Biofilms: hot spots of horizontal gene transfer (HGT) in aquatic environments, with a focus on a new HGT mechanism

ABSTRACT Biofilms in water environments are thought to be hot spots for horizontal gene transfer (HGT) of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). ARGs can be spread via HGT, though mechanisms are known and have been shown to depend on the environment, bacterial communities and mobile genetic elements. C...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:FEMS microbiology ecology 2020-05, Vol.96 (5), p.1
Main Authors: Abe, Kimihiro, Nomura, Nobuhiko, Suzuki, Satoru
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Antibiotic resistance
Antibiotics
Aquatic environment
Biofilms
Conjugation
Deoxyribonucleic acid
DNA
Drug resistance in microorganisms
Ecology
Gene transfer
Genetic aspects
Genetic transformation
Horizontal transfer
Membrane vesicles
Microbial mats
Microbiological research
Microbiology
Minireview
Physiological aspects
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Summary:ABSTRACT Biofilms in water environments are thought to be hot spots for horizontal gene transfer (HGT) of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). ARGs can be spread via HGT, though mechanisms are known and have been shown to depend on the environment, bacterial communities and mobile genetic elements. Classically, HGT mechanisms include conjugation, transformation and transduction; more recently, membrane vesicles (MVs) have been reported as DNA reservoirs implicated in interspecies HGT. Here, we review the current knowledge on the HGT mechanisms with a focus on the role of MVs and the methodological innovations in the HGT research. Biofilms and membrane vesicles are the stage of gene transfer.
ISSN:0168-6496
1574-6941
DOI:10.1093/femsec/fiaa031