Enterococcal Linear Plasmids Adapt to Enterococcus faecium and Spread within Multidrug-Resistant Clades
Yusuke Hashimoto, Masato Suzuki, Sae Kobayashi, Yuki Hirahara, Jun Kurushima, Hidetada Hirakawa, Takahiro Nomura, Koichi Tanimoto, Haruyoshi Tomita
Abstract
. This linear plasmid family has several characteristics enabling long-term persistence in the bacterial population, including high horizontal self-transmissibility, low-level transcription of plasmid-carried genes, and a moderate effect on the Enterococcus faecium genome alleviating fitness cost and promoting vertical inheritance. Combining all of these factors, the linear plasmid is an important factor in the spread and maintenance of AMR genes among enterococci.
Topics & Concepts
Enterococcus faeciumEnterococcusMicrobiologyBiologyPlasmidMultiple drug resistanceCladeAntibioticsGeneticsGenePhylogeneticsAntimicrobial Resistance in StaphylococcusAntibiotic Resistance in BacteriaBacteriophages and microbial interactions