A review of information resources on antimicrobial resistance genes

Interest in the issues of antibiotic resistance control and monitoring remains actual during the past decades. A significant number of findings confirm the ever-growing ratio of antimicrobial-resistant microorganisms. The article describes the information resources including data on antimicrobial resistance genes. Efficient monitoring and timely detection of changes in this trend are possible provided that the large volume of information, including the range of the genes characterizing resistance to chemical compounds and medicines, is obtained. Using purpose-built databases describing the nucleotide and amino acid sequences that define antimicrobial resistance is particularly important. Moreover, the databases include data on point mutations in the genome of the microorganisms associated with antimicrobial resistance development. The first developed databases contained the limited information on genetic determinants of resistance. However, modern databases are more than ever tended to a full range display of information on various genes of resistance to antimicrobial medicines and chemical compounds. The approach provides meaningful data supplemented by graphic imaging of results in most cases. Access to a significant part of resources is free of charge and allows saving the final results that considerably simplifies communicating and improves interaction between researchers. A specific feature is continuous information updating and manual curation that provides better systematization of the available data.