Modern concepts of resistome and prospects for their practical application

Abstract

The term resistance refers to a set of microbiome genes encoding the mechanisms of antibiotic resistance. The results of the resistome studies show that in natural microbial populations, the mechanisms of resistance have evolved over millions of years, being part of the adaptive responses of microbial cells to stress. With the advent of the antibiotic era, the evolution of resistomes has greatly accelerated towards their complexity and expansion. The study of the resistance showed the presence of many bottlenecks in the metabolism of resistant cells, which can be used for their eradication. It is assumed that the basis for the rapid proliferation of resistomes is horizontal gene transfer, therefore, the interruption of gene transfer processes should form the basis for the fight against resistance. The exchange of resistance genes is especially intense between members of the enterobacteria family, among which there are many pathogens of inflammatory complications in patients of medical clinics. The largest reservoir of resistance genes is the intestinal microbiome, but this fact is still poorly realized. The use of probiotics and fecal transplantation requires the development of efficacy and safety criteria. Drugs that slow down the traffic of resistance genes in the intestinal microbiome are being developed, and the possibilities of epigenetic regulation of resistance genes activity are being investigated.