The CRISPR-cas system promotes antimicrobial resistance in Campylobacter jejuni.

ABSTRACT

AIM: The purpose of current study is to find out relationship between cas9 gene and antimicrobial resistance in Campylobacter jejuni NCTC11168. MATERIALS & METHODS: The involvement of the cas9 gene in antimicrobial resistance of C. jejuni was determined by assessment of minimum inhibitory concentration, clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-cas gene expression in standard strains, in vitro resistance development and transcriptome analysis of a cas9 deletion mutant and wild strains. RESULTS: Increased expression of CRISPR-related genes was observed in standard strains. We also observed that Δcas9 mutant strain is more sensitive to antibiotics than its wild strain. Transcriptome analysis revealed that cas9 gene regulate several genes to promote antimicrobial resistance in C. jejuni. CONCLUSION: CRISPR-cas system plays role in the enhancement of antimicrobial resistance in C. jejuni.