# | Rank | Similarity | Title + Abs. | Year | PMID |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 108 | 0 | 0.9757 | RtcB2-PrfH Operon Protects E. coli ATCC25922 Strain from Colicin E3 Toxin. In the bid to survive and thrive in an environmental setting, bacterial species constantly interact and compete for resources and space in the microbial ecosystem. Thus, they have adapted to use various antibiotics and toxins to fight their rivals. Simultaneously, they have evolved an ability to withstand weapons that are directed against them. Several bacteria harbor colicinogenic plasmids which encode toxins that impair the translational apparatus. One of them, colicin E3 ribotoxin, mediates cleavage of the 16S rRNA in the decoding center of the ribosome. In order to thrive upon deployment of such ribotoxins, competing bacteria may have evolved counter-conflict mechanisms to prevent their demise. A recent study demonstrated the role of PrfH and the RtcB2 module in rescuing a damaged ribosome and the subsequent re-ligation of the cleaved 16S rRNA by colicin E3 in vitro. The rtcB2-prfH genes coexist as gene neighbors in an operon that is sporadically spread among different bacteria. In the current study, we report that the RtcB2-PrfH module confers resistance to colicin E3 toxicity in E. coli ATCC25922 cells in vivo. We demonstrated that the viability of E. coli ATCC25922 strain that is devoid of rtcB2 and prfH genes is impaired upon action of colicin E3, in contrast to the parental strain which has intact rtcB2 and prfH genes. Complementation of the rtcB2 and prfH gene knockout with a high copy number-plasmid (encoding either rtcB2 alone or both rtcB2-prfH operon) restored resistance to colicin E3. These results highlight a counter-conflict system that may have evolved to thwart colicin E3 activity. | 2022 | 35742896 |
| 8336 | 1 | 0.9753 | Global copper response of the soil bacterial predator Myxococcus xanthus and its contribution to antibiotic cross-resistance. Copper accumulation in agricultural soils poses environmental challenges by selecting copper-resistant bacteria and also contributing to the co-selection of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. In addition, copper influences bacterial predator-prey interactions, potentially altering microbial ecosystems. Myxococcus xanthus, a soil-dwelling bacterium, preys on other microorganisms, including Sinorhizobium meliloti, a symbiotic nitrogen-fixing bacterium associated with leguminous plants. The role of copper in M. xanthus interactions remains poorly understood, although it accumulates at the predator-prey interface. In this study, we explore the transcriptomic response of M. xanthus to copper stress in both monocultures and co-cultures with S. meliloti. Our analysis identified many myxobacterial copper-regulated transcripts, and studies on mutant strains in some copper-induced genes revealed the role of two efflux pumps in cross-resistance to copper and tetracyclines. These findings provide new insights into the adaptive mechanisms of M. xanthus in response to copper, with implications for the co-selection of antibiotic resistance and the broader impact of copper on microbial community dynamics in soil ecosystems. | 2026 | 41061564 |
| 6438 | 2 | 0.9752 | The influence of heavy metals, polyaromatic hydrocarbons, and polychlorinated biphenyls pollution on the development of antibiotic resistance in soils. The minireview is devoted to the analysis of the influence of soil pollution with heavy metals, polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and the polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) on the distribution of antibiotics resistance genes (ARGs) in soil microbiomes. It is shown that the best understanding of ARGs distribution process requires studying the influence of pollutants on this process in natural microbiocenoses. Heavy metals promote co-selection of genes determining resistance to them together with ARGs in the same mobile elements of a bacterial genome, but the majority of studies focus on agricultural soils enriched with ARGs originating from manure. Studying nonagricultural soils would clear mechanisms of ARGs transfer in natural and anthropogenically transformed environments and highlight the role of antibiotic-producing bacteria. PAHs make a considerable shift in soil microbiomes leading to an increase in the number of Actinobacteria which are the source of antibiotics formation and bear multiple ARGs. The soils polluted with PAHs can be a selective medium for bacteria resistant to antibiotics, and the level of ARGs expression is much higher. PCBs are accumulated in soils and significantly alter the specific structure of soil microbiocenoses. In such soils, representatives of the genera Acinetobacter, Pseudomonas, and Alcanivorax dominate, and the ability to degrade PCBs is connected to horizontal gene transfer (HGT) and high level of genomic plasticity. The attention is also focused on the need to study the properties of the soil having an impact on the bioavailability of pollutants and, as a result, on resistome of soil microorganisms. | 2018 | 29453715 |
