Genetic diversity analyses of class 1 integrons and their associated antimicrobial resistance genes in Enterobacteriaceae strains recovered from aquatic habitats in China

Abstract

These data not only illustrated the diversity of class 1 integron gene cassettes but also provided direct evidence that integrons mobilized gene cassettes, generating new linkages of resistance genes, and they could be integrated in gene transfer units such as conjugative plasmids to contribute to the dissemination of AR genes by horizontal gene transfer (HGT) in aquatic environments.