Plasmids in the human intestine: new findings on their use as biomarkers

Plasmids, small genetic elements that exist outside of chromosomes, are the subject of a new study. A team led by Prof. A. Murat Eren from the Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg has discovered that a certain plasmid is one of the most common genetic elements in the human intestine. With a prevalence of over 90 percent in people in industrialized nations, it could be used as a biomarker for various applications, including the identification of faecal contamination or the monitoring of inflammatory bowel diseases.

Plasmids are small DNA segments outside of chromosomes that are frequently found in bacterial cells. They play a role in the transfer of genes between different bacterial species and can also help bacteria to become more resistant to antibiotics. Some plasmids have no known useful function for their host and are referred to as "cryptic plasmids".

The identification of plasmids has been a challenge until now. However, by using machine learning, the research team was able to find new ways to recognize plasmids in environmental samples. They identified over 68,000 plasmids in human gut flora, with one particular plasmid called pBI143 appearing particularly frequently.

The pBI143 plasmid could potentially serve as a biomarker for fecal contamination and thus be used to monitor water quality. It could also provide indications of inflammatory bowel disease and enable non-invasive monitoring of disease progression.

The research team is continuing to study plasmids in different environments and to better understand their functions. Their aim is to develop new biotechnological applications and contribute to solving current problems.

MEDICA-tradefair.com; Source: Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg