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Gut inflammation can boost horizontal gene transfer between pathogenic and commensal Enterobacteriaceae.


ABSTRACT: The mammalian gut harbors a dense microbial community interacting in multiple ways, including horizontal gene transfer (HGT). Pangenome analyses established particularly high levels of genetic flux between Gram-negative Enterobacteriaceae. However, the mechanisms fostering intraenterobacterial HGT are incompletely understood. Using a mouse colitis model, we found that Salmonella-inflicted enteropathy elicits parallel blooms of the pathogen and of resident commensal Escherichia coli. These blooms boosted conjugative HGT of the colicin-plasmid p2 from Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium to E. coli. Transconjugation efficiencies of ~100% in vivo were attributable to high intrinsic p2-transfer rates. Plasmid-encoded fitness benefits contributed little. Under normal conditions, HGT was blocked by the commensal microbiota inhibiting contact-dependent conjugation between Enterobacteriaceae. Our data show that pathogen-driven inflammatory responses in the gut can generate transient enterobacterial blooms in which conjugative transfer occurs at unprecedented rates. These blooms may favor reassortment of plasmid-encoded genes between pathogens and commensals fostering the spread of fitness-, virulence-, and antibiotic-resistance determinants.

SUBMITTER: Stecher B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3268327 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Gut inflammation can boost horizontal gene transfer between pathogenic and commensal Enterobacteriaceae.

Stecher Bärbel B   Denzler Rémy R   Maier Lisa L   Bernet Florian F   Sanders Mandy J MJ   Pickard Derek J DJ   Barthel Manja M   Westendorf Astrid M AM   Krogfelt Karen A KA   Walker Alan W AW   Ackermann Martin M   Dobrindt Ulrich U   Thomson Nicholas R NR   Hardt Wolf-Dietrich WD  

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 20120109 4


The mammalian gut harbors a dense microbial community interacting in multiple ways, including horizontal gene transfer (HGT). Pangenome analyses established particularly high levels of genetic flux between Gram-negative Enterobacteriaceae. However, the mechanisms fostering intraenterobacterial HGT are incompletely understood. Using a mouse colitis model, we found that Salmonella-inflicted enteropathy elicits parallel blooms of the pathogen and of resident commensal Escherichia coli. These blooms  ...[more]

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