# | Rank | Similarity | Title + Abs. | Year | PMID |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 5070 | 0 | 0.9981 | Sequence-specific DNA solid-phase extraction in an on-chip monolith: Towards detection of antibiotic resistance genes. Antibiotic resistance of bacteria is a growing problem and presents a challenge for prompt treatment in patients with sepsis. Currently used methods rely on culturing or amplification; however, these steps are either time consuming or suffer from interference issues. A microfluidic device was made from black polypropylene, with a monolithic column modified with a capture oligonucleotide for sequence selective solid-phase extraction of a complementary target from a lysate sample. Porous properties of the monolith allow flow and hybridization of a target complementary to the probe immobilized on the column surface. Good flow-through properties enable extraction of a 100μL sample and elution of target DNA in 12min total time. Using a fluorescently labeled target oligonucleotide related to Verona Integron-Mediated Metallo-β-lactamase it was possible to extract and detect a 1pM sample with 83% recovery. Temperature-mediated elution by heating above the duplex melting point provides a clean extract without any agents that interfere with base pairing, allowing various labeling methods or further downstream processing of the eluent. Further integration of this extraction module with a system for isolation and lysis of bacteria from blood, as well as combining with single-molecule detection should allow rapid determination of antibiotic resistance. | 2017 | 28734608 |
| 9211 | 1 | 0.9977 | Use of Staby(®) technology for development and production of DNA vaccines free of antibiotic resistance gene. The appearance of new viruses and the cost of developing certain vaccines require that new vaccination strategies now have to be developed. DNA vaccination seems to be a particularly promising method. For this application, plasmid DNA is injected into the subject (man or animal). This plasmid DNA encodes an antigen that will be expressed by the cells of the subject. In addition to the antigen, the plasmid also encodes a resistance to an antibiotic, which is used during the construction and production steps of the plasmid. However, regulatory agencies (FDA, USDA and EMA) recommend to avoid the use of antibiotics resistance genes. Delphi Genetics developed the Staby(®) technology to replace the antibiotic-resistance gene by a selection system that relies on two bacterial genes. These genes are small in size (approximately 200 to 300 bases each) and consequently encode two small proteins. They are naturally present in the genomes of bacteria and on plasmids. The technology is already used successfully for production of recombinant proteins to achieve higher yields and without the need of antibiotics. In the field of DNA vaccines, we have now the first data validating the innocuousness of this Staby(®) technology for eukaryotic cells and the feasibility of an industrial production of an antibiotic-free DNA vaccine. Moreover, as a proof of concept, mice have been successfully vaccinated with our antibiotic-free DNA vaccine against a deadly disease, pseudorabies (induced by Suid herpesvirus-1). | 2013 | 24051431 |
| 9298 | 2 | 0.9977 | Delivering "Chromatic Bacteria" Fluorescent Protein Tags to Proteobacteria Using Conjugation. Recently, we published a large and versatile set of plasmids, the chromatic bacteria toolbox, to deliver eight different fluorescent protein genes and four combinations of antibiotic resistance genes to Gram-negative bacteria. Fluorescent tags are important tools for single-cell microbiology, synthetic community studies, biofilm, and host-microbe interaction studies. Using conjugation helper strain E. coli S17-1 as a donor, we show how plasmid conjugation can be used to deliver broad host range plasmids, Tn5 transposons delivery plasmids, and Tn7 transposon delivery plasmids into species belonging to the Proteobacteria. To that end, donor and recipient bacteria are grown under standard growth conditions before they are mixed and incubated under non-selective conditions. Then, transconjugants or exconjugant recipients are selected on selective media. Mutant colonies are screened using a combination of tools to ensure that the desired plasmids or transposons are present and that the colonies are not containing any surviving donors. Through conjugation, a wide range of Gram-negative bacteria can be modified without prior, often time-consuming, establishment of competent cell and electroporation procedures that need to be adjusted for every individual strain. The here presented protocol is not exclusive for the delivery of Chromatic bacteria plasmids and transposons, but can also be used to deliver other mobilizable plasmids to bacterial recipients. | 2019 | 33654996 |
