Environmental hotspots for antibiotic resistance genes

Potential impact of environmental bacteriophages in spreading antibiotic resistance genes.

The idea that bacteriophage transduction plays a role in the horizontal transfer of antibiotic resistance genes is gaining momentum. Such transduction might be vital in horizontal transfer from environmental to human body-associated biomes and here we review many lines of evidence supporting this notion. It is well accepted that bacteriophages are the most abundant entities in most environments...

Tutorial for Antibiotic Resistance Genes Database (ARDB)

Antibiotic resistance profiles of Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates containing virulence genes

Background: A most common opportunistic pathogen, Pseudomonas aeruginosa is present in both humans and animals and responsible for various nosocomial infections and healthcare settings related infections. Different virulence genes like; oprL (membrane lipoprotein L) and toxA (exotoxin A i.e. ETA) in P. aeruginosa, assist in its pathogenicity, toxicity and contribute to high antibiotic resistanc...

ARDB—Antibiotic Resistance Genes Database

The treatment of infections is increasingly compromised by the ability of bacteria to develop resistance to antibiotics through mutations or through the acquisition of resistance genes. Antibiotic resistance genes also have the potential to be used for bio-terror purposes through genetically modified organisms. In order to facilitate the identification and characterization of these genes, we ha...

Evolution and ecology of antibiotic resistance genes.

A new perspective on the topic of antibiotic resistance is beginning to emerge based on a broader evolutionary and ecological understanding rather than from the traditional boundaries of clinical research of antibiotic-resistant bacterial pathogens. Phylogenetic insights into the evolution and diversity of several antibiotic resistance genes suggest that at least some of these genes have a long...