Analysis of the effect of conserved regions on bacterial plasmid host range

Background: Genetic information is shared between different bacteria through mobile genetic elements, among which plasmids. Some plasmids are able to transfer and spread genetic information between different species. Understanding which genes allow plasmids to replicate in different species is useful in containing the antibiotic resistance...

Using metagenomic Hi-C data to discover broad host-range plasmids conferring antimicrobial resistance

Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) trough plasmids is one of the main contributors to the rapid increase of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Studying wastewater from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) allows us new insights into HGT as bacteria from different sources come together. Currently the analysis of HGT is limited, as plasmids cannot be...

Catch me if you can: capturing microbial community transformation by extracellular DNA using Hi-C sequencing

The transformation of environmental microorganisms by extracellular DNA is an overlooked mechanism of horizontal gene transfer and evolution. It initiates the acquisition of exogenous genes and propagates antimicrobial resistance alongside vertical and conjugative transfers. We combined mixed-culture biotechnology and Hi-C sequencing to...

A comparative study of pan-genome methods for microbial organisms: Acinetobacter baumannii pan-genome reveals structural variation in antimicrobial resistance-carrying plasmids

Microbial organisms have diverse populations, where using a single linear reference sequence in comparative studies introduces reference-bias in downstream analyses, and leads to a failure to account for variability in the population. Recently, pan-genome graphs have emerged as an alternative to the traditional linear reference with many...

Metabolism of sucrose in a non-fermentative Escherichia coli under oxygen limitation

Biotechnological industry strives to develop anaerobic bioprocesses fueled by abundant and cheap carbon sources, like sucrose. However, oxygen-limiting conditions often lead to by-product formation and reduced ATP yields. While by-product formation is typically decreased by gene deletion, the breakdown of oligosaccharides with inorganic...

Determinants of presence and removal of antibiotic resistance genes during WWTP treatment: A cross-sectional study

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), linking human fecal residues and the environment, are considered as hotspots for the spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). In order to evaluate the role of WWTPs and underlying operational parameters for the removal of AMR, the presence and removal efficiency of a selected set of 6 antimicrobial...

CRISPR/Cas9: A molecular Swiss army knife for simultaneous introduction of multiple genetic modifications in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

A variety of techniques for strain engineering in Saccharomyces cerevisiae have recently been developed. However, especially when multiple genetic manipulations are required, strain construction is still a time-consuming process. This study describes new CRISPR/Cas9-based approaches for easy, fast strain construction in yeast and explores their...