Transposons and Integrons: Natural Genetic Engineering of Bacterial Resistance
The advent of antibiotics in clinical medicine has resulted in the emergence of multiresistant strains of bacteria. Bacteria possess sophisticated mechanisms of genetic exchange that have driven their recent evolution. Among these are transposons and integrons, the latter having interesting parallel...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Hindawi Limited
1999-01-01
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| Series: | Canadian Journal of Infectious Diseases |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/1999/619276 |
| Summary: | The advent of antibiotics in clinical medicine has resulted in the
emergence of multiresistant strains of bacteria. Bacteria possess
sophisticated mechanisms of genetic exchange that have driven
their recent evolution. Among these are transposons and integrons,
the latter having interesting parallels with genetic engineering
techniques used in the laboratory. An understanding of these
mechanisms through studies of the molecular basis of the
dissemination of resistance genes will aid rational choices in
antibiotic therapy. |
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| ISSN: | 1180-2332 |