Publications by authors named "Emma V Waters"
Article Synopsis
- Salmonella enterica serovar Agona (S. Agona) has emerged as a key cause of gastroenteritis, with unique adaptations such as biofilm formation and viable but non-culturable states aiding its persistence in humans.
- A study of 2233 S. Agona isolates from UK infections (2004-2020) examined the genome structure and phenotypes of different stages of infection to understand factors contributing to chronic carriage.
- Findings indicated that certain genome rearrangements and increased SNP variation are linked to early-stage and persistent infections, suggesting mechanisms for immune evasion and establishment of chronic infection.
Background: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are a frequent cause for visits to primary care providers. In alignment globally, uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) are the main aetiological agent for UTIs in Norfolk and are increasingly difficult to treat due to multi-drug resistance.
Objectives: We set out to identify which clonal groups and resistance genes are disseminating in the community and hospitals in Norfolk, the first study of its kind for UPEC in this region.
Article Synopsis
- Antimicrobial-resistance (AMR) genes can be exchanged between bacteria through horizontal gene transfer (HGT), involving various genetic elements like plasmids and bacteriophages, but the role of bacteriophages in AMR is not yet fully understood.
- Researchers identified a new ~98 kbp circular P1-bacteriophage-like plasmid called ph681355 from a clinical Salmonella Typhi isolate, which includes specific plasmid replicons and mobile elements, marking the first report of such a phage-plasmid in this bacteria.
- The study indicates that long-read sequencing can reveal the complex structure of AMR genes in bacteria, suggesting that bacteriophage-mediated genetic transfer may be more common and contribute
In addition to nucleotide variation, many bacteria also undergo changes at a much larger scale via rearrangement of their genome structure (GS) around long repeat sequences. These rearrangements result in genome fragments shifting position and/or orientation in the genome without necessarily affecting the underlying nucleotide sequence. To date, scalable techniques have not been applied to GS identification, so it remains unclear how extensive this variation is and the extent of its impact upon gene expression.
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