The antibiotic resistome: gene flow in environments, animals and human beings
10.1007/s11684-017-0531-x
- Author:
Hu YONGFEI
1
;
F.Gao GEORGE
;
Zhu BAOLI
Author Information
1. CAS Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology
- Keywords:
antibiotic resistance;
resistome;
microbiome;
gene flow
- From:
Frontiers of Medicine
2017;11(2):161-168
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
The antibiotic resistance is natural in bacteria and predates the human use of antibiotics.Numerous antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) have been discovered to confer resistance to a wide range of antibiotics.The ARGs in natural environments are highly integrated and tightly regulated in specific bacterial metabolic networks.However,the antibiotic selection pressure conferred by the use of antibiotics in both human medicine and agriculture practice leads to a significant increase of antibiotic resistance and a steady accumulation of ARGs in bacteria.In this review,we summarized,with an emphasis on an ecological point of view,the important research progress regarding the collective ARGs (antibiotic resistome) in bacterial communities of natural environments,human and animals,i.e.,in the one health settings.We propose that the resistance gene flow in nature is "from the natural environments" and "to the natural environments";human and animals,as intermediate recipients and disseminators,contribute greatly to such a resistance gene "circulation.".