| 9210 | 3 | 0.9976 | Plasmid maintenance systems suitable for GMO-based bacterial vaccines. Live carrier-based bacterial vaccines represent a vaccine strategy that offers exceptional flexibility. Commensal or attenuated strains of pathogenic bacteria can be used as live carriers to present foreign antigens from unrelated pathogens to the immune system, with the aim of eliciting protective immune responses. As for oral immunisation, such an approach obviates the usual loss of antigen integrity observed during gastrointestinal passage and allows the delivery of a sufficient antigen dose to the mucosal immune system. Antibiotic and antibiotic-resistance genes have traditionally been used for the maintenance of recombinant plasmid vectors in bacteria used for biotechnological purposes. However, their continued use may appear undesirable in the field of live carrier-based vaccine development. This review focuses on strategies to omit antibiotic resistance determinants in live bacterial vaccines and discusses several balanced lethal-plasmid stabilisation systems with respect to maintenance of plasmid inheritance and antigenicity of plasmid-encoded antigen in vivo. | 2005 | 15755571 |
| 354 | 4 | 0.9975 | New cloning vectors to facilitate quick allelic exchange in gram-negative bacteria. New cloning vectors have been developed with features to enhance quick allelic exchange in gram-negative bacteria. The conditionally replicative R6K and transfer origins facilitate conjugation and chromosomal integration into a variety of bacterial species, whereas the sacB gene provides counterselection for allelic exchange. The vectors have incorporated the lacZ alpha fragment with an enhanced multicloning site for easy blue/white screening and priming sites identified for efficient in vivo assembly or other DNA assembly cloning techniques. Different antibiotic resistance markers allow versatility for use with different bacteria, and transformation into an Escherichia coli strain capable of conjugation enables a quick method for allelic exchange. As a proof of principle, the authors used these vectors to inactivate genes in Vibrio cholerae and Salmonella typhimurium. | 2021 | 33492170 |
| 9297 | 5 | 0.9975 | Xer recombination for the automatic deletion of selectable marker genes from plasmids in enteric bacteria. Antibiotic resistance genes are widely used to select bacteria transformed with plasmids and to prevent plasmid loss from cultures, yet antibiotics represent contaminants in the biopharmaceutical manufacturing process, and retaining antibiotic resistance genes in vaccines and biological therapies is discouraged by regulatory agencies. To overcome these limitations, we have developed X-mark™, a novel technology that leverages Xer recombination to generate selectable marker gene-free plasmids for downstream therapeutic applications. Using this technique, X-mark plasmids with antibiotic resistance genes flanked by XerC/D target sites are generated in Escherichia coli cytosol aminopeptidase (E. coli pepA) mutants, which are deficient in Xer recombination on plasmids, and subsequently transformed into enteric bacteria with a functional Xer system. This results in rapid deletion of the resistance gene at high resolution (100%) and stable replication of resolved plasmids for more than 40 generations in the absence of antibiotic selective pressure. This technology is effective in both Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica bacteria due to the high degree of homology between accessory sequences, including strains that have been developed as oral vaccines for clinical use. X-mark effectively eliminates any regulatory and safety concerns around antibiotic resistance carryover in biopharmaceutical products, such as vaccines and therapeutic proteins. Graphical Abstract. | 2022 | 35601876 |
| 280 | 6 | 0.9975 | Exploration of horizontal gene transfer between transplastomic tobacco and plant-associated bacteria. The likelihood of gene transfer from transgenic plants to bacteria is dependent on the transgene copy number and on the presence of homologous sequences for recombination. The large number of chloroplast genomes in a plant cell as well as the prokaryotic origin of the transgene may thus significantly increase the likelihood of gene transfer from transplastomic plants to bacteria. In order to assess the probability of such a transfer, bacterial isolates, screened for their ability to colonize decaying tobacco plant tissue and possessing DNA sequence similarity to the chloroplastic genes accD and rbcL flanking the transgene (aadA), were tested for their ability to take up extracellular DNA (broad host-range pBBR1MCS-3-derived plasmid, transplastomic plant DNA and PCR products containing the genes accD-aadA-rbcL) by natural or electrotransformation. The results showed that among the 16 bacterial isolates tested, six were able to accept foreign DNA and acquire the spectinomycin resistance conferred by the aadA gene on plasmid, but none of them managed to integrate transgenic DNA in their chromosome. Our results provide no indication that the theoretical gene transfer-enhancing properties of transplastomic plants cause horizontal gene transfer at rates above those found in other studies with nuclear transgenes. | 2011 | 21564143 |
