A1 Journal article (refereed)
Plasmid Viability Depends on the Ecological Setting of Hosts within a Multiplasmid Community (2022)

Given, C., Penttinen, R., & Jalasvuori, M. (2022). Plasmid Viability Depends on the Ecological Setting of Hosts within a Multiplasmid Community. Microbiology Spectrum, 10(2), e00133-22. https://doi.org/10.1128/spectrum.00133-22

JYU authors or editors

Publication details

All authors or editors: Given, Cindy; Penttinen, Reetta; Jalasvuori, Matti

Journal or series: Microbiology Spectrum

eISSN: 2165-0497

Publication year: 2022

Publication date: 13/04/2022

Volume: 10

Issue number: 2

Pages range: e00133-22

Publisher: American Society for Microbiology

Publication country: United States

Publication language: English

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1128/spectrum.00133-22

Publication open access: Openly available

Publication channel open access: Open Access channel

Publication is parallel published (JYX): https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/80846

Web address of parallel published publication (pre-print): https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.08.02.454727

Abstract

Plasmids are extrachromosomal genetic elements, some of which disperse horizontally between different strains and species of bacteria. They are a major factor in the dissemination of virulence factors and antibiotic resistance. Understanding the ecology of plasmids has a notable anthropocentric value, and therefore, the interactions between bacterial hosts and individual plasmids have been studied in detail. However, bacterial systems often carry multiple genetically distinct plasmids, but dynamics within these multiplasmid communities have remained unstudied. Here, we set to investigate the survival of 11 mobilizable or conjugative plasmids under five different conditions where the hosts had a differing ecological status in comparison to other bacteria in the system. The key incentive was to determine whether plasmid dynamics are reproducible and whether there are tradeoffs in plasmid fitness that stem from the ecological situation of their initial hosts. Growth rates and maximum population densities increased in all communities and treatments over the 42-day evolution experiment, although plasmid contents at the end varied notably. Large multiresistance-conferring plasmids were unfit when the community also contained smaller plasmids with fewer resistance genes. This suggests that restraining the use of a few antibiotics can make bacterial communities sensitive to others. In general, the presence or absence of antibiotic selection and plasmid-free hosts (of various fitnesses) has a notable influence on which plasmids survive. These tradeoffs in different settings can help explain, for example, why some resistance plasmids have an advantage during a rapid proliferation of antibiotic-sensitive pathogens whereas others dominate in alternative situations.

Keywords: plasmids; bacteria; antibiotic resistance; virulence; pathogens; genes; biotechnology

Free keywords: plasmid ecology; antibiotic resistance; multiresistance; plasmid evolution; plasmid stability; plasmid-mediated resistance

Contributing organizations

Ministry reporting: Yes

Reporting Year: 2022

JUFO rating: 1