The Role of Conjugative Plasmids in Bacterial Antibiotic Resistance in the Fresh Produce Production Environment: Bioinformatic Strategies for Monitoring and Detection

The diverse array of microbial species on vegetable farms, coupled with their capacity to acquire and disseminate antibiotic resistance genes through evolutionary processes such as mutations, transformation, transduction, and conjugation, exacerbates the critical issue of antibiotic resistance within the agricultural context. Considering the persistent global health concern posed by antibiotic resistance, this comprehensive review aims to discuss the sources of antibiotic-resistant genes within vegetable farms and their interplay with conjugative plasmids. It also assessed the associated environmental impact and explored potential strategies to mitigate the contribution of vegetable farms to the global antibiotic resistance crisis. Furthermore, it presents current strategies to reduce the dissemination of conjugative plasmids. The significance of next-generation sequencing methodologies and bioinformatics tools in the identification and surveillance of conjugative plasmids within fresh‑produce farms is discussed. Finally, this review provides insights that can guide strategies to effectively address and mitigate the global antibiotic resistance crisis.