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Weise K, Beil S, Schwanebeck K, Ion AC, Berendonk TU, Jungmann D. An informative short-term study on the impacts of a triclocarban/weathered multi-walled carbon nanotube-adsorbed complex to benthic organisms. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2024; 31:19917-19926. [PMID: 38368298 PMCID: PMC10927771 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-024-32447-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/19/2024]
Abstract
Freshwater organisms are suitable models to study the fate of environmental pollutants. Due to their versatile and everyday use, many environmental pollutants such as triclocarban (TCC) or multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) enter environmental compartments very easily. TCC is known as a disinfectant and is declared as a highly aquatic toxicant. Multi-walled carbon nanotubes are used, e.g., in the automotive industry to improve plastic properties. Both TCCs and MWCNTs can pose major pollution hazards to various organisms. In addition, these substances can bind to each other due to their tendency to interact via strong hydrophobic interactions. Therefore, a short-term test was conducted to investigate the effects of the individual chemicals TCC and weathered MWCNTs (wMWCNTs) on a benthic biofilm and a grazing organism, Lymnaea stagnalis. Furthermore, the two compounds were coupled by an adsorption experiment resulting in a coupled complex formation (TCC + wMWCNTs). L. stagnalis showed no effects in terms of mortality. For benthic biofilm, the coupling test (TCC + wMWCNTs) showed a decrease of 58% in chlorophyll a (Chl-a) concentration. The main effect could be attributed to the wMWCNTs' exposure alone (decrease of 82%), but not to presence of TCC. The concentration range of Chl-a upon TCC exposure alone was comparable to that in the control group (32 and 37 µg/cm2). With respect to the particulate organic carbon (POC) concentration, very similar results were found for the solvent control, the TCC, and also for the TCC + wMWCNTs group (3, 2.9, and 2.9 mg/cm2). In contrast to the control, a significant increase in POC concentration (100%) was observed for wMWCNTs, but no synergistic effect of TCC + wMWCNTs was detected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrin Weise
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Institute of Hydrobiology, Technische Universität Dresden, Zellescher Weg 40, 01217, Dresden, Germany.
| | - Stephan Beil
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Institute of Water Chemistry, Technische Universität Dresden, Bergstraße 66, 01062, Dresden, Germany
| | - Klemens Schwanebeck
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Institute of Hydrobiology, Technische Universität Dresden, Zellescher Weg 40, 01217, Dresden, Germany
| | - Alina Catrinel Ion
- Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnologies, National University of Science and Technology Politehnica Bucharest, 1-7 Gheorghe Polizu St., Sector 1, 011061, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Thomas Ulrich Berendonk
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Institute of Hydrobiology, Technische Universität Dresden, Zellescher Weg 40, 01217, Dresden, Germany
| | - Dirk Jungmann
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Institute of Hydrobiology, Technische Universität Dresden, Zellescher Weg 40, 01217, Dresden, Germany
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Zhu S, Yang B, Wang Z, Liu Y. Augmented dissemination of antibiotic resistance elicited by non-antibiotic factors. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2023; 262:115124. [PMID: 37327521 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2023.115124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Revised: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The emergence and rapid spread of antibiotic resistance seriously compromise the clinical efficacy of current antibiotic therapies, representing a serious public health threat worldwide. Generally, drug-susceptible bacteria can acquire antibiotic resistance through genetic mutation or gene transfer, among which horizontal gene transfer (HGT) plays a dominant role. It is widely acknowledged that the sub-inhibitory concentrations of antibiotics are the key drivers in promoting the transmission of antibiotic resistance. However, accumulating evidence in recent years has shown that in addition to antibiotics, non-antibiotics can also accelerate the horizontal transfer of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). Nevertheless, the roles and potential mechanisms of non-antibiotic factors in the transmission of ARGs remain largely underestimated. In this review, we depict the four pathways of HGT and their differences, including conjugation, transformation, transduction and vesiduction. We summarize non-antibiotic factors accounting for the enhanced horizontal transfer of ARGs and their underlying molecular mechanisms. Finally, we discuss the limitations and implications of current studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuyao Zhu
- Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Bingqing Yang
- Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Zhiqiang Wang
- Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China; Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety, the Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Yuan Liu
- Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China; Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety, the Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China; Institute of Comparative Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China.
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Weise K, Kurth T, Schmidt A, Winkelmann C, Becker J, Kretschmar S, Berendonk TU, Jungmann D. Impact of weathered multi-walled carbon nanotubes on the epithelial cells of the intestinal tract in the freshwater grazers Lymnaea stagnalis and Rhithrogena semicolorata. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023; 30:407-419. [PMID: 35900624 PMCID: PMC9813111 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-22225-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Freshwater grazers are suitable organisms to investigate the fate of environmental pollutants, such as weathered multi-walled carbon nanotubes (wMWCNTs). One key process is the uptake of ingested materials into digestive or absorptive cells. To address this, we investigated the localization of wMWCNTs in the intestinal tracts of the mud snail Lymnaea stagnalis (L. stagnalis) and the mayfly Rhithrogena semicolorata (R. semicolorata). In L. stagnalis, bundles of wMWCNTs could be detected in the midgut lumen, whereas only single wMWCNTs could be detected in the lumina of the digestive gland. Intracellular uptake of wMWCNTs was detected by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) but was restricted to the cells of the digestive gland. In larvae of R. semicolorata, irritations of the microvilli and damages in the apical parts of the epithelial gut cells were detected after feeding with 1 to 10 mg/L wMWCNTs. In both models, we detected fibrillar structures in close association with the epithelial cells that formed peritrophic membranes (PMs). The PM may cause a reduced transmission of wMWCNT bundles into the epithelium by forming a filter barrier and potentially protecting the cells from the wMWCNTs. As a result, the uptake of wMWCNTs into cells is rare in mud snails and may not occur at all in mayfly larvae. In addition, we monitor physiological markers such as levels of glycogen or triglycerides and the RNA/DNA ratio. This ratio was significantly affected in L. stagnalis after 24 days with 10 mg/L wMWCNTs, but not in R. semicolorata after 28 days and 10 mg/L wMWCNTs. However, significant effects on the energy status of R. semicolorata were analysed after 28 days of exposure to 1 mg/L wMWCNTs. Furthermore, we observed a significant reduction of phagosomes per enterocyte cell in mayfly larvae at a concentration of 10 mg/L wMWCNTs (p < 0.01).
