Identification of Genes Essential for Antibiotic-Induced Up-Regulation of Plasmid-Transfer-Genes in Cephalosporin Resistant Escherichia coli

Bacterial conjugation is one of the most important mechanisms for spread of antibiotic resistance among bacteria. We have previously demonstrated that cefotaxime (CTX) exposure up-regulates expression of Type-IV conjugation transfer genes, and that this leads to increased transfer of a blaCTX-M-1 encoding IncI1 resistance plasmid pTF2 in Escherichia coli. To elucidate the underlying mechanisms, a search for genes that are essential for the...