Antibiotics as a selective driver for conjugation dynamics.
Journal Article (Journal Article)
It is generally assumed that antibiotics can promote horizontal gene transfer. However, because of a variety of confounding factors that complicate the interpretation of previous studies, the mechanisms by which antibiotics modulate horizontal gene transfer remain poorly understood. In particular, it is unclear whether antibiotics directly regulate the efficiency of horizontal gene transfer, serve as a selection force to modulate population dynamics after such gene transfer has occurred, or both. Here, we address this question by quantifying conjugation dynamics in the presence and absence of antibiotic-mediated selection. Surprisingly, we find that sublethal concentrations of antibiotics from the most widely used classes do not significantly increase the conjugation efficiency. Instead, our modelling and experimental results demonstrate that conjugation dynamics are dictated by antibiotic-mediated selection, which can both promote and suppress conjugation dynamics. Our findings suggest that the contribution of antibiotics to the promotion of horizontal gene transfer may have been overestimated. These findings have implications for designing effective antibiotic treatment protocols and for assessing the risks of antibiotic use.
Full Text
Duke Authors
Cited Authors
- Lopatkin, AJ; Huang, S; Smith, RP; Srimani, JK; Sysoeva, TA; Bewick, S; Karig, DK; You, L
Published Date
- April 2016
Published In
Volume / Issue
- 1 / 6
Start / End Page
- 16044 -
PubMed ID
- 27572835
Pubmed Central ID
- PMC5010019
Electronic International Standard Serial Number (EISSN)
- 2058-5276
International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)
- 2058-5276
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
- 10.1038/nmicrobiol.2016.44
Language
- eng