Antibiotic Degradation by Commensal Microbes Shields Pathogens
Mergim Gjonbalaj, James W. Keith, H. Mytrang, Tobias M. Hohl, Eric G. Pamer, Simone Becattini
Abstract
The complex bacterial populations that constitute the gut microbiota can harbor antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), including those encoding β-lactamase enzymes (BLA), which degrade commonly prescribed antibiotics such as ampicillin. The prevalence of such genes in commensal bacteria has been increased in recent years by the wide use of antibiotics in human populations and in livestock. While transfer of ARGs between bacterial species has well-established dramatic public health implications, these genes can also function in trans within bacterial consortia, where antibiotic-resistant bacteria can provide antibiotic-sensitive neighbors with leaky protection from drugs, as shown both in vitro and in vivo , in models of lung and subcutaneous coinfection.