Environmental integrons: the dark side of the integron world

Eva Sandoval-Quintana , Béatrice Lauga (1) , Christine Cagnon (1)

1 IPREM - Institut des sciences analytiques et de physico-chimie pour l'environnement et les materiaux

Integrons are bacterial genetic elements notorious for their role in spreading antibiotic resistance in clinical settings. In the natural environment, integrons present a wide and hidden diversity, raising questions as to their broader role in bacterial adaptation. From the One Health perspective, they must be considered a threatening pool of resistance determinants.

Keywords: bacterial adaptation; dispersal; genetic rearrangement; integrons; microbial communities; One Health

Domains: Molecular biology; Ecosystems; Health; Bacteriology

Eva Sandoval-Quintana, Béatrice Lauga, Christine Cagnon. Environmental integrons: the dark side of the integron world. Trends in Microbiology, In press, ⟨10.1016/j.tim.2022.01.009⟩. ⟨hal-03583980⟩