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrin Weise
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Institute for Hydrobiology, Technische Universität Dresden, Zellescher Weg 40, 01217, Dresden, Germany.
| | - Thomas Kurth
- Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering (CMCB), Technology Platform, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstraße 105, 01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - Anna Schmidt
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Institute for Hydrobiology, Technische Universität Dresden, Zellescher Weg 40, 01217, Dresden, Germany
| | - Carola Winkelmann
- Institute for Integrated Natural Sciences, University of Koblenz-Landau, Universitätsstraße 1, 56070, Koblenz, Germany
| | - Jochen Becker
- Institute for Integrated Natural Sciences, University of Koblenz-Landau, Universitätsstraße 1, 56070, Koblenz, Germany
| | - Susanne Kretschmar
- Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering (CMCB), Technology Platform, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstraße 105, 01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - Thomas Ulrich Berendonk
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Institute for Hydrobiology, Technische Universität Dresden, Zellescher Weg 40, 01217, Dresden, Germany
| | - Dirk Jungmann
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Institute for Hydrobiology, Technische Universität Dresden, Zellescher Weg 40, 01217, Dresden, Germany
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Weise K, Winter L, Fischer E, Kneis D, de la Cruz Barron M, Kunze S, Berendonk TU, Jungmann D, Klümper U. Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes Promote Bacterial Conjugative Plasmid Transfer. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0041022. [PMID: 35384690 PMCID: PMC9045119 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00410-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) regularly enter aquatic environments due to their ubiquity in consumer products and engineering applications. However, the effects of MWCNT pollution on the environmental microbiome are poorly understood. Here, we evaluated whether these carbon nanoparticles can elevate the spread of antimicrobial resistance by promoting bacterial plasmid transfer, which has previously been observed for copper nanomaterials with antimicrobial properties as well as for microplastics. Through a combination of experimental liquid mating assays between Pseudomonas putida donor and recipient strains with plasmid pKJK5::gfpmut3b and mathematical modeling, we here demonstrate that the presence of MWCNTs leads to increased plasmid transfer rates in a concentration-dependent manner. The percentage of transconjugants per recipient significantly increased from 0.21 ± 0.04% in absence to 0.41 ± 0.09% at 10 mg L-1 MWCNTs. Similar trends were observed when using an Escherichia coli donor hosting plasmid pB10. The identified mechanism underlying the observed dynamics was the agglomeration of MWCNTs. A significantly increased number of particles with >6 μm diameter was detected in the presence of MWCNTs, which can in turn provide novel surfaces for bacterial interactions between donor and recipient cells after colonization. Fluorescence microscopy confirmed that MWCNT agglomerates were indeed covered in biofilms that contained donor bacteria as well as elevated numbers of green fluorescent transconjugant cells containing the plasmid. Consequently, MWCNTs provide bacteria with novel surfaces for intense cell-to-cell interactions in biofilms and can promote bacterial plasmid transfer, hence potentially elevating the spread of antimicrobial resistance. IMPORTANCE In recent decades, the use of carbon nanoparticles, especially multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), in a variety of products and engineering applications has been growing exponentially. As a result, MWCNT pollution into environmental compartments has been increasing. We here demonstrate that the exposure to MWCNTs can affect bacterial plasmid transfer rates in aquatic environments, an important process connected to the spread of antimicrobial resistance genes in microbial communities. This is mechanistically explained by the ability of MWCNTs to form bigger agglomerates, hence providing novel surfaces for bacterial interactions. Consequently, increasing pollution with MWCNTs has the potential to elevate the ongoing spread of antimicrobial resistance, a major threat to human health in the 21st century.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrin Weise
- Technische Universität Dresden, Institute of Hydrobiology, Dresden, Germany
| | - Lena Winter
- Technische Universität Dresden, Institute of Hydrobiology, Dresden, Germany
| | - Emily Fischer
- Technische Universität Dresden, Institute of Hydrobiology, Dresden, Germany
| | - David Kneis
- Technische Universität Dresden, Institute of Hydrobiology, Dresden, Germany
| | - Magali de la Cruz Barron
- Technische Universität Dresden, Institute of Hydrobiology, Dresden, Germany
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research GmbH - UFZ, Department of River Ecology, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Steffen Kunze
- Technische Universität Dresden, Institute of Hydrobiology, Dresden, Germany
| | | | - Dirk Jungmann
- Technische Universität Dresden, Institute of Hydrobiology, Dresden, Germany
| | - Uli Klümper
- Technische Universität Dresden, Institute of Hydrobiology, Dresden, Germany
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