1
|
Sivalingam P, Sabatino R, Sbaffi T, Corno G, Fontaneto D, Borgomaneiro G, Rogora M, Crotti E, Mapelli F, Borin S, Pilar AL, Eckert EM, Di Cesare A. Anthropogenic pollution may enhance natural transformation in water, favouring the spread of antibiotic resistance genes. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2024; 475:134885. [PMID: 38876022 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.134885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2024] [Revised: 04/19/2024] [Accepted: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/16/2024]
Abstract
Aquatic ecosystems are crucial in the antimicrobial resistance cycle. While intracellular DNA has been extensively studied to understand human activity's impact on antimicrobial resistance gene (ARG) dissemination, extracellular DNA is frequently overlooked. This study examines the effect of anthropogenic water pollution on microbial community diversity, the resistome, and ARG dissemination. We analyzed intracellular and extracellular DNA from wastewater treatment plant effluents and lake surface water by shotgun sequencing. We also conducted experiments to evaluate anthropogenic pollution's effect on transforming extracellular DNA (using Gfp-plasmids carrying ARGs) within a natural microbial community. Chemical analysis showed treated wastewater had higher anthropogenic pollution-related parameters than lake water. The richness of microbial community, antimicrobial resistome, and high-risk ARGs was greater in treated wastewaters than in lake waters both for intracellular and extracellular DNA. Except for the high-risk ARGs, richness was significantly higher in intracellular than in extracellular DNA. Several ARGs were associated with mobile genetic elements and located on plasmids. Furthermore, Gfp-plasmid transformation within a natural microbial community was enhanced by anthropogenic pollution levels. Our findings underscore anthropogenic pollution's pivotal role in shaping microbial communities and their antimicrobial resistome. Additionally, it may facilitate ARG dissemination through extracellular DNA plasmid uptake.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Periyasamy Sivalingam
- National Research Council of Italy (CNR) - Water Research Institute (IRSA), Largo Tonolli 50, 28922 Verbania, Italy
| | - Raffaella Sabatino
- National Research Council of Italy (CNR) - Water Research Institute (IRSA), Largo Tonolli 50, 28922 Verbania, Italy; National Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC), Piazza Marina 61, 90133 Palermo, Italy
| | - Tomasa Sbaffi
- National Research Council of Italy (CNR) - Water Research Institute (IRSA), Largo Tonolli 50, 28922 Verbania, Italy; National Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC), Piazza Marina 61, 90133 Palermo, Italy
| | - Gianluca Corno
- National Research Council of Italy (CNR) - Water Research Institute (IRSA), Largo Tonolli 50, 28922 Verbania, Italy; National Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC), Piazza Marina 61, 90133 Palermo, Italy
| | - Diego Fontaneto
- National Research Council of Italy (CNR) - Water Research Institute (IRSA), Largo Tonolli 50, 28922 Verbania, Italy; National Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC), Piazza Marina 61, 90133 Palermo, Italy
| | - Giulia Borgomaneiro
- National Research Council of Italy (CNR) - Water Research Institute (IRSA), Largo Tonolli 50, 28922 Verbania, Italy
| | - Michela Rogora
- National Research Council of Italy (CNR) - Water Research Institute (IRSA), Largo Tonolli 50, 28922 Verbania, Italy
| | - Elena Crotti
- Department of Food Environmental and Nutritional Sciences, University of Milan, via Celoria 2, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Francesca Mapelli
- Department of Food Environmental and Nutritional Sciences, University of Milan, via Celoria 2, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Sara Borin
- Department of Food Environmental and Nutritional Sciences, University of Milan, via Celoria 2, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Andrea Lopez Pilar
- Biological Science Faculty, Complutense University of Madrid, Jose Antonio Novais 12, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Ester M Eckert
- National Research Council of Italy (CNR) - Water Research Institute (IRSA), Largo Tonolli 50, 28922 Verbania, Italy; National Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC), Piazza Marina 61, 90133 Palermo, Italy
| | - Andrea Di Cesare
- National Research Council of Italy (CNR) - Water Research Institute (IRSA), Largo Tonolli 50, 28922 Verbania, Italy; National Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC), Piazza Marina 61, 90133 Palermo, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Mills M, Mollenkopf D, Wittum T, Sullivan MP, Lee J. One Health Threat of Treated Wastewater Discharge in Urban Ohio Rivers: Implications for Surface Water and Fish Gut Microbiome and Resistome. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024. [PMID: 39014939 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c09070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/18/2024]
Abstract
Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are thought to be a major disseminating source of antibiotic resistance (AR) to the environment, establishing a crucial connection between human and environmental resistome. The objectives of this study were to determine how wastewater effluents impact microbiome and resistome of freshwater and fish, and identify potential AR-carrying clinically relevant pathogens in these matrices. We analyzed wastewater influent and effluent from four WWTPs in three metropolitan areas of Ohio, USA via shotgun metagenomic sequencing. We also sequenced river water and fish guts from three reaches (upstream, at the WWTP outfall, and downstream). Notably, we observed a decline in microbiome diversity and AR gene abundance from wastewater to the receiving river. We also found significant differences by reach and trophic level (diet) in beta-diversity of the fish gut microbiomes. SourceTracker revealed that 0.443 and 0.248 more of the of the fish gut microbiome was sourced from wastewater effluent in fish from the outfall and downstream locations, respectively, compared to upstream fish. Additionally, AR bacteria of public health concern were annotated in effluent and river water samples, indicating potential concern for human exposure. In summary, our findings show the continued role of wastewater as a significant AR reservoir and underscores the considerable impact of wastewater discharge on aquatic wildlife, which highlights the One Health nature of this issue.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Molly Mills
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, College of Public Health, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
| | - Dixie Mollenkopf
- Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
| | - Thomas Wittum
- Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
- Infectious Diseases Institute, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
| | - Mažeika Patricio Sullivan
- Baruch Institute of Coastal Ecology & Forest Science, Clemson University, Georgetown, South Carolina 29442, United States
| | - Jiyoung Lee
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, College of Public Health, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
- Infectious Diseases Institute, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
- Department of Food Science & Technology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Cachetas D, Vaz-Moreira I, Pereira V, Manaia CM. Towards the definition of an antibiotic resistome signature in wastewater and downstream environments. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2024; 357:124424. [PMID: 38909773 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.124424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2024] [Revised: 05/18/2024] [Accepted: 06/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/25/2024]
Abstract
Domestic wastewater is a significant reservoir of antibiotic resistance genes, which pose environmental and public health risks. We aimed to define an antibiotic resistome signature, represented by core genes, i.e., shared by ≥90% of the metagenomes of each of three conceptual environmental compartments - wastewater (influent, sludge, effluent), freshwater, and agricultural soil. The definition of resistome signatures would support the proposal of a framework for monitoring treatment efficacy and assessing the impact of treated wastewater discharge into the environment, such as freshwater and agricultural soil. Metagenomic data from 163 samples originating from wastewater (n=81), freshwater (n=58), and agricultural soils (n=24) across different regions (29 countries, 5 continents), were analysed regarding antibiotic resistance diversity, based on annotation against a database that merged CARD and ResFinder databases. The relative abundance of the total antibiotic resistance genes (corresponding to the ratio between the antibiotic resistance genes and total reads number) was not statistically different between raw and treated wastewater, being significantly higher than in freshwater or agricultural soils. The latter had the significantly lowest relative abundance of antibiotic resistance genes. Genes conferring resistance to aminoglycosides, beta-lactams, and tetracyclines were among the most abundant in wastewater environments, while multidrug resistance was equally distributed across all environments. The wastewater resistome signature included 27 antibiotic resistance genes that were detected in at least 90% of the wastewater resistomes, and that were not frequent in freshwater or agricultural soil resistomes. Among these were genes responsible for resistance to tetracyclines (n=8), macrolide-lincosamide-streptogramin B (n=7), aminoglycosides (n=4), beta-lactams (n=3), multidrug (n=2), sulphonamides (n=2), and polypeptides (n=1). This comprehensive assessment provides valuable insights into the dynamics of antibiotic resistance in urban wastewater systems and their potential ecological implications in diverse environmental settings. Furthermore, provides guidance for the implementation of One Health monitoring approaches.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Diogo Cachetas
- Universidade Católica Portuguesa, CBQF - Centro de Biotecnologia e Química Fina - Laboratório Associado, Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Rua de Diogo Botelho 1327, 4169-005 Porto, Portugal
| | - Ivone Vaz-Moreira
- Universidade Católica Portuguesa, CBQF - Centro de Biotecnologia e Química Fina - Laboratório Associado, Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Rua de Diogo Botelho 1327, 4169-005 Porto, Portugal.
