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Jarma D, Sacristán-Soriano O, Borrego CM, Hortas F, Peralta-Sánchez JM, Balcázar JL, Green AJ, Alonso E, Sánchez-Melsió A, Sánchez MI. Variability of faecal microbiota and antibiotic resistance genes in flocks of migratory gulls and comparison with the surrounding environment. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2024; 359:124563. [PMID: 39019307 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.124563] [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: 04/22/2024] [Revised: 07/05/2024] [Accepted: 07/14/2024] [Indexed: 07/19/2024]
Abstract
Gulls commonly rely on human-generated waste as their primary food source, contributing to the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and their resistance genes, both locally and globally. Our understanding of this process remains incomplete, particularly in relation to its potential interaction with surrounding soil and water. We studied the lesser black-backed gull, Larus fuscus, as a model to examine the spatial variation of faecal bacterial communities, antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), and mobile genetic elements (MGEs) and its relationship with the surrounding water and soil. We conducted sampling campaigns within a connectivity network of different flocks of gulls moving across functional units (FUs), each of which represents a module of highly interconnected patches of habitats used for roosting and feeding. The FUs vary in habitat use, with some gulls using more polluted sites (notably landfills), while others prefer more natural environments (e.g., wetlands or beaches). Faecal bacterial communities in gulls from flocks that visit and spend more time in landfills exhibited higher richness and diversity. The faecal microbiota showed a high compositional overlap with bacterial communities in soil. The overlap was greater when compared to landfill (11%) than to wetland soils (6%), and much lower when compared to bacterial communities in surrounding water (2% and 1% for landfill and wetland water, respectively). The relative abundance of ARGs and MGEs were similar between FUs, with variations observed only for specific families of ARGs and MGEs. When exploring the faecal carriage of ARGs and MGEs in bird faeces relative to soil and water compartments, gull faeces were enriched in ARGs classified as High-Risk. Our results shed light on the complex dynamics of antibiotic resistance spread in wild bird populations, providing insights into the interactions among gull movement and feeding behavior, habitat characteristics, and the dissemination of antibiotic resistance determinants across environmental reservoirs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dayana Jarma
- Departamento de Biología, Instituto Universitario de Investigación Marina (INMAR), Campus de Excelencia Internacional del Mar (CEI·MAR), Universidad de Cádiz, Avda. República Árabe Saharaui Democrática 6, 11519, Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain.
| | - Oriol Sacristán-Soriano
- Institut Català de Recerca de l'Aigua (ICRA-CERCA), Emili Grahit 101, E-17003, Girona, Spain; Universitat de Girona, E-1700, Girona, Spain
| | - Carles M Borrego
- Institut Català de Recerca de l'Aigua (ICRA-CERCA), Emili Grahit 101, E-17003, Girona, Spain; Grup d'Ecologia Microbiana Molecular, Institut d'Ecologia Aquàtica, Universitat de Girona, Campus de Montilivi, E-17003, Girona, Spain
| | - Francisco Hortas
- Departamento de Biología, Instituto Universitario de Investigación Marina (INMAR), Campus de Excelencia Internacional del Mar (CEI·MAR), Universidad de Cádiz, Avda. República Árabe Saharaui Democrática 6, 11519, Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain
| | - Juan M Peralta-Sánchez
- Departmento de Zoología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, Avda. Reina Mercedes 6, 41012, Seville, Spain
| | - José L Balcázar
- Institut Català de Recerca de l'Aigua (ICRA-CERCA), Emili Grahit 101, E-17003, Girona, Spain; Universitat de Girona, E-1700, Girona, Spain
| | - Andy J Green
- Department of Conservation Biology and Global Change, Estación Biológica de Doñana, EBD-CSIC, Avda. Américo Vespucio 26, 41092, Seville, Spain
| | - Esteban Alonso
- Departamento de Química Analítica, Escuela Politécnica Superior, Universidad de Sevilla, C/Virgen de África, 7, 41011, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Alexandre Sánchez-Melsió
- Institut Català de Recerca de l'Aigua (ICRA-CERCA), Emili Grahit 101, E-17003, Girona, Spain; Universitat de Girona, E-1700, Girona, Spain
| | - Marta I Sánchez
- Department of Conservation Biology and Global Change, Estación Biológica de Doñana, EBD-CSIC, Avda. Américo Vespucio 26, 41092, Seville, Spain