| 5075 | 7 | 0.9975 | Fast and Economic Microarray-Based Detection of Species-, Resistance-, and Virulence-Associated Genes in Clinical Strains of Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci (VRE). Today, there is a continuous worldwide battle against antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and that includes vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE). Methods that can adequately and quickly detect transmission chains in outbreaks are needed to trace and manage this problem fast and cost-effectively. In this study, DNA-microarray-based technology was developed for this purpose. It commenced with the bioinformatic design of specific oligonucleotide sequences to obtain amplification primers and hybridization probes. Microarrays were manufactured using these synthesized oligonucleotides. A highly parallel and stringent labeling and hybridization protocol was developed and employed using isolated genomic DNA from previously sequenced (referenced) clinical VRE strains for optimal sensitivity and specificity. Microarray results showed the detection of virulence, resistance, and species-specific genes in the VRE strains. Theoretical predictions of the microarray results were also derived from the sequences of the same VRE strain and were compared to array results while optimizing protocols until the microarray result and theoretical predictions were a match. The study concludes that DNA microarray technology can be used to quickly, accurately, and economically detect specifically and massively parallel target genes in enterococci. | 2024 | 39409516 |
| 281 | 8 | 0.9974 | Detection of potential transgenic plant DNA recipients among soil bacteria. The likelihood of gene transfer from transgenic plants to bacteria is dependent on gene number and the presence of homologous sequences. The large number of transgene copies in transplastomic (transgenes contained in the chloroplast genome) plant cells as well as the prokaryotic origin of the transgene, may thus significantly increase the likelihood of gene transfer to bacteria that colonize plant tissues. In order to assess the probability of such transfer, the length of homologous DNA sequences required between the transgene and the genome of the bacterial host was assessed. In addition, the probability that bacteria, which co-infect diseased plants, are transformable and have sequences similar to the flanking regions of the transgene was evaluated. Using Acinetobacter baylyi strain BD143 and transplastomic tobacco plants harboring the aadA gene (streptomycin and spectinomycin resistance), we found that sequences identical to the flanking regions containing as few as 55 nucleotides were sufficient for recombination to occur. Consequently, a collection of bacterial isolates able to colonize tobacco plant tissue infected by Ralstonia solanacearum strain K60 was obtained, screened for DNA sequence similarity with the chloroplastic genes accD and rbcL flanking the transgene, and tested for their ability to uptake extracellular DNA (broad host-range pBBR1MCS plasmids) by natural or electro-transformation. Results showed that among the 288 bacterial isolates tested, 8% presented DNA sequence similarity with one or both chloroplastic regions flanking the transgene. Two isolates, identified as Pseudomonas sp. and Acinetobacter sp., were able to integrate exogenous plasmid DNA by electro-transformation and natural transformation, respectively. Our data suggest that transplastomic plant DNA recipients might be present in soil bacterial communities. | 2007 | 17961481 |
| 9744 | 9 | 0.9974 | PARGT: a software tool for predicting antimicrobial resistance in bacteria. With the ever-increasing availability of whole-genome sequences, machine-learning approaches can be used as an alternative to traditional alignment-based methods for identifying new antimicrobial-resistance genes. Such approaches are especially helpful when pathogens cannot be cultured in the lab. In previous work, we proposed a game-theory-based feature evaluation algorithm. When using the protein characteristics identified by this algorithm, called 'features' in machine learning, our model accurately identified antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes in Gram-negative bacteria. Here we extend our study to Gram-positive bacteria showing that coupling game-theory-identified features with machine learning achieved classification accuracies between 87% and 90% for genes encoding resistance to the antibiotics bacitracin and vancomycin. Importantly, we present a standalone software tool that implements the game-theory algorithm and machine-learning model used in these studies. | 2020 | 32620856 |
| 4774 | 10 | 0.9974 | Are antimicrobial resistance genes key targets to detect genetically modified microorganisms in fermentation products? As genetically modified microorganisms (GMM), commonly used by the food and feed industry to produce additives, enzymes and flavourings, are frequently harbouring antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes as selection markers, health and environmental concerns were consequently raised. For this reason, the interest of the competent authorities to control such microbial fermentation products has strongly increased, especially since several recent accidental contaminations of unauthorized GMM, or associated recombinant DNA, in bacterial fermentation products intended for the European food and feed chain. However, no global screening strategy is currently available in enforcement laboratories to assess the presence of GMM harbouring AMR genes and/or the presence of full-length AMR genes. Moreover, the confidentiality of the related GMM dossiers strongly hampers the development of methods to perform such control. To overcome this issue, an analysis of related publicly available patents was performed in this study to identify all reported AMR genes. On this basis, the aminoglycoside