Zinc can counteract selection for ciprofloxacin resistance

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Michiel Vos - , University of Exeter (Author)
  • Louise Sibleyras - , University of Exeter, Université Paris-Saclay (Author)
  • Lai Ka Lo - , University of Exeter, University of Münster (Author)
  • Elze Hesse - , University of Exeter (Author)
  • William Gaze - , University of Exeter (Author)
  • Uli Klümper - , University of Exeter, College of Life and Environmental Science (Author)

Abstract

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has emerged as one of the most pressing threats to public health. AMR evolution occurs in the clinic but also in the environment, where antibiotics and heavy metals can select and co-select for AMR. While the selective potential of both antibiotics and metals is increasingly well-characterized, experimental studies exploring their combined effects on AMR evolution are rare. It has previously been demonstrated that fluoroquinolone antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin can chelate metal ions. To investigate how ciprofloxacin resistance is affected by the presence of metals, we quantified selection dynamics between a ciprofloxacin-susceptible and a ciprofloxacin-resistant Escherichia coli strain across a gradient of ciprofloxacin concentrations in presence and absence of zinc. The presence of zinc reduced growth of both strains, while ciprofloxacin inhibited exclusively the susceptible one. When present in combination zinc retained its inhibitory effect, while ciprofloxacin inhibition of the susceptible strain was reduced. Consequently, the minimal selective concentration for ciprofloxacin resistance increased up to five-fold in the presence of zinc. Environmental pollution usually comprises complex mixtures of antimicrobial agents. In addition to the usual focus on additive or synergistic interactions in complex selective mixtures, our findings highlight the importance of antagonistic selective interactions when considering resistance evolution.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Article numberfnaa038
JournalFEMS microbiology letters
Volume367
Issue number3
Publication statusPublished - 20 Mar 2020
Peer-reviewedYes
Externally publishedYes

External IDs

PubMed 32105320
ORCID /0000-0002-4169-6548/work/142247372

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Keywords

  • Antibiotic resistance, Antimicrobial resistance, Chelation, Fluroquinolone, Heavy metals, Selection dynamics

Library keywords