| 9371 | 3 | 0.9750 | Coevolutionary history of predation constrains the evolvability of antibiotic resistance in prey bacteria. Understanding how the historical contingency of biotic interactions shapes the evolvability of bacterial populations is imperative for the predictability of the eco-evolutionary dynamics of microbial communities. While microbial predators like Myxococcus xanthus influence the frequency of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in nature, the effect of adaptation to the presence of predators on the evolvability of prey bacteria to future stressors is unclear. Hence, to understand the influence of the coevolutionary history of predation on the evolvability of antibiotic resistance, we propagated variants of E. coli, pre-adapted to distinct biotic and abiotic conditions, in gradually increasing concentrations of antibiotics. We show that pre-adaptation to predators limits the evolution of a high degree of antibiotic resistance. Moreover, lower degree of resistance in the evolved strains also incurs reduced fitness costs while preserving their ancestral ability to resist predation. Together, we demonstrate that the history of biotic interactions can strongly influence the evolvability of bacteria. | 2025 | 40461734 |
| 9173 | 4 | 0.9750 | Bacterial defences: mechanisms, evolution and antimicrobial resistance. Throughout their evolutionary history, bacteria have faced diverse threats from other microorganisms, including competing bacteria, bacteriophages and predators. In response to these threats, they have evolved sophisticated defence mechanisms that today also protect bacteria against antibiotics and other therapies. In this Review, we explore the protective strategies of bacteria, including the mechanisms, evolution and clinical implications of these ancient defences. We also review the countermeasures that attackers have evolved to overcome bacterial defences. We argue that understanding how bacteria defend themselves in nature is important for the development of new therapies and for minimizing resistance evolution. | 2023 | 37095190 |
| 8361 | 5 | 0.9749 | Functional potential and evolutionary response to long-term heat selection of bacterial associates of coral photosymbionts. Symbiotic microorganisms are crucial for the survival of corals and their resistance to coral bleaching in the face of climate change. However, the impact of microbe-microbe interactions on coral functioning is mostly unknown but could be essential factors for coral adaption to future climates. Here, we investigated interactions between cultured dinoflagellates of the Symbiodiniaceae family, essential photosymbionts of corals, and associated bacteria. By assessing the genomic potential of 49 bacteria, we found that they are likely beneficial for Symbiodiniaceae, through the production of B vitamins and antioxidants. Additionally, bacterial genes involved in host-symbiont interactions, such as secretion systems, accumulated mutations following long-term exposure to heat, suggesting symbiotic interactions may change under climate change. This highlights the importance of microbe-microbe interactions in coral functioning. | 2023 | 37909753 |
| 9110 | 6 | 0.9749 | Bacterial resistance to antibiotics: the role of biofilms. Bacteria adhere to natural and synthetic, medically important surfaces within an extracellular polymer generically termed the glycocalyx. This quasi-structure is a biofilm. The enhanced antibiotic resistance of biofilm bacteria, relative to floating (planktonic) bacteria, encourages the establishment of chronic bacterial infections. Resistance mechanisms include the hinderance of antibiotic diffusion by the glycocalyx, the physiology of the bacteria and the environment conditions of the niche in which the biofilm resides. | 1991 | 1763187 |
