Antimicrobial resistance is a global public health threat, which is estimated to cause over a million deaths worldwide every year. The World Health Organization’s critical priority list for the research and development of novel antimicrobial agents is solely composed of multidrug-resistant (MDR) Gram-negative bacilli (GNB), namely Acinetobacter spp., Pseudomonas spp., and Enterobacterales. Considering the population structure of each of these high-priority groups, it is usual to observe the emergence and rapid expansion of some clonal groups, many of which harbor antimicrobial resistance determinants that are encoded by mobile genetic elements (MGEs). Important examples include KPC-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae, CTX-M-15-producing Escherichia coli and OXA-23-producing Acinetobacter baumannii, which are encoded in plasmids and transposons, respectively. Despite their clinical importance, and the studies already carried out on this topic, much is still unknown about the role of MGEs in the establishment and spreading of high-risk clones.
The main aim of this Research Topic is to shed light on the potential links between the acquisition of MGEs and expansion of multidrug-resistant clones among Gram-negative bacilli. We would like to understand how these MGEs have evolved over time and got integrated into the genomes of different bacterial species and contributed to the selection and spread of some important and highly-resistant clones. We are also very interested in “multifunctional” MGEs, i.e., those that not only contribute to antimicrobial resistance, but also allow bacteria to move from one ecological niche to the other, either by providing an adaptive advantage in different hosts or by improving bacterial survival in challenging environments.
We welcome authors to submit manuscripts (Original Research, Brief Research Reports, Reviews, etc.) describing genomic studies on the following topics:
• The role of MGEs in the epidemiological success of MDR clones;
• The evolution of AMR mainly associated to MGEs;
• How MGEs allow GNB to establish themselves in different ecological niches;
• The mobilization of MGEs between different hosts;
• The expression/regulation of MGEs associated to AMR;
• The characterization of MGEs harboring both AMR and virulence-associated genes.
Studies including both genotypic and phenotypic methods to characterize bacterial isolates harboring MGEs are highly encouraged, as well as those evaluating population dynamics with a One Health approach.
Antimicrobial resistance is a global public health threat, which is estimated to cause over a million deaths worldwide every year. The World Health Organization’s critical priority list for the research and development of novel antimicrobial agents is solely composed of multidrug-resistant (MDR) Gram-negative bacilli (GNB), namely Acinetobacter spp., Pseudomonas spp., and Enterobacterales. Considering the population structure of each of these high-priority groups, it is usual to observe the emergence and rapid expansion of some clonal groups, many of which harbor antimicrobial resistance determinants that are encoded by mobile genetic elements (MGEs). Important examples include KPC-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae, CTX-M-15-producing Escherichia coli and OXA-23-producing Acinetobacter baumannii, which are encoded in plasmids and transposons, respectively. Despite their clinical importance, and the studies already carried out on this topic, much is still unknown about the role of MGEs in the establishment and spreading of high-risk clones.
The main aim of this Research Topic is to shed light on the potential links between the acquisition of MGEs and expansion of multidrug-resistant clones among Gram-negative bacilli. We would like to understand how these MGEs have evolved over time and got integrated into the genomes of different bacterial species and contributed to the selection and spread of some important and highly-resistant clones. We are also very interested in “multifunctional” MGEs, i.e., those that not only contribute to antimicrobial resistance, but also allow bacteria to move from one ecological niche to the other, either by providing an adaptive advantage in different hosts or by improving bacterial survival in challenging environments.
We welcome authors to submit manuscripts (Original Research, Brief Research Reports, Reviews, etc.) describing genomic studies on the following topics:
• The role of MGEs in the epidemiological success of MDR clones;
• The evolution of AMR mainly associated to MGEs;
• How MGEs allow GNB to establish themselves in different ecological niches;
• The mobilization of MGEs between different hosts;
• The expression/regulation of MGEs associated to AMR;
• The characterization of MGEs harboring both AMR and virulence-associated genes.
Studies including both genotypic and phenotypic methods to characterize bacterial isolates harboring MGEs are highly encouraged, as well as those evaluating population dynamics with a One Health approach.
