Host-Pathogen Interaction and Microbial Genetics Group

Last modified: 04. October 2022

Detailed presentation of the group

The team investigates the roles of mobile genetic elements in the spread of antibiotic resistance determinants in bacteria, which includes basic and applied research subtopics. At present, two senior research fellows, a BSc student and a laboratory assistant work in the group.

Brief presentation of research topics

Genomic islands, plasmids and other mobile genetic elements play a crucial role in spreading the pathogenicity factors and antibiotic resistance, which represents a severe challenge to the actors in agriculture, and human and animal healthcare. The major purposes of our work are a better understanding of the molecular background and regulation of these processes using the toolkit of classical and molecular genetics, microbiology and genomics. Currently, the research mainly focuses on analysing the relationship between the Salmonella genomic island 1 (SGI1) and the IncC family conjugative plasmids responsible for the distribution of SGI1 among bacteria. Our aim is to uncover the molecular background and control of crosstalk between the genomic island and the plasmid, which are both efficient factors in the distribution of antibiotic resistance in bacteria. Our work also covers the investigations on a highly successful Salmonella serovar, which became prevalent in the last decades and may develop into a new pathogen.

topic 1

The Salmonella genomic island 1 (SGI1) identified in multiresistant Salmonella Typhimurium strains spread worldwide in the early 1990s appears to be a good model for research on genomic islands. SGI1 and its numerous variants, which are integrative mobilizable elements are now widely distributed among several epidemic Salmonella serovars, Proteus, Acinetobacter and Morganella strains and represent a significant health risk for both humans and animal healthcare. Our investigations aim at the molecular mechanisms of spreading (conjugation, replication, site-specific recombination), cooperation (mobilization, incompatibility) with the IncC plasmids, which are the mobilization helpers of SGI1 and the evolution of the SGI1 family (variant formation). Furthermore, the relations between SGI1 and its host bacterium are also studied.

topic 2

The Salmonella Infantis strains have been spreading since the 1990s in a wider range than previously, which generally accompanies an elevated frequency of resistance to antimicrobials. Our aim is to understand the genetic background of the rapid and clonal spread of the antibiotic-resistant recent S. Infantis strains. For this purpose, whole genome sequencing and comparative genome analyses have been made on early and recent Infantis isolates to identify the main differences. These studies may shed light on the evolution of these clones and hopefully help to understand the reasons for their success.

Publications:

The dynamic network of IS30 transposition pathways.
Olasz, F., Szabó, M., Veress, A., Bibó, M., Kiss, J.
PLoS One 2022;17(7): e0271414. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0271414.

Salmonella Genomic Island 1 requires a self-encoded small RNA for mobilization.
Nagy, I., Szabó, M., Hegyi, A., Kiss, J.
Mol. Microbiol 2021; doi: 10.1111/mmi.14846

IncC helper dependent plasmid-like replication of Salmonella Genomic Island 1.
Szabó M, Murányi G, Kiss J*.
Nucleic Acids Res. 2021 Jan 25;49(2):832-846. doi: 10.1093/nar/gkaa1257.

Abundance of mobile genetic elements in an Acinetobacter lwoffii strain isolated from Transylvanian honey sample.
Veress A, Nagy T, Wilk T, Kömüves J, Olasz F, Kiss J*.
Sci. Rep. 2020 Feb 19;10(1):2969. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-59938-9.

Comparative Genome Analysis of Hungarian and Global Strains of Salmonella Infantis.
Nagy T, Szmolka A, Wilk T, Kiss J, Szabó M, Pászti J, Nagy B, Olasz F*.
Front Microbiol. 2020 Apr 3;11:539. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.00539.

Identification and Characterization of oriT and Two Mobilization Genes Required for Conjugative Transfer of Salmonella Genomic Island 1.
Kiss J*, Szabó M, Hegyi A, Douard G, Praud K, Nagy I, Olasz F, Cloeckaert A, Doublet B*.
Front Microbiol. 2019 Mar 6;10:457. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.00457.

Molecular epidemiology of the endemic multiresistance plasmid pSI54/04 of Salmonella Infantis in broiler and human population in Hungary.
Szmolka A, Szabó M, Kiss J, Pászti J, Adrián E, Olasz F, Nagy B*.
Food Microbiol. 2018 May;71:25-31. doi: 10.1016/j.fm.2017.03.011.

Identification of oriT and a recombination hot spot in the IncA/C plasmid backbone.
Hegyi A, Szabó M, Olasz F, Kiss J*.
Scientific Reports, 2017 6;7(1):10595. doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-11097-0

Characterization of Two Multidrug-Resistant IncA/C Plasmids from the 1960s by Using the MinION Sequencer Device.
Szabó M, Nagy T, Wilk T, Farkas T, Hegyi A, Olasz F, Kiss J*.
Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2016 Oct 21;60(11):6780-6786. doi: 10.1128/AAC.01121-16.

Determination and Analysis of the Putative AcaCD-Responsive Promoters of Salmonella Genomic Island 1.
Murányi G, Szabó M, Olasz F, Kiss J*.
PLoS One. 2016 Oct 11;11(10):e0164561. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0164561.

The master regulator of IncA/C plasmids is recognized by the Salmonella Genomic island SGI1 as a signal for excision and conjugal transfer.
Kiss J*, Papp PP, Szabó M, Farkas T, Murányi G, Szakállas E, Olasz F*.
Nucleic Acids Res. 2015 Oct 15;43(18):8735-45. doi: 10.1093/nar/gkv758.

Stability, entrapment and variant formation of Salmonella genomic island 1.
Kiss J, Nagy B, Olasz F*.
PLoS One. 2012;7(2):e32497. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0032497.

​​​​​