found that a large conjugative resistance plasmid follows the same evolutionary trajectories as its non-conjugative mini-replicon in the same and other species. Furthermore, within a single host-plasmid pair three distinct patterns of adaptive evolution led to increased plasmid persistence: i) mutations in the replication protein gene (trfA1); ii) the acquisition by the resistance plasmid of a transposon from a co-residing plasmid encoding a putative toxin-antitoxin system; iii) a mutation in the host's global transcriptional regulator gene fur. Since each of these evolutionary solutions individually have been shown to increase plasmid persistence in other plasmid-host pairs, our work points towards common mechanisms of plasmid stabilization. These could become the targets of future alternative drug therapies to slow down the spread of antibiotic resistance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Thibault Stalder
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, USA.,Institute for Bioinformatics and Evolutionary Studies, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, USA
| | - Linda M Rogers
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, USA.,Institute for Bioinformatics and Evolutionary Studies, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, USA
| | - Chris Renfrow
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, USA.,Institute for Bioinformatics and Evolutionary Studies, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, USA
| | - Hirokazu Yano
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, USA.,Institute for Bioinformatics and Evolutionary Studies, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, USA.,Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Zachary Smith
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, USA
| | - Eva M Top
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, USA. .,Institute for Bioinformatics and Evolutionary Studies, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Experimental evolution and the dynamics of adaptation and genome evolution in microbial populations. ISME JOURNAL 2017; 11:2181-2194. [PMID: 28509909 DOI: 10.1038/ismej.2017.69] [Citation(s) in RCA: 182] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2016] [Revised: 03/02/2017] [Accepted: 03/10/2017] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Evolution is an on-going process, and it can be studied experimentally in organisms with rapid generations. My team has maintained 12 populations of Escherichia coli in a simple laboratory environment for >25 years and 60 000 generations. We have quantified the dynamics of adaptation by natural selection, seen some of the populations diverge into stably coexisting ecotypes, described changes in the bacteria's mutation rate, observed the new ability to exploit a previously untapped carbon source, characterized the dynamics of genome evolution and used parallel evolution to identify the genetic targets of selection. I discuss what the future might hold for this particular experiment, briefly highlight some other microbial evolution experiments and suggest how the fields of experimental evolution and microbial ecology might intersect going forward.
Collapse
|
46
|
Ridenhour BJ, Metzger GA, France M, Gliniewicz K, Millstein J, Forney LJ, Top EM. Persistence of antibiotic resistance plasmids in bacterial biofilms. Evol Appl 2017; 10:640-647. [PMID: 28616070 PMCID: PMC5469168 DOI: 10.1111/eva.12480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2016] [Accepted: 03/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The emergence and spread of antibiotic resistance is a crisis in health care today. Antibiotic resistance is often horizontally transferred to susceptible bacteria by means of multidrug resistance plasmids that may or may not persist in the absence of antibiotics. Because bacterial pathogens often grow as biofilms, there is a need to better understand the evolution of plasmid persistence in these environments. Here we compared the evolution of plasmid persistence in the pathogen Acinetobacter baumannii when grown under antibiotic selection in biofilms versus well-mixed liquid cultures. After 4 weeks, clones in which the plasmid was more stably maintained in the absence of antibiotic selection were present in both populations. On average plasmid persistence increased more in liquid batch cultures, but variation in the degree of persistence was greater among biofilm-derived clones. The results of this study show for the first time that the persistence of MDR plasmids improves in biofilms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin J Ridenhour
- Department of Biological Sciences Institute for Bioinformatics and Evolutionary Studies (IBEST) University of Idaho Moscow ID USA.,Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Program University of Idaho Moscow ID USA
| | - Genevieve A Metzger
- Department of Biological Sciences Institute for Bioinformatics and Evolutionary Studies (IBEST) University of Idaho Moscow ID USA.,Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Program University of Idaho Moscow ID USA
| | - Michael France
- Department of Biological Sciences Institute for Bioinformatics and Evolutionary Studies (IBEST) University of Idaho Moscow ID USA.,Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Program University of Idaho Moscow ID USA
| | - Karol Gliniewicz
- Department of Biological Sciences Institute for Bioinformatics and Evolutionary Studies (IBEST) University of Idaho Moscow ID USA
| | - Jack Millstein
- Department of Biological Sciences Institute for Bioinformatics and Evolutionary Studies (IBEST) University of Idaho Moscow ID USA
