Linking plasmid-based beta-lactamases to their bacterial hosts using single-cell fusion PCR
Published in eLife, 2021
Recommended citation: Diebold, P. J., New, F. N., Hovan, M., Satlin, M. J., & Brito, I. L. (2021). Linking plasmid-based beta-lactamases to their bacterial hosts using single-cell fusion pcr. ELife, 10. https://doi.org/10.7554/elife.66834
Here we present the One-step Isolation and Lysis PCR (OIL-PCR) method, which molecularly links plasmid-encoded genes with the bacterial 16S rRNA gene via fusion PCR performed within an emulsion. After validating this method, we apply it to identify the bacterial hosts of three clinically relevant beta-lactamases within the gut microbiomes of neutropenic patients, as they are particularly vulnerable multidrug-resistant infections.