Determining the antibiotic resistance potential of the indigenous oral microbiota of humans using a metagenomic approach.
Studies of the prevalence and identity of genes encoding resistance to antibiotics in a microbial community are usually carried out on only the cultivable members of the community. However, it is possible to include the as-yet-uncultivable organisms present by adopting a metagenomic approach to such studies. In this investigation, four metagenomic libraries of the oral microbiota were prepared from three groups of 20 adult humans and screened for antibiotic-resistant clones. Clones resistant to tetracycline and amoxycillin were present in all four libraries while gentamicin-resistant clones were found in three of the libraries. The genes encoding tetracycline resistance in the clones were identified and found to be tet(M), tet(O), tet(Q), tet(W), tet37 and tet(A). However, only the first three of these were detected in all three groups of individuals investigated.
Diaz-Torres
Martha L
ML
Division of Microbial Diseases, UCL Eastman Dental Institute, University College London, UK.
Villedieu
Aurelie
A
Hunt
Nigel
N
McNab
Rod
R
Spratt
David A
DA
Allan
Elaine
E
Mullany
Peter
P
Wilson
Michael
M
D001419:Bacteria / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D015698:Genomic Library; D023281:Genomics / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D009055:Mouth / Q000382:microbiology*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013753:Tetracycline Resistance / Q000235:genetics*