| | - Larry J Forney
- Department of Biological Sciences Institute for Bioinformatics and Evolutionary Studies (IBEST) University of Idaho Moscow ID USA.,Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Program University of Idaho Moscow ID USA
| | - Eva M Top
- Department of Biological Sciences Institute for Bioinformatics and Evolutionary Studies (IBEST) University of Idaho Moscow ID USA.,Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Program University of Idaho Moscow ID USA
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Hall JPJ, Brockhurst MA, Dytham C, Harrison E. The evolution of plasmid stability: Are infectious transmission and compensatory evolution competing evolutionary trajectories? Plasmid 2017; 91:90-95. [PMID: 28461121 DOI: 10.1016/j.plasmid.2017.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2017] [Revised: 04/27/2017] [Accepted: 04/27/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Conjugative plasmids are widespread and play an important role in bacterial evolution by accelerating adaptation through horizontal gene transfer. However, explaining the long-term stability of plasmids remains challenging because segregational loss and the costs of plasmid carriage should drive the loss of plasmids though purifying selection. Theoretical and experimental studies suggest two key evolutionary routes to plasmid stability: First, the evolution of high conjugation rates would allow plasmids to survive through horizontal transmission as infectious agents, and second, compensatory evolution to ameliorate the cost of plasmid carriage can weaken purifying selection against plasmids. How these two evolutionary strategies for plasmid stability interact is unclear. Here, we summarise the literature on the evolution of plasmid stability and then use individual based modelling to investigate the evolutionary interplay between the evolution of plasmid conjugation rate and cost amelioration. We find that, individually, both strategies promote plasmid stability, and that they act together to increase the likelihood of plasmid survival. However, due to the inherent costs of increasing conjugation rate, particularly where conjugation is unlikely to be successful, our model predicts that amelioration is the more likely long-term solution to evolving stable bacteria-plasmid associations. Our model therefore suggests that bacteria-plasmid relationships should evolve towards lower plasmid costs that may forestall the evolution of highly conjugative, 'infectious' plasmids.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- James P J Hall
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - Michael A Brockhurst
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - Calvin Dytham
- Department of Biology, University of York, York YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Ellie Harrison
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Bedhomme S, Perez Pantoja D, Bravo IG. Plasmid and clonal interference during post horizontal gene transfer evolution. Mol Ecol 2017; 26:1832-1847. [PMID: 28206693 DOI: 10.1111/mec.14056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2016] [Revised: 01/31/2017] [Accepted: 02/08/2017] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Plasmids are nucleic acid molecules that can drive their own replication in a living cell. They can be transmitted horizontally and can thrive in the host cell to high-copy numbers. Plasmid replication and gene expression consume cellular resources and cells carrying plasmids incur fitness costs. But many plasmids carry genes that can be beneficial under certain conditions, allowing the cell to endure in the presence of antibiotics, toxins, competitors or parasites. Horizontal transfer of plasmid-encoded genes can thus instantaneously confer differential adaptation to local or transient selection conditions. This conflict between cellular fitness and plasmid spread sets the scene for multilevel selection processes. We have engineered a system to study the short-term evolutionary impact of different synonymous versions of a plasmid-encoded antibiotic resistance gene. Applying experimental evolution under different selection conditions and deep sequencing allowed us to show rapid local adaptation to the presence of antibiotic and to the specific version of the resistance gene transferred. We describe the presence of clonal interference at two different levels: at the within-cell level, because a single cell can carry several plasmids, and at the between-cell level, because a bacterial population may contain several clones carrying different plasmids and displaying different fitness in the presence/absence of antibiotic. Understanding the within-cell and between-cell dynamics of plasmids after horizontal gene transfer is essential to unravel the dense network of mobile elements underlying the worldwide threat to public health of antibiotic resistance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- S Bedhomme
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, UMR CNRS 5175, 34293, Montpellier, France.,Laboratory MIVEGEC, UMR CNRS 5290, IRD 224, UM, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, 911 avenue Agropolis, BP64501, 34394, Montpellier Cedex 05, France
| | - D Perez Pantoja
- Programa Institucional de Fomento a la Investigación, Desarrollo e Innovación, Universidad Tecnológica Metropolitana, Ignacio Valdivieso 2409, P.O. Box 8940577, San Joaquín, Santiago, Chile
| | - I G Bravo
- Laboratory MIVEGEC, UMR CNRS 5290, IRD 224, UM, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, 911 avenue Agropolis, BP64501, 34394, Montpellier Cedex 05, France
