Dynamics of antibiotic resistance genes in plasmids and bacteriophages

Abstract

This brief review explores the intricate interplay between bacteriophages and plasmids in the context of antibiotic resistance gene (ARG) dissemination. Originating from studies in the late 1950s, the review traces the evolution of knowledge regarding extrachromosomal factors facilitating horizontal gene transfer and adaptation in bacteria. Analyzing the gene repertoires of plasmids and bacteriophages, the study highlights their contributions to bacterial evolution and adaptation. While plasmids encode essential and accessory genes influencing host characteristics, bacteriophages carry auxiliary metabolic genes (AMGs) that augment host metabolism. The debate on phages carrying ARGs is explored through a critical evaluation of various studies, revealing contrasting findings from researchers. Additionally, the review addresses the interplay between prophages and plasmids, underlining their similarities and divergences. Based on the available literature evidence, we conclude that plasmids generally encode ARGs while bacteriophages typically do not contain ARGs. But extra-chromosomaly present prophages with plasmid characteristics can encode and disseminate ARGs.

Keywords:

• Antibiotic resistance genes
• bacteriophages
• plasmids
• extrachromosomal prophages
• phage-plasmids

Acknowledgement

The authors acknowledge the suggestions of anonymous reviewers in improving the quality of this review article.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

The supplementary data associated with this review can be found in this public repository. https://github.com/GomathiNayagam/Phage_plasmids_ARGs. The archived version of the same can be found in 10.5281/zenodo.10617801.

Additional information

Funding

The author S Gomathinayagam received Senior Research Fellowship by ICMR vide AMR/Fellowship/20/2022-ECD-lI.