Antibiotic Resistance Affects Plant Pathogens

Falkow and Kennedy's Editorial outlines the current problems with selection for clinically relevant antimicrobial resistance in bacterial pathogens of animals, and presents a challenge for the development of novel antimicrobials specific for animal pathogens. The situation with antibiotics and plant bacterial disease management is similar. Resistance to streptomycin and tetracycline, antibiotics used mostly on fruit crops such as apple and peach in the United States, is widespread among plant-pathogenic and plant-associated bacteria in some nursery and orchard environments ([1][1]). The common resistance determinants encoded by these bacteria are very similar to those found in clinical pathogens ([2][2]), indicating that plants can also serve as a reservoir for antibiotic resistance in the environment. The co-mingling of agricultural issues (for example, transgenic crops and animals, food safety, water use and quality) and human health issues will become increasingly apparent in the 21st century. Our ability to effectively manage crop diseases hinges on the availability of choices of antimicrobials or other alternatives that will have limited effects on clinical pathogens. Thus, genomics efforts must also be directed toward studying plant pathogens with the goal of improving the efficiency of agricultural production with minimal adverse effects on human and environmental health. 1. [↵][3]1. G. W. Sundin 2. et al. , Can. J. Microbiol 41, 792 (1995). [OpenUrl][4][PubMed][5][Web of Science][6] 2. [↵][7]1. G. W. Sundin, 2. C. L. Bender , Mol. Ecol 5, 133 (1996); [OpenUrl][8][PubMed][9] 1. E. L. Schnabel, 2. A. L. Jones , Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 65, 4898 (1999). [OpenUrl][10][Abstract/FREE Full Text][11] [1]: #ref-1 [2]: #ref-2 [3]: #xref-ref-1-1 "View reference 1 in text" [4]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DCanadian%2BJournal%2Bof%2BMicrobiology%26rft.stitle%253DCanadian%2BJournal%2Bof%2BMicrobiology%26rft.aulast%253DSundin%26rft.auinit1%253DG.%2BW.%26rft.volume%253D41%26rft.issue%253D9%26rft.spage%253D792%26rft.epage%253D799%26rft.atitle%253DDistribution%2Bof%2Bthe%2Bstreptomycin-resistance%2Btransposon%2BTn5393%2Bamong%2Bphylloplane%2Band%2Bsoil%2Bbacteria%2Bfrom%2Bmanaged%2Bagricultural%2Bhabitats.%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F7585356%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [5]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=7585356&link_type=MED&atom=%2Fsci%2F291%2F5513%2F2551.1.atom [6]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=A1995RW53900005&link_type=ISI [7]: #xref-ref-2-1 "View reference 2 in text" [8]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DMolecular%2BEcology%2B%2528Print%2529%26rft.stitle%253DMolecular%2BEcology%2B%2528Print%2529%26rft.aulast%253DSundin%26rft.auinit1%253DG.%2BW.%26rft.volume%253D5%26rft.issue%253D1%26rft.spage%253D133%26rft.epage%253D143%26rft.atitle%253DDissemination%2Bof%2Bthe%2BstrA-strB%2Bstreptomycin-resistance%2Bgenes%2Bamong%2Bcommensal%2Band%2Bpathogenic%2Bbacteria%2Bfrom%2Bhumans%252C%2Banimals%252C%2Band%2Bplants.%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F9147689%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [9]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=9147689&link_type=MED&atom=%2Fsci%2F291%2F5513%2F2551.1.atom [10]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DApplied%2Band%2BEnvironmental%2BMicrobiology%26rft.stitle%253DAppl.%2BEnviron.%2BMicrobiol.%26rft.issn%253D0099-2240%26rft.aulast%253DSchnabel%26rft.auinit1%253DE.%2BL.%26rft.volume%253D65%26rft.issue%253D11%26rft.spage%253D4898%26rft.epage%253D4907%26rft.atitle%253DDistribution%2Bof%2BTetracycline%2BResistance%2BGenes%2Band%2BTransposons%2Bamong%2BPhylloplane%2BBacteria%2Bin%2BMichigan%2BApple%2BOrchards%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F10543801%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [11]: /lookup/ijlink/YTozOntzOjQ6InBhdGgiO3M6MTQ6Ii9sb29rdXAvaWpsaW5rIjtzOjU6InF1ZXJ5IjthOjQ6e3M6ODoibGlua1R5cGUiO3M6NDoiQUJTVCI7czoxMToiam91cm5hbENvZGUiO3M6MzoiYWVtIjtzOjU6InJlc2lkIjtzOjEwOiI2NS8xMS80ODk4IjtzOjQ6ImF0b20iO3M6MjU6Ii9zY2kvMjkxLzU1MTMvMjU1MS4xLmF0b20iO31zOjg6ImZyYWdtZW50IjtzOjA6IiI7fQ==