Neuroscience

Bacterial genetics

Plasmid

Antibiotics

Bacteria

Escherichia coli

Biology

Microbiology

Gene

Adaptation (eye)

Genome

Paleontology

Context (archaeology)

Experimental evolution

Horizontal gene transfer

Genetics

Antibiotic resistance

Trends in Microbiology

Antibiotic-resistant infections are an urgent problem in clinical settings because they sharply increase mortality risk in critically ill patients. The horizontal spread of antibiotic resistance genes among bacteria is driven by bacterial plasmids, promoting the evolution of resistance. Crucially, particular associations exist between resistance plasmids and bacterial clones that become especially successful in clinical settings. However, the factors underlying the success of these associations remain unknown. Recent in vitro evidence reveals (i) that plasmids produce fitness costs in bacteria, and (ii) that these costs are alleviated over time through compensatory mutations. I argue that plasmid-imposed costs and subsequent compensatory adaptation may determine the success of associations between plasmids and bacteria in clinical settings, shaping the in vivo evolution of antibiotic resistance.

Evolution of Plasmid-Mediated Antibiotic Resistance in the Clinical Context