ISKpn40-mediated mobilization of the colistin resistance gene mcr-3.11 in Escherichia coli

The mobile colistin resistance gene mcr-3 has globally disseminated since it was first reported in 2017 in Escherichia coli In vitro mobilization assays in this study demonstrate the functionality of the composite transposon structure ISKpn40-mcr-3.11-dgkA-ISKpn40 in wild type and recA-E. coli strains. These transpositions generated 4-bp duplications at the target sites. This is the first report demonstrating the mobility of the mcr-3.11 gene by transposition.