Bacteriophages: Potential Candidates for Dissemination of Antibiotic Resistance Genes in the Environment

The discovery of antibacterial drugs i.e., antibiotics marked a monumental achievement in the history of mankind, and this discovery revolutionized how infectious diseases were treated, saving countless lives. Lately, antibiotic resistance has emerged due to the overuse of antibiotics, which in turn poses a significant global threat. Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) are disseminated among various biomes and bacterial taxa by lateral or horizontal gene transfer (HGT), involving conjugation, transformation, and transduction mechanisms. This review focuses on transduction, wherein bacteriophages or phages mediate gene transfer between bacteria. Bacteriophages, as prevalent as their bacterial counterparts and often surpassing them in abundance, exert significant control over bacterial populations. According to estimates, 25% of the total genes of Escherichia coli originate from other bacterial species because of the HGT mechanism. Transduction can occur through generalized or specialized mechanisms, facilitated by the ubiquitous presence of phages in nature. Metagenomic studies of phages and virus-like particles (VLPs) have revealed the appearance of ARGs and mobile genetic elements (MGEs) of bacterial origin. These genes confer resistance to antibiotics when transferred to bacteria via transduction. Through phage-mediated transduction, ARGs are disseminated from the environment to bacteria associated with humans or animals, underscoring the importance of understanding and addressing this mechanism in the context of antimicrobial resistance.