| | - Vítor Pereira
- Centre of Biological Engineering University of Minho, Braga, Portugal; LABBELS -Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Célia M Manaia
- Universidade Católica Portuguesa, CBQF - Centro de Biotecnologia e Química Fina - Laboratório Associado, Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Rua de Diogo Botelho 1327, 4169-005 Porto, Portugal
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Fernandes Santos F, Barcelos Valiatti T, Valêncio A, Cardoso da Silva Ribeiro Á, Streling AP, Tardelli Gomes TA, Cayô R, Gales AC. Unveiling novel threats: Urban river isolation of Aeromonas veronii with unusual VEB-28 extended-spectrum β-lactamase and distinct mcr variants. CHEMOSPHERE 2024; 357:141918. [PMID: 38614394 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.141918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2023] [Revised: 04/03/2024] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/15/2024]
Abstract
Aeromonas spp. are frequently encountered in aquatic environments, with Aeromonas veronii emerging as an opportunistic pathogen causing a range of diseases in both humans and animals. Recent reports have raised public health concerns due to the emergence of multidrug-resistant Aeromonas spp. This is particularly noteworthy as these species have demonstrated the ability to acquire and transmit antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs). In this study, we report the genomic and phenotypic characteristics of the A. veronii TR112 strain, which harbors a novel variant of the Vietnamese Extended-spectrum β-lactamase-encoding gene, blaVEB-28, and two mcr variants recovered from an urban river located in the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo, Brazil. A. veronii TR112 strain exhibited high minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) for ceftazidime (64 μg/mL), polymyxin (8 μg/mL), and ciprofloxacin (64 μg/mL). Furthermore, the TR112 strain demonstrated adherence to HeLa and Caco-2 cells within 3 h, cytotoxicity to HeLa cells after 24 h of interaction, and high mortality rates to the Galleria mellonella model. Genomic analysis showed that the TR112 strain belongs to ST257 and presented a range of ARGs conferring resistance to β-lactams (blaVEB-28, blaCphA3, blaOXA-912) and polymyxins (mcr-3 and mcr-3.6). Additionally, we identified a diversity of virulence factor-encoding genes, including those encoding mannose-sensitive hemagglutinin (Msh) pilus, polar flagella, type IV pili, type II secretion system (T2SS), aerolysin (AerA), cytotoxic enterotoxin (Act), hemolysin (HlyA), hemolysin III (HlyIII), thermostable hemolysin (TH), and capsular polysaccharide (CPS). In conclusion, our findings suggest that A. veronii may serve as an environmental reservoir for ARGs and virulence factors, highlighting its importance as a potential pathogen in public health.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fernanda Fernandes Santos
- Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Laboratório Alerta, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine. Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
| | - Tiago Barcelos Valiatti
- Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Laboratório Alerta, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine. Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - André Valêncio
- Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Laboratório Alerta, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine. Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Ághata Cardoso da Silva Ribeiro
- Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Laboratório Alerta, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine. Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Ana Paula Streling
- Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Laboratório Alerta, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine. Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), São Paulo, SP, Brazil; Houston Methodist Research Institute, Infectious Disease Fellowship Program, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Tânia A Tardelli Gomes
- Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Disciplina de Microbiologia, Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia (DMIP), Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo Cayô
- Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Laboratório Alerta, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine. Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), São Paulo, SP, Brazil; Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Laboratório de Imunologia e Bacteriologia (LIB), Setor de Biologia Molecular, Microbiologia e Imunologia, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas (DCB), Instituto de Ciências Ambientais, Químicas e Farmacêuticas (ICAQF), Diadema, SP, Brazil
| | - Ana Cristina Gales
- Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Laboratório Alerta, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine. Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Di Cesare A, Mammola S, Sabatino R, Fontaneto D, Eckert EM, Rogora M, Tonsi T, Corno G. Where do the antibiotic resistance genes come from? A modulated analysis of sources and loads of resistances in Lake Maggiore. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2024; 100:fiae025. [PMID: 38389242 PMCID: PMC10939355 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiae025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Revised: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) are abundant in aquatic ecosystems affected by human activities. Understanding the fate of ARGs across different ecosystems is essential because of the significant role aquatic environments play in the cycle of antibiotic resistance. We quantified selected ARGs in Lake Maggiore, its main tributaries, and the effluent of the main wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) discharging directly into the lake. We linked their dynamics to the different anthropogenic impacts in each tributary's watershed. The dynamics of tetA in the lake were influenced by those of the rivers and the WWTP effluent, and by the concentration of N-NH4, related to anthropogenic pollution, while sul2 abundance in the lake was not influenced by any water inflow. The dynamics of the different ARGs varied across the different rivers. Rivers with watersheds characterized by high population density, touristic activities, and secondary industries released more ARGs, while ermB correlated with higher numbers of primary industries. This study suggests a limited contribution of treated wastewater in the spread of ARGs, indicating as prevalent origin other sources of pollution, calling for a reconsideration on what are considered the major sources of ARGs into the environment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Di Cesare
- National Research Council of Italy – Water Research Institute (CNR-IRSA), I-28922 Verbania, Italy
| | - Stefano Mammola
- National Research Council of Italy – Water Research Institute (CNR-IRSA), I-28922 Verbania, Italy
- Finnish Museum of Natural History (LUOMUS), University of Helsinki, FI-00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Raffaella Sabatino
- National Research Council of Italy – Water Research Institute (CNR-IRSA), I-28922 Verbania, Italy
| | - Diego Fontaneto
- National Research Council of Italy – Water Research Institute (CNR-IRSA), I-28922 Verbania, Italy
| | - Ester M Eckert
- National Research Council of Italy – Water Research Institute (CNR-IRSA), I-28922 Verbania, Italy
| | - Michela Rogora
- National Research Council of Italy – Water Research Institute (CNR-IRSA), I-28922 Verbania, Italy
| | - Tiziana Tonsi
- National Research Council of Italy – Water Research Institute (CNR-IRSA), I-28922 Verbania, Italy
| | - Gianluca Corno
- National Research Council of Italy – Water Research Institute (CNR-IRSA), I-28922 Verbania, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Sabatino R, Sbaffi T, Corno G, Cabello-Yeves PJ, Di Cesare A. The diversity of the antimicrobial resistome of lake Tanganyika increases with the water depth. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2024; 342:123065. [PMID: 38043766 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.123065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023]
Abstract
The presence of antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) in the microbiome of freshwater communities is a consequence of thousands of years of evolution but also of the pressure exerted by anthropogenic activities, with potential negative impact on environmental and human health. In this study, we investigated the distribution of ARGs in Lake Tanganyika (LT)'s water column to define the resistome of this ancient lake. Additionally, we compared the resistome of LT with that of Lake Baikal (LB), the oldest known lake with different environmental characteristics and a lower anthropogenic pollution than LT. We found that richness and abundance of several antimicrobial resistance classes were higher in the deep water layers in both lakes. LT Kigoma region, known for its higher anthropogenic pollution, showed a greater richness and number of ARG positive MAGs compared to Mahale. Our results provide a comprehensive understanding of the antimicrobial resistome of LT and underscore its importance as reservoir of antimicrobial resistance. In particular, the deepest water layers of LT are the main repository of diverse ARGs, mirroring what was observed in LB and in other aquatic ecosystems. These findings suggest that the deep waters might play a crucial role in the preservation of ARGs in aquatic ecosystems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Raffaella Sabatino
- National Research Council of Italy - Water Research Institute (CNR-IRSA), Verbania, Italy
| | - Tomasa Sbaffi
- National Research Council of Italy - Water Research Institute (CNR-IRSA), Verbania, Italy
| | - Gianluca Corno
- National Research Council of Italy - Water Research Institute (CNR-IRSA), Verbania, Italy; National Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC), 90133, Palermo, Italy
| | | | - Andrea Di Cesare
- National Research Council of Italy - Water Research Institute (CNR-IRSA), Verbania, Italy; National Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC), 90133, Palermo, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Gong X, Xiong L, Xing J, Deng Y, Qihui S, Sun J, Qin Y, Zhao Z, Zhang L. Implications on freshwater lake-river ecosystem protection suggested by organic micropollutant (OMP) priority list. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2024; 461:132580. [PMID: 37738851 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.132580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Revised: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/17/2023] [Indexed: 09/24/2023]
Abstract
