About this Research Topic
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) as a transferrable bacterial trait has been investigated extensively in recent years. The possibility of AMR dissemination among bacterial species has been confirmed, and dissemination routes between agricultural and medical sectors have been proposed. This has caused imminent threats: AMR can disseminate from its original point of emergence/enrichment to medical units and can spread from non-pathogenic bacteria to pathogenic bacteria, leading to life-threatening multidrug-resistant bacterial pathogens. Many horizontal gene transfer processes, including conjugation, transformation, transduction via bacteriophages have been shown to play key roles in the dissemination of AMR, which is usually encoded by antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) carried by mobile genetic elements- plasmids, genomic islands including SCCmec, Salmonella Genomic Island 1, Integrative and Conjugative Elements, and other autonomous or non-autonomous elements like transposons, integrons, etc. Many bioinformatical and microbiomic analyses have also been performed to elucidate AMR transfer dynamics. Despite these investigations, more efforts are needed to define cellular components involved in the dissemination of AMR along with their regulation schemes, AMR dissemination characteristics in different microbiomes (for instance, intestinal microbiomes and aquatic environments), and the role of AMR dissemination in the reduction of antibiotic susceptibility of pathogens.
The goal of this Research Topic is to deepen our understanding of the scope and dynamics of AMR dissemination in different microbiomes, the role of different horizontal gene transfer processes in AMR dissemination, the mobile genetic elements involved in AMR dissemination, the environmental factors/substances that impact the dissemination of AMR, and the cellular regulatory mechanisms that impact AMR dissemination. Ultimately, these investigations will be helpful for us in defining targets, identifying drugs, and developing methods/therapies in slowing down AMR dissemination, and eventually, let us have more time on solving the AMR problem.
Potential topics include but not limited to the following:
• Prevalence and dissemination dynamics of antimicrobial resistance in different environments (human or animal gastrointestinal tract, aquatic environments, soil, aerosols, wastewater treatment plants, etc).
• Microbiomic investigations or methodology on defining AMR dissemination.
• Horizontal gene transfer processes for AMR dissemination and the regulatory mechanisms for AMR dissemination.
• Mobile genetic elements involved in AMR dissemination, and molecular mechanisms for ARG incorporation and AMR dissemination.
• Environmental factors and substances that impact the dissemination of AMR.
• Methods to prevent/slow down AMR dissemination.
• Potential drugs and drug targets for prevention of AMR dissemination.
• Analysis of impacts of antimicrobial resistance dissemination on antibiotic efficacies and public health.
The goal of this Research Topic is to deepen our understanding of the scope and dynamics of AMR dissemination in different microbiomes, the role of different horizontal gene transfer processes in AMR dissemination, the mobile genetic elements involved in AMR dissemination, the environmental factors/substances that impact the dissemination of AMR, and the cellular regulatory mechanisms that impact AMR dissemination. Ultimately, these investigations will be helpful for us in defining targets, identifying drugs, and developing methods/therapies in slowing down AMR dissemination, and eventually, let us have more time on solving the AMR problem.
Potential topics include but not limited to the following:
• Prevalence and dissemination dynamics of antimicrobial resistance in different environments (human or animal gastrointestinal tract, aquatic environments, soil, aerosols, wastewater treatment plants, etc).
• Microbiomic investigations or methodology on defining AMR dissemination.
• Horizontal gene transfer processes for AMR dissemination and the regulatory mechanisms for AMR dissemination.
• Mobile genetic elements involved in AMR dissemination, and molecular mechanisms for ARG incorporation and AMR dissemination.
• Environmental factors and substances that impact the dissemination of AMR.
• Methods to prevent/slow down AMR dissemination.
• Potential drugs and drug targets for prevention of AMR dissemination.
• Analysis of impacts of antimicrobial resistance dissemination on antibiotic efficacies and public health.
Keywords: Antimicrobial resistance; Horizontal gene transfer; Dissemination; Mobile genetic elements; Bacterial pathogenesis
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