A functionally selected Acinetobacter sp. phosphoethanolamine transferase gene from the goose fecal microbiome confers colistin resistance in E. coli.

A phosphoethanolamine transferase gene from goose fecal microbiome confers high-level colistin resistance in E. coli, highlighting environmental reservoirs of resistance genes.

• Why it matters: The rise of colistin resistance threatens last-resort antibiotics crucial for treating multidrug-resistant infections, and understanding environmental sources is vital for containment.
• What they did: Researchers used functional metagenomic selection on goose fecal microbiome DNA, identifying Acinetobacter sp. eptA genes capable of conferring resistance when transferred to E. coli.
• The result: The findings suggest that environmental Acinetobacter genes, potentially mobilized as mcr-like genes, could spread colistin resistance, emphasizing the need for monitoring resistance gene reservoirs.