Enhanced transmission of antibiotic resistance in Campylobacter jejuni biofilms by natural transformation

Junghee Bae; Euna Oh; Byeonghwa Jeon

doi:10.1128/AAC.04066-14

Enhanced transmission of antibiotic resistance in Campylobacter jejuni biofilms by natural transformation

Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2014 Dec;58(12):7573-5. doi: 10.1128/AAC.04066-14. Epub 2014 Sep 29.

Authors

Junghee Bae¹, Euna Oh¹, Byeonghwa Jeon²

Affiliations

¹ School of Public Health, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
² School of Public Health, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada bjeon@ualberta.ca.

Abstract

Campylobacter jejuni is a leading food-borne pathogen, and its antibiotic resistance is of serious concern to public health worldwide. C. jejuni is naturally competent for DNA transformation and freely takes up foreign DNA harboring genetic information responsible for antibiotic resistance. In this study, we demonstrate that C. jejuni transfers antibiotic resistance genes more frequently in biofilms than in planktonic cells by natural transformation.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology*
Biofilms / drug effects*
Biofilms / growth & development
Campylobacter jejuni / drug effects
Campylobacter jejuni / genetics*
Campylobacter jejuni / growth & development
Chloramphenicol / pharmacology
Deoxyribonuclease I / pharmacology
Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial / genetics*
Humans
Kanamycin / pharmacology
Plankton / drug effects*
Plankton / growth & development
Transformation, Bacterial*

Substances

Anti-Bacterial Agents
Kanamycin
Chloramphenicol
Deoxyribonuclease I