Epidemiology and molecular mechanism of integron-mediated antibiotic resistance in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Shigella</Emphasis>

Integrons are gene capture and expression systems that are characterized by the presence of an integrase gene. This encodes an integrase, a recombined site, and a promoter. They are able to capture gene cassettes from the environment and incorporate them using site-specific recombination. The role of integrons and gene cassettes in the dissemination of multidrug resistance in Gram-negative bacteria is significant. In Shigella species, antimicrobial resistance is often associated with the presence of class 1 and class 2 integrons that contain resistance gene cassettes. Multiple and complex expression regulation mechanisms involving mobile genetic elements in integrons have been developed in the evolution of Shigella strains. Knowledge of the epidemiology and molecular mechanisms of antimicrobial resistance in this important pathogen is essential for the implementation of intervention strategies. This review was conducted to introduce the structures and functions of integrons in Shigella species and mechanisms that control integron-mediated events linked to antibiotic resistance.