adenyltransferase (aadD) gene, conferring a resistance to both kanamycin and neomycin, was identified as a key target to cover a large spectrum of GM bacteria. A real-time PCR method to screen for its potential presence as well as a nested-PCR method associated with a sequencing analysis to assess its full-length were developed to target this aadD gene. The performance of these new methods were successfully evaluated in terms of specificity, sensitivity and applicability, allowing their easy implementation in enforcement laboratories. Moreover, the integration of these newly developed methods to our very recently proposed strategy, initially targeting GMM carrying a chloramphenicol resistance gene, allows to drastically increase the detection spectrum of GM bacteria producing fermentation food and feed products. The data generated by the proposed strategy represents therefore a crucial support for the competent authorities, especially to evaluate potential risks for the food and feed safety. | 2020 | 32622259 |
| 5078 | 11 | 0.9974 | A simple cut and stretch assay to detect antimicrobial resistance genes on bacterial plasmids by single-molecule fluorescence microscopy. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a fast-growing threat to global health. The genes conferring AMR to bacteria are often located on plasmids, circular extrachromosomal DNA molecules that can be transferred between bacterial strains and species. Therefore, effective methods to characterize bacterial plasmids and detect the presence of resistance genes can assist in managing AMR, for example, during outbreaks in hospitals. However, existing methods for plasmid analysis either provide limited information or are expensive and challenging to implement in low-resource settings. Herein, we present a simple assay based on CRISPR/Cas9 excision and DNA combing to detect antimicrobial resistance genes on bacterial plasmids. Cas9 recognizes the gene of interest and makes a double-stranded DNA cut, causing the circular plasmid to linearize. The change in plasmid configuration from circular to linear, and hence the presence of the AMR gene, is detected by stretching the plasmids on a glass surface and visualizing by fluorescence microscopy. This single-molecule imaging based assay is inexpensive, fast, and in addition to detecting the presence of AMR genes, it provides detailed information on the number and size of plasmids in the sample. We demonstrate the detection of several β-lactamase-encoding genes on plasmids isolated from clinical samples. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the assay can be performed using standard microbiology and clinical laboratory equipment, making it suitable for low-resource settings. | 2022 | 35660772 |
| 9394 | 12 | 0.9974 | New generation of plasmid backbones devoid of antibiotic resistance marker for gene therapy trials. Since it has been established that the injection of plasmid DNA can lead to an efficient expression of a specific protein in vivo, nonviral gene therapy approaches have been considerably improved, allowing clinical trials. However, the use of antibiotic resistance genes as selection markers for plasmid production raises safety concerns which are often pointed out by the regulatory authorities. Indeed, a horizontal gene transfer to patient's bacteria cannot be excluded, and residual antibiotic in the final product could provoke allergic reactions in sensitive individuals. A new generation of plasmid backbones devoid of antibiotic resistance marker has emerged to increase the safety profile of nonviral gene therapy trials. This article reviews the existing strategies for plasmid maintenance and, in particular, those that do not require the use of antibiotic resistance genes. They are based either on the complementation of auxotrophic strain, toxin-antitoxin systems, operator-repressor titration, RNA markers, or on the overexpression of a growth essential gene. Minicircles that allow removing of the antibiotic resistance gene from the initial vector will also be discussed. Furthermore, reported use of antibiotic-free plasmids in preclinical or clinical studies will be listed to provide a comprehensive view of these innovative technologies. | 2011 | 21878901 |
| 3824 | 13 | 0.9974 | Screening for novel antibiotic resistance genes. Knowledge of novel antibiotic resistance genes aids in the understanding of how antibiotics function and how bacteria fight them. This knowledge also allows future generations of an antibiotic or antibiotic group to be altered to allow the greatest efficacy. The method described here is very simple in theory. The bacterial strains are screened for antibiotic resistance. Cultures of the strain are grown, and DNA is extracted. A partial digest of the extraction is cloned into Escherichia coli, and the transformants are plated on selective media. Any colony that grows will possess the antibiotic resistance gene and can be further examined. In actual practice, however, this technique can be complicated. The detailed protocol will need to be optimized for each bacterial strain, vector, and cell line chosen. | 2010 | 20830570 |
