Publication: Functional metagenomics reveals diverse Β-lactamases in a remote Alaskan soil
Issued Date
2009-02-01
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ISSN
17517370
17517362
17517362
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2-s2.0-58549083738
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Mahidol University
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SCOPUS
Bibliographic Citation
ISME Journal. Vol.3, No.2 (2009), 243-251
Suggested Citation
Heather K. Allen, Luke A. Moe, Jitsupang Rodbumrer, Andra Gaarder, Jo Handelsman Functional metagenomics reveals diverse Β-lactamases in a remote Alaskan soil. ISME Journal. Vol.3, No.2 (2009), 243-251. doi:10.1038/ismej.2008.86 Retrieved from: https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/20.500.14594/27057
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Title
Functional metagenomics reveals diverse Β-lactamases in a remote Alaskan soil
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Abstract
Despite the threat posed by antibiotic resistance in infectious bacteria, little is known about the diversity, distribution and origins of resistance genes, particularly among the as yet unculturable environmental bacteria. One potentially rich but largely unstudied environmental reservoir is soil. The complexity of its microbial community coupled with its high density of antibiotic-producing bacteria makes the soil a likely origin for diverse antibiotic resistance determinants. To investigate antibiotic resistance genes among uncultured bacteria in an undisturbed soil environment, we undertook a functional metagenomic analysis of a remote Alaskan soil. We report that this soil is a reservoir for Β-lactamases that function in Escherichia coli, including divergent Β-lactamases and the first bifunctional Β-lactamase. Our findings suggest that even in the absence of selective pressure imposed by anthropogenic activity, the soil microbial community in an unpolluted site harbors unique and ancient Β-lactam resistance determinants. Moreover, despite their evolutionary distance from previously known genes, the Alaskan Β-lactamases confer resistance on E. coli without manipulating its gene expression machinery, demonstrating the potential for soil resistance genes to compromise human health, if transferred to pathogens. © 2009 International Society for Microbial Ecology All rights reserved.