| 8636 | 7 | 0.9749 | Insights into the synthesis, engineering, and functions of microbial pigments in Deinococcus bacteria. The ability of Deinococcus bacteria to survive in harsh environments, such as high radiation, extreme temperature, and dryness, is mainly attributed to the generation of unique pigments, especially carotenoids. Although the limited number of natural pigments produced by these bacteria restricts their industrial potential, metabolic engineering and synthetic biology can significantly increase pigment yield and expand their application prospects. In this study, we review the properties, biosynthetic pathways, and functions of key enzymes and genes related to these pigments and explore strategies for improving pigment production through gene editing and optimization of culture conditions. Additionally, studies have highlighted the unique role of these pigments in antioxidant activity and radiation resistance, particularly emphasizing the critical functions of deinoxanthin in D. radiodurans. In the future, Deinococcus bacterial pigments will have broad application prospects in the food industry, drug production, and space exploration, where they can serve as radiation indicators and natural antioxidants to protect astronauts' health during long-term space flights. | 2024 | 39119139 |
| 8238 | 8 | 0.9749 | Resistance to enediyne antitumor antibiotics by CalC self-sacrifice. Antibiotic self-resistance mechanisms, which include drug elimination, drug modification, target modification, and drug sequestration, contribute substantially to the growing problem of antibiotic resistance among pathogenic bacteria. Enediynes are among the most potent naturally occurring antibiotics, yet the mechanism of resistance to these toxins has remained a mystery. We characterize an enediyne self-resistance protein that reveals a self-sacrificing paradigm for resistance to highly reactive antibiotics, and thus another opportunity for nonpathogenic or pathogenic bacteria to evade extremely potent small molecules. | 2003 | 12970566 |
| 9595 | 9 | 0.9749 | Targeted antibiotic discovery through biosynthesis-associated resistance determinants: target directed genome mining. Intense competition between microbes in the environment has directed the evolution of antibiotic production in bacteria. Humans have harnessed these natural molecules for medicinal purposes, magnifying them from environmental concentrations to industrial scale. This increased exposure to antibiotics has amplified antibiotic resistance across bacteria, spurring a global antimicrobial crisis and a search for antibiotics with new modes of action. Genetic insights into these antibiotic-producing microbes reveal that they have evolved several resistance strategies to avoid self-toxicity, including product modification, substrate transport and binding, and target duplication or modification. Of these mechanisms, target duplication or modification will be highlighted in this review, as it uniquely links an antibiotic to its mode of action. We will further discuss and propose a strategy to mine microbial genomes for these genes and their associated biosynthetic gene clusters to discover novel antibiotics using target directed genome mining. | 2019 | 30985219 |
| 8631 | 10 | 0.9748 | Bacterial metal(loid) resistance genes (MRGs) and their variation and application in environment: A review. Toxic metal(loid)s are widespread and permanent in the biosphere, and bacteria have evolved a wide variety of metal(loid) resistance genes (MRGs) to resist the stress of excess metal(loid)s. Via active efflux, permeability barriers, extracellular/intracellular sequestration, enzymatic detoxification and reduction in metal(loid)s sensitivity of cellular targets, the key components of bacterial cells are protected from toxic metal(loid)s to maintain their normal physiological functions. Exploiting bacterial metal(loid) resistance mechanisms, MRGs have been applied in many environmental fields. Based on the specific binding ability of MRGs-encoded regulators to metal(loid)s, MRGs-dependent biosensors for monitoring environmental metal(loid)s are developed. MRGs-related biotechnologies have been applied to environmental remediation of metal(loid)s by using the metal(loid) tolerance, biotransformation, and biopassivation abilities of MRGs-carrying microorganisms. In this work, we review the historical evolution, resistance mechanisms, environmental variation, and environmental applications of bacterial MRGs. The potential hazards, unresolved problems, and future research directions are also discussed. | 2023 | 36758696 |
