Infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria are a major threat to public health. The pathogens causing these infections can acquire antibiotic resistance genes in a process termed horizontal gene transfer (HGT). HGT is a common event in the human gut microbiome, that is, the microbial ecosystem of the human intestinal tract. HGT in the gut microbiome can occur via different mechanisms of which transduction and conjugation have been best characterised. Novel bioinformatic tools and experimental approaches have been developed to determine the association of antibiotic resistance genes with their microbial hosts and to quantify the extent of HGT in the gut microbiome. Insights from studies into HGT in the gut microbiome may lead to the development of novel interventions to minimise the spread of antibiotic resistance genes among commensals and opportunistic pathogens.

中文翻译：

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人肠道微生物组中抗生素抗性基因的水平转移。

由抗生素抗性细菌引起的感染是对公共健康的主要威胁。导致这些感染的病原体可以在称为水平基因转移（HGT）的过程中获得抗生素抗性基因。HGT是人类肠道微生物组（即人类肠道微生物生态系统）中的常见事件。肠道微生物组中的HGT可以通过不同的机制发生，其中最能表征其转导和结合。已经开发出新颖的生物信息学工具和实验方法来确定抗生素抗性基因与其微生物宿主的关联并量化肠道微生物组中HGT的程度。