Horizontal transfer of antibiotic resistance genes through outer membrane vesicles

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26670211
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Bacteriology (including mycology)
• Research Institution: Nagoya University
• Principal Investigator: Arakawa Yoshichika 名古屋大学, 医学(系)研究科(研究院), 教授 (10212622)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): WACHINO Jun-ichi 名古屋大学, 大学院医学系研究科, 特任講師 (00535651)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 薬剤耐性遺伝子 / 水平伝播 / Acinetobacter baumannii

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Bacterial outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) contain several biological materials such as DNA, RNA, and proteins. We hypothesized that antibiotic resistance genes, included in OMVs, have a role in the transfer of these genes to other bacterial cells. To test this, we purified OMVs from the culture supernatant of a multidrug resistant Acinetobacter baumannii strain (donor cells), and applied them to an antibiotic susceptible A. baumannii strain (recipient cells). We obtained several transformants that acquired antibiotic resistance genes derived from the donor A. baumannii cells. Whole genome sequence analyses of the transformants revealed that DNA fragments longer than 10-kb, and those including antibiotic resistance genes, could be inserted into the chromosomal DNA of recipient cells. These DNA fragments appeared to be inserted via homologous recombination.

Free Research Field

細菌学