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Porse A, Schønning K, Munck C, Sommer MOA. Survival and Evolution of a Large Multidrug Resistance Plasmid in New Clinical Bacterial Hosts. Mol Biol Evol 2016; 33:2860-2873. [PMID: 27501945 PMCID: PMC5062321 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msw163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 156] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Large conjugative plasmids are important drivers of bacterial evolution and contribute significantly to the dissemination of antibiotic resistance. Although plasmid borne multidrug resistance is recognized as one of the main challenges in modern medicine, the adaptive forces shaping the evolution of these plasmids within pathogenic hosts are poorly understood. Here we study plasmid–host adaptations following transfer of a 73 kb conjugative multidrug resistance plasmid to naïve clinical isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli. We use experimental evolution, mathematical modelling and population sequencing to show that the long-term persistence and molecular integrity of the plasmid is highly influenced by multiple factors within a 25 kb plasmid region constituting a host-dependent burden. In the E. coli hosts investigated here, improved plasmid stability readily evolves via IS26 mediated deletions of costly regions from the plasmid backbone, effectively expanding the host-range of the plasmid. Although these adaptations were also beneficial to plasmid persistence in a naïve K. pneumoniae host, they were never observed in this species, indicating that differential evolvability can limit opportunities of plasmid adaptation. While insertion sequences are well known to supply plasmids with adaptive traits, our findings suggest that they also play an important role in plasmid evolution by maintaining the plasticity necessary to alleviate plasmid–host constrains. Further, the observed evolutionary strategy consistently followed by all evolved E. coli lineages exposes a trade-off between horizontal and vertical transmission that may ultimately limit the dissemination potential of clinical multidrug resistance plasmids in these hosts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Porse
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Hørsholm, Denmark
| | - Kristian Schønning
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Hvidovre University Hospital, Hvidovre, Denmark and Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Christian Munck
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Hørsholm, Denmark
| | - Morten O A Sommer
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Hørsholm, Denmark
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Yano H, Wegrzyn K, Loftie-Eaton W, Johnson J, Deckert GE, Rogers LM, Konieczny I, Top EM. Evolved plasmid-host interactions reduce plasmid interference cost. Mol Microbiol 2016; 101:743-56. [PMID: 27121483 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.13407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/25/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Antibiotic selection drives adaptation of antibiotic resistance plasmids to new bacterial hosts, but the molecular mechanisms are still poorly understood. We previously showed that a broad-host-range plasmid was poorly maintained in Shewanella oneidensis, but rapidly adapted through mutations in the replication initiation gene trfA1. Here we examined if these mutations reduced the fitness cost of TrfA1, and whether this was due to changes in interaction with the host's DNA helicase DnaB. The strains expressing evolved TrfA1 variants showed a higher growth rate than those expressing ancestral TrfA1. The evolved TrfA1 variants showed a lower affinity to the helicase than ancestral TrfA1 and were no longer able to activate the helicase at the oriV without host DnaA. Moreover, persistence of the ancestral plasmid was increased upon overexpression of DnaB. Finally, the evolved TrfA1 variants generated higher plasmid copy numbers than ancestral TrfA1. The findings suggest that ancestral plasmid instability can at least partly be explained by titration of DnaB by TrfA1. Thus under antibiotic selection resistance plasmids can adapt to a novel bacterial host through partial loss of function mutations that simultaneously increase plasmid copy number and decrease unfavorably high affinity to one of the hosts' essential proteins.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hirokazu Yano
- Department of Biological Sciences.,Institute for Bioinformatics and Evolutionary Studies, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, 83844, USA.,Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8571, Japan
| | - Katarznya Wegrzyn
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Gdansk, 24 Kladki, 80-822, Gdansk, Poland
| | - Wesley Loftie-Eaton
- Department of Biological Sciences.,Institute for Bioinformatics and Evolutionary Studies, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, 83844, USA
| | | | - Gail E Deckert
- Department of Biological Sciences.,Institute for Bioinformatics and Evolutionary Studies, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, 83844, USA
| | - Linda M Rogers
- Department of Biological Sciences.,Institute for Bioinformatics and Evolutionary Studies, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, 83844, USA
| | - Igor Konieczny
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Gdansk, 24 Kladki, 80-822, Gdansk, Poland
| | - Eva M Top
- Department of Biological Sciences.,Institute for Bioinformatics and Evolutionary Studies, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, 83844, USA
| |
Collapse
|