| 109 | 11 | 0.9748 | Identification of two putative ATP-cassette genes in Encephalitozoon intestinalis. Currently existing chemotherapeutic compounds are limited and few are effective for treating microsporidiosis. It is possible that resistance of Encephalitozoon to some drugs occurs by efflux mechanisms similar to those previously described for mammalian tumour cells, bacteria or protozoal parasites such as Plasmodium, Leishmania and Entamoeba histolytica. The data in the present study suggest that Encephalitozoon intestinalis contains at least one multidrug resistance gene. We report here two complete sequences EiABC1 and EiABC2, encoding different ATP-binding cassette genes from E. intestinalis, including a P-gp. | 2001 | 11730796 |
| 8278 | 12 | 0.9746 | Siderophore cheating and cheating resistance shape competition for iron in soil and freshwater Pseudomonas communities. All social organisms experience dilemmas between cooperators performing group-beneficial actions and cheats selfishly exploiting these actions. Although bacteria have become model organisms to study social dilemmas in laboratory systems, we know little about their relevance in natural communities. Here, we show that social interactions mediated by a single shareable compound necessary for growth (the iron-scavenging pyoverdine) have important consequences for competitive dynamics in soil and pond communities of Pseudomonas bacteria. We find that pyoverdine non- and low-producers co-occur in many natural communities. While non-producers have genes coding for multiple pyoverdine receptors and are able to exploit compatible heterologous pyoverdines from other community members, producers differ in the pyoverdine types they secrete, offering protection against exploitation from non-producers with incompatible receptors. Our findings indicate that there is both selection for cheating and cheating resistance, which could drive antagonistic co-evolution and diversification in natural bacterial communities.Lab strains of Pseudomonas are model systems for the evolution of cooperation over public goods (iron-scavenging siderophores). Here, Butaitė et al. add ecological and evolutionary insight into this system by showing that cheating and resistance to cheating both shape competition for iron in natural Pseudomonas communities. | 2017 | 28871205 |
| 8632 | 13 | 0.9746 | Microbial interactions in the arsenic cycle: adoptive strategies and applications in environmental management. Arsenic (As) is a nonessential element that is often present in plants and in other organisms. However, it is one of the most hazardous of toxic elements globally. In many parts of the world, arsenic contamination in groundwater is a serious and continuing threat to human health. Microbes play an important role in regulating the environmental fate of arsenic. Different microbial processes influence the biogeochemical cycling of arsenic in ways that affect the accumulation of different arsenic species in various ecosystem compartments. For example, in soil, there are bacteria that methylate arsenite to trimethylarsine gas, thereby releasing arsenic to the atmosphere.In marine ecosystems, microbes exist that can convert inorganic arsenicals to organic arsenicals (e.g., di- and tri-methylated arsenic derivatives, arsenocholine,arsenobetaine, arsenosugars, arsenolipids). The organo arsenicals are further metabolized to complete the arsenic cycle.Microbes have developed various strategies that enable them to tolerate arsenic and to survive in arsenic-rich environments. Such strategies include As exclusion from cells by establishing permeability barrier, intra- and extracellular sequestration,active efflux pumps, enzymatic reduction, and reduction in the sensitivity of cellular targets. These strategies are used either singly or in combination. In bacteria,the genes for arsenic resistance/detoxification are encoded by the arsenic resistance operons (ars operon).In this review, we have addressed and emphasized the impact of different microbial processes (e.g., arsenite oxidation, cytoplasmic arsenate reduction, respiratory arsenate reduction, arsenite methylation) on the arsenic cycle. Microbes are the only life forms reported to exist in heavy arsenic-contaminated environments. Therefore,an understanding of the strategies adopted by microbes to cope with arsenic stress is important in managing such arsenic-contaminated sites. Further future insights into the different microbial genes/proteins that are involved in arsenic resistance may also be useful for developing arsenic resistant crop plants. | 2013 | 23232917 |
