Antibiotic resistance in the wild: an eco-evolutionary perspective

Abstract

The legacy of the use and misuse of antibiotics in recent decades has left us with a global public health crisis: antibiotic-resistant bacteria are on the rise, making it harder to treat infections. At the same time, evolution of antibiotic resistance is probably the best-documented case of contemporary evolution. To date, research on antibiotic resistance has largely ignored the complexity of interactions that bacteria engage in. However, in natural populations, bacteria interact with other species; for example, competition and grazing are import interactions influencing bacterial population dynamics. Furthermore, antibiotic leakage to natural environments can radically alter bacterial communities. Overall, we argue that eco-evolutionary feedback loops in microbial communities can be modified by residual antibiotics and evolution of antibiotic resistance. The aim of this review is to connect some of the well-established key concepts in evolutionary biology and recent advances in the study of eco-evolutionary dynamics to research on antibiotic resistance. We also identify some key knowledge gaps related to eco-evolutionary dynamics of antibiotic resistance, and review some of the recent technical advantages in molecular microbiology that offer new opportunities for tackling these questions. Finally, we argue that using the full potential of evolutionary theory and active communication across the different fields is needed for solving this global crisis more efficiently.This article is part of the themed issue 'Human influences on evolution, and the ecological and societal consequences'.

Keywords: antimicrobial resistance; eco-evolutionary dynamics; evolution; horizontal gene transfer; microbial community dynamics; sub-inhibitory antibiotics.

Figure 1.

Schematic of eco-evolutionary feedback loop and role of sub-MIC (minimal inhibiting concentration) antibiotics directly on bacteria and indirectly on trophic interactions. (Online version in colour.)

Figure 2.

A presentation of hypothetical scenarios of how species interactions may alter the spread of antibiotic resistance in microbial communities. (Online version in colour.)