Emergence of dominant multidrug-resistant bacterial clades Lessons from history and whole-genome sequencing

• Published in: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS Vol. 115; no. 51; pp. 12872 - 12877
• Main Authors: Klemm, Elizabeth J., Wong, Vanessa K., Dougan, Gordon
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States National Academy of Sciences 18.12.2018
• Subjects: Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology; Antibiotic resistance; Antibiotics; Bacteria; Biological Sciences; Determinants; Drug resistance; Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial - drug effects; Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial - genetics; Emergence; Evolution; Gene sequencing; Gene Transfer, Horizontal; Genome, Bacterial; Genomes; Genotype; Genotype & phenotype; Genotypes; Multidrug resistance; Multidrug resistant organisms; SPECIAL FEATURE: PERSPECTIVE; Whole Genome Sequencing; multidrug resistance; evolution; bacteria; emergence
• ISSN: 0027-8424; 1091-6490
• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1717162115

Antibiotic resistance in bacteria has emerged as a global challenge over the past 90 years, compromising our ability to effectively treat infections. There has been a dramatic increase in antibiotic resistance-associated determinants in bacterial populations, driven by the mobility and infectious nature of such determinants. Bacterial genome flexibility and antibiotic-driven selection are at the root of the problem. Genome evolution and the emergence of highly successful multidrug-resistant clades in different pathogens have made this a global challenge. Here, we describe some of the factors driving the origin, evolution, and spread of the antibiotic resistance genotype.