| 9726 | 14 | 0.9745 | The complex resistomes of Paenibacillaceae reflect diverse antibiotic chemical ecologies. The ecology of antibiotic resistance involves the interplay of a long natural history of antibiotic production in the environment, and the modern selection of resistance in pathogens through human use of these drugs. Important components of the resistome are intrinsic resistance genes of environmental bacteria, evolved and acquired over millennia, and their mobilization, which drives dissemination in pathogens. Understanding the dynamics and evolution of resistance across bacterial taxa is essential to address the current crisis in drug-resistant infections. Here we report the exploration of antibiotic resistance in the Paenibacillaceae prompted by our discovery of an ancient intrinsic resistome in Paenibacillus sp. LC231, recovered from the isolated Lechuguilla cave environment. Using biochemical and gene expression analysis, we have mined the resistome of the second member of the Paenibacillaceae family, Brevibacillus brevis VM4, which produces several antimicrobial secondary metabolites. Using phylogenomics, we show that Paenibacillaceae resistomes are in flux, evolve mostly independent of secondary metabolite biosynthetic diversity, and are characterized by cryptic, redundant, pseudoparalogous, and orthologous genes. We find that in contrast to pathogens, mobile genetic elements are not significantly responsible for resistome remodeling. This offers divergent modes of resistome development in pathogens and environmental bacteria. | 2018 | 29259290 |
| 8692 | 15 | 0.9745 | Genetic mechanisms of arsenic detoxification and metabolism in bacteria. Arsenic, distributed pervasively in the natural environment, is an extremely toxic substance which can severely impair the normal functions of living cells. Research on the genetic mechanisms of arsenic metabolism is of great importance for remediating arsenic-contaminated environments. Many organisms, including bacteria, have developed various strategies to tolerate arsenic, by either detoxifying this harmful element or utilizing it for energy generation. This review summarizes arsenic detoxification as well as arsenic respiratory metabolic pathways in bacteria and discusses novel arsenic resistance pathways in various bacterial strains. This knowledge provides insights into the mechanisms of arsenic biotransformation in bacteria. Multiple detoxification strategies among bacteria imply possible functional relationships among different arsenic detoxification/metabolism pathways. In addition, this review sheds light on the bioremediation of arsenic-contaminated environments and prevention of antibiotic resistance. | 2019 | 30349994 |
| 8619 | 16 | 0.9745 | Bioavailability of pollutants and chemotaxis. The exposure of bacteria to pollutants induces frequently chemoattraction or chemorepellent reactions. Recent research suggests that the capacity to degrade a toxic compound has co-evolved in some bacteria with the capacity to chemotactically react to it. There is an increasing amount of data which show that chemoattraction to biodegradable pollutants increases their bioavailability which translates into an enhancement of the biodegradation rate. Pollutant chemoreceptors so far identified are encoded on degradation or resistance plasmids. Genetic engineering of bacteria, such as the transfer of chemoreceptor genes, offers thus the possibility to optimize biodegradation processes. | 2013 | 22981870 |
| 8472 | 17 | 0.9744 | Genetic architecture of resistance to plant secondary metabolites in Photorhabdus entomopathogenic bacteria. BACKGROUND: Entomopathogenic nematodes of the genus Heterorhabditis establish a symbiotic association with Photorhabdus bacteria. Together, they colonize and rapidly kill insects, making them important biological control agents against agricultural pests. Improving their biocontrol traits by engineering resistance to plant secondary metabolites (benzoxazinoids) in Photorhabdus symbiotic bacteria through experimental evolution has been shown to increase their lethality towards benzoxazinoid-defended larvae of the western corn rootworm, a serious crop pest of maize, and it is therefore a promising approach to develop more efficient biocontrol agents to manage this pest. To enhance our understanding of the genetic bases of benzoxazinoid resistance in Photorhabdus bacteria, we conducted an experimental evolution experiment with a phylogenetically diverse