CRISPR-Cas System, Antimicrobial Resistance, and Genus-A Complicated Relationship.

(1) Background: The rise in antibiotic resistant bacteria poses a significant threat to public health worldwide, necessitating innovative solutions. This study explores the role of Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) in the context of antibiotic resistance among different species from the genus. (2) Methods: The genomes of included in the study were analyzed using CRISPRCasFinder to distinguish between CRISPR-positive (level 4 CRISPR) and CRISPR-negative genomes. Antibiotic resistance genes were identified, and a comparative analysis explored potential associations between CRISPR presence and antibiotic resistance profiles in species. (3) Results: Out of ten antibiotic resistance genes found in species, only one, the gene, showed a strong association with CRISPR-negative isolates, while the others did not significantly differ between CRISPR-positive and CRISPR-negative genomes. (4) Conclusion: These findings indicate that the gene may be more prevalent in CRISPR-negative genomes, and they may contribute to a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the acquisition of antibiotic resistance genes in species.