Mathematical Models of Plasmid Population Dynamics.

José Carlos Ramón Hernández-Beltrán,Rafael Peña-Miller,Ayari Fuentes-Hernández,Alvaro San Millán

doi:10.3389/fmicb.2021.606396

Abstract

With plasmid-mediated antibiotic resistance thriving and threatening to become a serious public health problem, it is paramount to increase our understanding of the forces that enable the spread and maintenance of drug resistance genes encoded in mobile genetic elements. The relevance of plasmids as vehicles for the dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes, in addition to the extensive use of plasmid-derived vectors for biotechnological and industrial purposes, has promoted the in-depth study of the molecular mechanisms controlling multiple aspects of a plasmids’ life cycle. This body of experimental work has been paralleled by the development of a wealth of mathematical models aimed at understanding the interplay between transmission, replication, and segregation, as well as their consequences in the ecological and evolutionary dynamics of plasmid-bearing bacterial populations. In this review, we discuss theoretical models of plasmid dynamics that span from the molecular mechanisms of plasmid partition and copy-number control occurring at a cellular level, to their consequences in the population dynamics of complex microbial communities. We conclude by discussing future directions for this exciting research topic.

Highlights

Plasmids are self-replicating, extra-chromosomal DNA molecules widely distributed across bacteria
Plasmids represent a concern for public health, because they can Abbreviations: HGT, horizontal gene transfer; MGE, mobile genetic element; PCN, plasmid copy number; TA, toxinantitoxin system; ODE, ordinary differential equation; PDE, partial differential equation; IBM, individual-based model; PSK, post-segregational killing
We explore the myriad of mathematical models available in the field, with an emphasis on discussing different methodological approaches used to study plasmid dynamics in bacterial populations

Summary

Introduction

Plasmids are self-replicating, extra-chromosomal DNA molecules widely distributed across bacteria. These results were followed by two theoretical studies based on a system of ODEs that describe changes in the frequency of plasmid-bearing cells from the rate of segregational loss and the selective disadvantage of carrying plasmids.

Results

Conclusion