A1 Journal article (refereed)
Indirect Selection against Antibiotic Resistance via Specialized Plasmid-Dependent Bacteriophages (2021)

Penttinen, R., Given, C., & Jalasvuori, M. (2021). Indirect Selection against Antibiotic Resistance via Specialized Plasmid-Dependent Bacteriophages. Microorganisms, 9(2), Article 280. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms9020280

JYU authors or editors

Penttinen, Reetta
Given, Cindy
Jalasvuori, Matti

Publication details

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

Journal or series: Microorganisms

eISSN: 2076-2607

Publication year: 2021

Publication date: 29/01/2021

Volume: 9

Issue number: 2

Article number: 280

Publisher: MDPI AG

Publication country: Switzerland

Publication language: English

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms9020280

Publication open access: Openly available

Publication channel open access: Open Access channel

Publication is parallel published (JYX): https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/73977

Abstract

Antibiotic resistance genes of important Gram-negative bacterial pathogens are residing in mobile genetic elements such as conjugative plasmids. These elements rapidly disperse between cells when antibiotics are present and hence our continuous use of antimicrobials selects for elements that often harbor multiple resistance genes. Plasmid-dependent (or male-specific or, in some cases, pilus-dependent) bacteriophages are bacterial viruses that infect specifically bacteria that carry certain plasmids. The introduction of these specialized phages into a plasmid-abundant bacterial community has many beneficial effects from an anthropocentric viewpoint: the majority of the plasmids are lost while the remaining plasmids acquire mutations that make them untransferable between pathogens. Recently, bacteriophage-based therapies have become a more acceptable choice to treat multi-resistant bacterial infections. Accordingly, there is a possibility to utilize these specialized phages, which are not dependent on any particular pathogenic species or strain but rather on the resistance-providing elements, in order to improve or enlengthen the lifespan of conventional antibiotic approaches. Here, we take a snapshot of the current knowledge of plasmid-dependent bacteriophages.

Keywords: antibiotic resistance; plasmids; bacteriophages

Free keywords: antibiotic resistance; conjugative plasmids; plasmid-dependent; male-specific; pilus-binding; bacteriophages

Fields of science: