In studying the interplay between mutation frequencies and antibiotic resistance among Escherichia coli natural isolates, we observed that modest modifications of mutation frequency may significantly influence the evolution of antibiotic resistance. The strains having intermediate mutation frequencies have significantly more antibiotic resistances than strains having low and high mutation frequ...

We sequenced a novel conjugative multidrug resistance IncF plasmid, p42-2, isolated from Escherichia coli strain 42-2, previously identified in China. p42-2 is 106,886 bp long, composed of a typical IncFII-type backbone (∼54 kb) and one distinct acquired DNA region spanning ∼53 kb, harboring 12 antibiotic resistance genes [blaCTX-M-55, oqxA, oqxB, fosA3, floR, tetA(A), tetA(R), strA, strB, sul2...

Antimicrobial treatments increasingly rely on multidrug combinations, in part because of the emergence and spread of antibiotic resistance. The continued effectiveness of combination treatments depends crucially on the frequency with which multidrug resistance arises. Yet, it is unknown how this propensity for resistance depends on cross-resistance and on epistatic interactions-ranging from syn...

conclusions carrier samples screening is considered inferior to clinical samples. treatment of a variety of infectious diseases is difficult due to resistant bacteria. consequently, annual screening of these individuals, detecting the carriers and decolonizing them to reduce transmission of s. aureus in the hospital are necessary. background methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (mrsa) is...

Ampicillin resistance of shigellae first appeared in Omaha in 1971, peaked at 68% between 1973 and 1974, and declined to 7% between 1977 and 1978. This reflected the rise and fall of strains with nine different multiple antibiotic resistance patterns that included ampicillin.

Pairs of normally incompatible derivatives of R100-1 (one ChlS TetR, the other ChilR TetS) were forced to coexist in a recA host by selection for ChlR TetR cells. After many generations stable derivatives were isolated. The analysis of none independent stabilization experiments showed that in each case TetR was translocated from the plasmid to the chromosome of the host. No evidence for the joi...

We show that Escherichia coli isolates originating from Arctic birds carry antimicrobial drug resistance determinants. This finding implies that dissemination of drug-resistant bacteria is worldwide. Resistance genes can be found even in a region where no selection pressure for resistance development exists.

The problem of antibiotic resistance poses challenges across many disciplines. One such challenge is to understand the fundamental science of how antibiotics work, and how resistance to them can emerge. This is an area where physicists can make important contributions. Here, we highlight cases where this is already happening, and suggest directions for further physics involvement in antimicrobi...

The occurrence and spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria is a public health problem globally, and aquatic environments are recognized as reservoir for antibiotic-resistant bacteria associated with antibiotic resistance genes. Antibiotic resistance hotspots are found not only in medical settings but also in environmental compartments that are subjected to anthropogenic pressure, such as munici...