| 5077 | 14 | 0.9974 | Development of a new integrated diagnostic test for identification and characterization of pathogens. Animal diseases directly cause multi-million dollar losses world-wide. Therefore a rapid, highly specific, cost-effective diagnostic test for detecting a large set of bacterial virulence and antimicrobial resistance genes simultaneously is necessary. Hence, our group, the BCBG (Bacterial Chips Bacterial Genes) group, proposes developing a powerful molecular tool (DNA microarray) to detect a broad range of infectious agents, their endogenous main virulence factors and antibiotic resistance genes simultaneously. Effectively, a 70-mer oligonucleotide microarray capable of detecting the presence or absence of 169 Escherichia coli virulence genes or virulence marker genes as well as their variants, in addition to 30 principal antimicrobial resistance genes previously characterized in E. coli strains was developed by our group. This microarray was validated with a large collection of well characterized pathogenic and reference E. coli strains. Moreover, we are developing a new powerful clinical diagnostic microarray tool, to identify pathogenic bacteria of veterinary interest. The commercialization of this assay would allow same day diagnosis of infectious agents and their antibiotic resistance resulting in early treatment. In addition, this technology is also applicable to microbial quality control of food and water. | 2006 | 17058497 |
| 5083 | 15 | 0.9974 | Multiplex Microarrays in 96-Well Plates Photoactivated with 4-Azidotetrafluorobenzaldehyde for the Identification and Quantification of β-Lactamase Genes and Their RNA Transcripts. Antibiotic-resistant bacteria represent a global issue that calls for novel approaches to diagnosis and treatment. Given the variety of genetic factors that determine resistance, multiplex methods hold promise in this area. We developed a novel method to covalently attach oligonucleotide probes to the wells of polystyrene plates using photoactivation with 4-azidotetrafluorobenzaldehyde. Then, it was used to develop the technique of microarrays in the wells. It consists of the following steps: activating polystyrene, hybridizing the probes with biotinylated target DNA, and developing the result using a streptavidin-peroxidase conjugate with colorimetric detection. The first microarray was designed to identify 11 different gene types and 16 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of clinically relevant ESBLs and carbapenemases, which confer Gram-negative bacteria resistance to β-lactam antibiotics. The detection of bla genes in 65 clinical isolates of Enterobacteriaceae demonstrated the high sensitivity and reproducibility of the technique. The highly reproducible spot staining of colorimetric microarrays allowed us to design a second microarray that was intended to quantify four different types of bla mRNAs in order to ascertain their expressions. The combination of reliable performance, high throughput in standard 96-well plates, and inexpensive colorimetric detection makes the microarrays suitable for routine clinical application and for the study of multi-drug resistant bacteria. | 2023 | 38275665 |
| 383 | 16 | 0.9974 | Construction of improved vectors and cassettes containing gusA and antibiotic resistance genes for studies of transcriptional activity and bacterial localization. Broad-host-range, conjugative vectors with a constitutively expressed gusA gene combined with different antibiotic resistance (tetracycline, gentamicin, kanamycin) genes have been constructed. These plasmids are designed for tracking Gram-negative bacterial strains without the risk of random mutagenesis. We also constructed a set of cassettes containing a promoterless gusA gene linked with different antibiotic resistance genes for making transcriptional fusions and for cassette mutagenesis. New plasmids and cassettes can be useful tools for studying gene expression, interaction of bacteria with plants and monitoring bacteria in the environment. | 2001 | 11348677 |
| 263 | 17 | 0.9974 | Selection and characterization of a promoter for expression of single-copy recombinant genes in Gram-positive bacteria. BACKGROUND: In the past ten years there has been a growing interest in engineering Gram-positive bacteria for biotechnological applications, including vaccine delivery and production of recombinant proteins. Usually, bacteria are manipulated using plasmid expression vectors. The major limitation of this approach is due to the fact that recombinant plasmids are often lost from the bacterial culture upon removal of antibiotic selection. We have developed a genetic system based on suicide vectors on conjugative transposons allowing stable integration of recombinant DNA into the chromosome of transformable and non-transformable Gram-positive bacteria. RESULTS: The aim of this work was to select a strong chromosomal promoter from Streptococcus gordonii to improve this genetic system making it suitable for expression of single-copy recombinant genes. To achieve this task, a promoterless gene encoding a chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (cat), was randomly integrated into the S. gordonii chromosome and transformants were selected for chloramphenicol resistance. Three out of eighteen chloramphenicol resistant transformants selected exhibited 100% stability of the phenotype and only one of them, GP215, carried the cat gene integrated as a single copy. A DNA fragment of 600 base pairs exhibiting promoter activity was isolated from GP215 and sequenced. The 5' end of its corresponding mRNA was determined by primer extention analysis and the putative -10 and a -35 regions were identified. To study the possibility of using this promoter (PP) for single copy heterologous gene expression, we created transcriptional fusions of PP with genes encoding surface recombinant proteins in a vector capable of integrating into the conjugative transposon Tn916. Surface recombinant proteins whose expression was controlled by the PP promoter were detected in Tn916-containing strains of S. gordonii and Bacillus subtilis after single copy chromosomal integration of the recombinant insertion vectors into the resident Tn916. The surface recombinant protein synthesized under the control of PP was also detected in Enterococcus faecalis after conjugal transfer of a recombinant Tn916 containing the transcriptional fusion. CONCLUSION: We isolated and characterized a S. gordonii chromosomal promoter. We demonstrated that this promoter can be used to direct expression of heterologous genes in different Gram-positive bacteria, when integrated in a single copy into the chromosome. | 2005 | 15651989 |
| 9078 | 18 | 0.9973 | MetaCherchant: analyzing genomic context of antibiotic resistance genes in gut microbiota. MOTIVATION: Antibiotic resistance is an important global public health problem. Human gut microbiota is an accumulator of resistance genes potentially providing them to pathogens. It is important to develop tools for identifying the mechanisms of how resistance is transmitted between gut microbial species and pathogens. RESULTS: We developed MetaCherchant-an algorithm for extracting the genomic environment of antibiotic resistance genes from metagenomic data in the form of a graph. The algorithm was validated on a number of simulated and published datasets, as well as applied to new 'shotgun' metagenomes of gut microbiota from patients with Helicobacter pylori who underwent antibiotic therapy. Genomic context was reconstructed for several major resistance genes. Taxonomic annotation of the context suggests that within a single metagenome, the resistance genes can be contained in genomes of multiple species. MetaCherchant allows reconstruction of mobile elements with resistance genes within the genomes of bacteria using metagenomic data. Application of MetaCherchant in differential mode produced specific graph structures suggesting the evidence of possible resistance gene transmission within a mobile element that occurred as a result of the antibiotic therapy. MetaCherchant is a promising tool giving researchers an opportunity to get an insight into dynamics of resistance transmission in vivo basing on metagenomic data. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION: Source code and binaries are freely available for download at https://github.com/ctlab/metacherchant. The code is written in Java and is platform-independent. COTANCT: ulyantsev@rain.ifmo.ru. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. | 2018 | 29092015 |
| 6311 | 19 | 0.9973 | Development of an antibiotic marker-free platform for heterologous protein production in Streptomyces. BACKGROUND: The industrial use of enzymes produced by microorganisms is continuously growing due to the need for sustainable solutions. Nevertheless, many of the plasmids used for recombinant production of proteins in bacteria are based on the use of antibiotic resistance genes as selection markers. The safety concerns and legal requirements surrounding the increased use of antibiotic resistance genes have made the development of new antibiotic-free approaches essential. RESULTS: In this work, a system completely free of antibiotic resistance genes and useful for the production of high yields of proteins in Streptomyces is described. This system is based on the separation of the two components of the yefM/yoeBsl (antitoxin/toxin) operon; the toxin (yoeBsl) gene, responsible for host death, is integrated into the genome and the antitoxin gene (yefMsl), which inactivates the toxin, is located in the expression plasmid. To develop this system, the toxin gene was integrated into the genome of a strain lacking the complete operon, and the antibiotic resistance gene integrated along with the toxin was eliminated by Cre recombinase to generate a final host strain free of any antibiotic resistance marker. In the same way, the antibiotic resistance gene from the final expression plasmid was removed by Dre recombinase. The usefulness of this system was analysed by checking the production of two hydrolases from different Streptomyces. Production of both proteins, with potential industrial use, was high and stable over time after strain storage and after serial subcultures. These results support the robustness and stability of the positive selection system developed. CONCLUSIONS: The total absence of antibiotic resistance genes makes this system a powerful tool for using Streptomyces as a host to produce proteins at the industrial level. This work is the first Streptomyces antibiotic marker-free system to be described. Graphical abstract Antibiotic marker-free platform for protein expression in Streptomyces. The antitoxin gene present in the expression plasmid counteracts the effect of the toxin gene in the genome. In absence of the expression plasmid, the toxin causes cell death ensuring that only plasmid-containing cells persist. | 2017 | 28950904 |