Lake-river complex systems represent interconnected ecosystems wherein inflow rivers significantly influence the migration of terrigenous contaminants, particularly organic micropollutants (OMPs), into lakes. Given the extensive array of OMPs, screening for those with the highest potential hazard is crucial for safeguarding freshwater lake-river ecosystems. In this study, an optimized multi-criteria scoring method was applied to prioritize OMPs. Flux estimation was then performed to identify the contamination load contributed by the Le'an River to Poyang Lake. Higher concentrations of phthalate esters (PAEs) were detected in the lake-river system, ranging from 1154.5 to 22,732.8 ng/L, followed by antibiotics and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), while historical pollutant residues were comparably lower. Based on the prioritization methodology, 27 compounds, encompassing eight PAEs, six organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), six polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), five PAHs and two antibiotics, emerged as priority pollutants. Multiple risk assessments revealed that priority PAEs posed relatively high ecological and human health risks; concurrently, the annual fluxes of individual priority PAEs into the lake all exceeded 1000 kg, with DBP, DEHP and BBP fluxes reaching 18,352, 10,429, and 7825 kg, respectively. This research offers valuable insights stemming from OMP prioritization to aid in the conservation of freshwater lake ecosystems, particularly concerning lake-river system integrity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xionghu Gong
- State Key Laboratory of Lake Science and Environment, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, PR China
| | - Lili Xiong
- Jiangxi Hydrological Monitoring Center, Hydrology Bureau of Jiangxi Province, Nanchang 330002, PR China
| | - Jiusheng Xing
- Jiangxi Hydrological Monitoring Center, Hydrology Bureau of Jiangxi Province, Nanchang 330002, PR China
| | - Yanqing Deng
- Jiangxi Hydrological Monitoring Center, Hydrology Bureau of Jiangxi Province, Nanchang 330002, PR China
| | - Su Qihui
- Xinjiang and Raohe Hydrology and Water Resources Monitoring Center, Hydrology Bureau of Jiangxi Province, Nanchang 330002, PR China
| | - Jing Sun
- Xinjiang and Raohe Hydrology and Water Resources Monitoring Center, Hydrology Bureau of Jiangxi Province, Nanchang 330002, PR China
| | - Yu Qin
- State Key Laboratory of Lake Science and Environment, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, PR China
| | - Zhonghua Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Lake Science and Environment, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, PR China.
| | - Lu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Lake Science and Environment, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, PR China.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Sabatino R, Sbaffi T, Sivalingam P, Corno G, Fontaneto D, Di Cesare A. Bacteriophages limitedly contribute to the antimicrobial resistome of microbial communities in wastewater treatment plants. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0110123. [PMID: 37724865 PMCID: PMC10580818 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.01101-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 09/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacteriophages are known as players in the transmission of antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) by horizontal gene transfer. In this study, we characterized the bacteriophage community and the associated ARGs to estimate the potential for phages to spread ARGs in aquatic ecosystems analyzing the intra- and extracellular DNA isolated from two wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) by shotgun metagenomics. We compared the phage antimicrobial resistome with the bacterial resistome and investigated the effect of the final disinfection treatment on the phage community and its resistome. Phage community was mainly composed by Siphoviridae and other members of the order Caudovirales. The final disinfection only marginally affected the composition of the phage community, and it was not possible to measure its effect on the antimicrobial resistome. Indeed, only three phage metagenome-assembled genomes (pMAGs) annotated as Siphoviridae, Padoviridae, and Myoviridae were positive for putative ARGs. Among the detected ARGs, i.e., dfrB6, rpoB mutants, and EF-Tu mutants, the first one was not annotated in the bacterial MAGs. Overall, these results demonstrate that bacteriophages limitedly contribute to the whole antimicrobial resistome. However, in order to obtain a comprehensive understanding of the antimicrobial resistome within a microbial community, the role of bacteriophages needs to be investigated. IMPORTANCE WWTPs are considered hotspots for the spread of ARGs by horizontal gene transfer. In this study, we evaluated the phage composition and the associated antimicrobial resistome by shotgun metagenomics of samples collected before and after the final disinfection treatment. Only a few bacteriophages carried ARGs. However, since one of the detected genes was not found in the bacterial metagenome-assembled genomes, it is necessary to investigate the phage community in order to gain a comprehensive overview of the antimicrobial resistome. This investigation could help assess the potential threats to human health.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Raffaella Sabatino
- Molecular Ecology Group (MEG), National Research Council of Italy – Water Research Institute (CNR-IRSA), Verbania, Italy
| | - Tomasa Sbaffi
- Molecular Ecology Group (MEG), National Research Council of Italy – Water Research Institute (CNR-IRSA), Verbania, Italy
| | - Periyasamy Sivalingam
- Molecular Ecology Group (MEG), National Research Council of Italy – Water Research Institute (CNR-IRSA), Verbania, Italy
| | - Gianluca Corno
- Molecular Ecology Group (MEG), National Research Council of Italy – Water Research Institute (CNR-IRSA), Verbania, Italy
| | - Diego Fontaneto
- Molecular Ecology Group (MEG), National Research Council of Italy – Water Research Institute (CNR-IRSA), Verbania, Italy
| | - Andrea Di Cesare
- Molecular Ecology Group (MEG), National Research Council of Italy – Water Research Institute (CNR-IRSA), Verbania, Italy
| |
Collapse
|