collection of Photorhabdus strains from different geographic origins. We cultured 27 different strains in medium containing 6-methoxy-2-benzoxazolinone (MBOA), a highly active benzoxazinoid breakdown product, for 35 24 h-cycles to select for benzoxazinoid-resistant strains. Then, we carried out genome-wide sequence comparisons to uncover the genetic alterations associated with benzoxazinoid resistance. Lastly, we evaluated the resistance of the newly isolated resistant Photorhabdus strains to eight additional bioactive compounds, including 2-benzoxazolinone (BOA), nicotine, caffeine, 6-chloroacetyl-2-benzoxazolinone (CABOA), digitoxin, fenitrothion, ampicillin, and kanamycin. RESULTS: We found that benzoxazinoid resistance evolves rapidly in Photorhabdus in a strain-specific manner. Across the different Photorhabdus strains, a total of nineteen nonsynonymous point mutations, two stop codon gains, and one frameshift were associated with higher benzoxazinoid resistance. The different genetic alterations were polygenic and occurred in genes coding for the EnvZ/OmpR two-component regulatory system, the different subunits of the DNA-directed RNA polymerase, and the AcrABZ-TolC multidrug efflux pump. Apart from increasing MBOA resistance, the different mutations were also associated with cross-resistance to 2-benzoxazolinone (BOA), nicotine, caffeine, and 6-chloroacetyl-2-benzoxazolinone (CABOA) and with collateral sensitivity to fenitrothion, ampicillin, and kanamycin. Targeted mutagenesis will provide a deeper mechanistic understanding, including the relative contribution of the different mutation types. CONCLUSIONS: Our study reveals several genomic features that are associated with resistance to xenobiotics in this important group of biological control agents and enhances the availability of molecular tools to develop better biological control agents, which is essential for more sustainable and ecologically friendly agricultural practices. | 2025 | 41168779 |
| 9727 | 18 | 0.9744 | Metal Toxicity and Resistance in Plants and Microorganisms in Terrestrial Ecosystems. Metals are major abiotic stressors of many organisms, but their toxicity in plants is not as studied as in microorganisms and animals. Likewise, research in plant responses to metal contamination is sketchy. Candidate genes associated with metal resistance in plants have been recently discovered and characterized. Some mechanisms of plant adaptation to metal stressors have been now decrypted. New knowledge on microbial reaction to metal contamination and the relationship between bacterial, archaeal, and fungal resistance to metals has broadened our understanding of metal homeostasis in living organisms. Recent reviews on metal toxicity and resistance mechanisms focused only on the role of transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and ionomics. This review is a critical analysis of key findings on physiological and genetic processes in plants and microorganisms in responses to soil metal contaminations. | 2020 | 30725190 |
| 8279 | 19 | 0.9744 | Secretion systems for secondary metabolites: how producer cells send out messages of intercellular communication. Many secondary metabolites (e.g. antibiotics and mycotoxins) are toxic to the microorganisms that produce them. The clusters of genes that are responsible for the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites frequently contain genes for resistance to these toxic metabolites, such as different types of multiple drug resistance systems, to avoid suicide of the producer strains. Recently there has been research into the efflux systems of secondary metabolites in bacteria and in filamentous fungi, such as the large number of ATP-binding cassette transporters found in antibiotic-producing Streptomyces species and that are involved in penicillin secretion in Penicillium chrysogenum. A different group of efflux systems, the major facilitator superfamily exporters, occur very frequently in a variety of bacteria that produce pigments or antibiotics (e.g. the cephamycin and thienamycin producers) and in filamentous fungi that produce mycotoxins. Such efflux systems include the CefT exporters that mediate cephalosporin secretion in Acremonium chrysogenum. The evolutionary origin of these efflux systems and their relationship with current resistance determinants in pathogenic bacteria has been analyzed. Genetic improvement of the secretion systems of secondary metabolites in the producer strain has important industrial applications. | 2005 | 15939351 |