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Determining the antibiotic resistance potential of the indigenous oral microbiota of humans using a metagenomic approach

  1. Martha L. Diaz-Torres1,
  2. Aurelie Villedieu1,
  3. Nigel Hunt2,
  4. Rod McNab3,
  5. David A. Spratt1,
  6. Elaine Allan1,
  7. Peter Mullany1,
  8. Michael Wilson1

Article first published online: 3 APR 2006

DOI: 10.1111/j.1574-6968.2006.00221.x

Issue

FEMS Microbiology Letters

FEMS Microbiology Letters

Volume 258, Issue 2, pages 257–262, May 2006

Additional Information

How to Cite

Diaz-Torres, M. L., Villedieu, A., Hunt, N., McNab, R., Spratt, D. A., Allan, E., Mullany, P. and Wilson, M. (2006), Determining the antibiotic resistance potential of the indigenous oral microbiota of humans using a metagenomic approach. FEMS Microbiology Letters, 258: 257–262. doi: 10.1111/j.1574-6968.2006.00221.x

Author Information

  1. 1

    Division of Microbial Diseases, UCL Eastman Dental Institute, University College London, UK

  2. 2

    Department of Orthodontics, UCL Eastman Dental Institute, University College London, UK

  3. 3

    GlaxoSmithline, Oral Healthcare, Weybridge, UK

*Correspondence: Michael Wilson, Division of Microbial Diseases, UCL Eastman Dental Institute, University College London, 256 Gray's Inn Road, London WC1X 8LD, UK. Tel.: +44 (0) 20 7915 1231; fax: +44 (0) 20 7915 1127; e-mail: m.wilson@eastman.ucl.ac.uk

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 3 APR 2006
  2. Article first published online: 3 APR 2006
  3. Received 27 October 2005; revised 30 January 2006; accepted 2 March 2006.First published online 3 April 2006.

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Keywords:

  • metagenomics;
  • antibiotic resistance;
  • tetracycline;
  • oral microbiota;
  • resistome

Abstract

Studies of the prevalence and identity of genes encoding resistance to antibiotics in a microbial community are usually carried out on only the cultivable members of the community. However, it is possible to include the as-yet-uncultivable organisms present by adopting a metagenomic approach to such studies. In this investigation, four metagenomic libraries of the oral microbiota were prepared from three groups of 20 adult humans and screened for antibiotic-resistant clones. Clones resistant to tetracycline and amoxycillin were present in all four libraries while gentamicin-resistant clones were found in three of the libraries. The genes encoding tetracycline resistance in the clones were identified and found to be tet(M), tet(O), tet(Q), tet(W), tet37 and tet(A). However, only the first three of these were detected in all three groups of individuals investigated.

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