Non-essential tRNA and rRNA modifications impact the bacterial response to sub-MIC antibiotic stress

Abstract

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) develops as a major problem in infectious diseases treatment. While antibiotic resistance mechanisms are usually studied using lethal antibiotic doses, lower doses allowing bacterial growth are now considered as factors influencing the development and selection of resistance. Based on high throughput transposon insertion sequencing (TN-seq) in V. cholerae, we have undertaken the phenotypic characterization of 23 transfer RNA (tRNA) and ribosomal RNA (rRNA) modifications deletion mutants, for which growth is globally not affected in the absence of stress. We uncover a specific involvement of different RNA modification genes in the response to aminoglycosides (tobramycin (TOB), gentamicin (GEN)), fluoroquinolones (ciprofloxacin (CIP)), {beta}-lactams (carbenicillin (CRB)), chloramphenicol (CM) and trimethoprim (TRM). Our results identify t/rRNA modification genes, not previously associated to any antibiotic resistance phenotype, as important factors affecting the bacterial response to sub-MIC antibiotics from different families. This suggests differential translation and codon decoding as critical factors involved in the bacterial response to stress.