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Leino LI, Vesterinen EJ, Sánchez-Virosta P, Puigbò P, Eeva T, Rainio MJ. Pollution-related changes in nest microbiota: Implications for growth and fledging in three passerine birds. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2024; 357:124434. [PMID: 38936789 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.124434] [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: 04/26/2024] [Revised: 06/12/2024] [Accepted: 06/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024]
Abstract
Non-ferrous smelters emit toxic metals into the environment, posing a threat to wildlife health. Despite the acknowledged role of microbes in host health, the impact of such emissions on host-associated microbiota, especially in wild birds, remains largely unexplored. This study investigates the associations of metal pollution, fitness, and nest microbiota (serving as a proxy for early-life microbial environment) which may influence the nestling health and development. Our study focuses on three passerine birds, the great tit (Parus major), blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus), and pied flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca), within control and metal-polluted sites around a Finnish copper-nickel smelter. The polluted sites had been contaminated with arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), and zinc (Zn). We performed bacterial 16S rRNA sequencing and metal analyses on 90 nests and monitored nestling body mass, fledging success, and various biotic and abiotic factors. Our findings revealed species-specific responses to metal exposure in terms of both fitness and nest microbiota. P. major and C. caeruleus showed sensitivity to pollution, with decreased nestling growth and fledging in the polluted zone. This was accompanied by a shift in the bacterial community composition, which was characterized by an increase in some pathogenic bacteria (in P. major and C. caeruleus nests) and by a decrease in plant-associated bacteria (within C. caeruleus nests). Conversely, F. hypoleuca and their nest microbiota showed limited responses to pollution, indicating greater tolerance to pollution-induced environmental changes. Although pollution did not correlate with nest alpha diversity or the most abundant bacterial taxa across all species, certain potential pathogens within the nests were enriched in polluted environments and negatively correlated with nestling fitness parameters. Our results suggest that metal pollution may alter the nest bacterial composition in some bird species, either directly or indirectly through environmental changes, promoting pathogenic bacteria and potentially impacting bird survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lyydia I Leino
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, Henrikinkatu 2, 20014, Turku, Finland.
| | - Eero J Vesterinen
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, Henrikinkatu 2, 20014, Turku, Finland.
| | - Pablo Sánchez-Virosta
- Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NO-7491, Trondheim, Norway.
| | - Pere Puigbò
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, Henrikinkatu 2, 20014, Turku, Finland; Eurecat, Technology Centre of Catalonia, Reus, Catalonia, Spain; Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Rovira I Virgili University, Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain.
| | - Tapio Eeva
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, Henrikinkatu 2, 20014, Turku, Finland.
| | - Miia J Rainio
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, Henrikinkatu 2, 20014, Turku, Finland.
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Wang D, Zeng J, Wujin C, Ullah Q, Su Z. Lactobacillus reuteri derived from horse alleviates Escherichia coli-induced diarrhea by modulating gut microbiota. Microb Pathog 2024; 188:106541. [PMID: 38224920 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2024.106541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2023] [Revised: 12/31/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 01/17/2024]
Abstract
Diarrhea is a prevalent health issue in farm animals and poses a significant challenge to the progress of animal husbandry. Recent evidence suggested that probiotics can alleviate diarrhea by maintaining gut microbial balance and enhancing the integrity of the intestinal barrier. However, there is a scarcity of studies investigating the efficacy of equine Lactobacillus reuteri in relieving E. coli-induced diarrhea. Hence, this study aimed to examine the potential of equine-derived Lactobacillus reuteri in alleviating E. coli diarrhea from the perspective of gut microbiota. Results demonstrated that supplementation of Lactobacillus reuteri had the potential to alleviate diarrhea induced by E. coli infection and restore the decline of tight junction genes, such as Claudin-1 and ZO-1. Additionally, Lactobacillus reuteri supplementation can restore the expression of inflammatory factors (IL-6, IL-10, TNF-α, and IFN-γ) and reduce colon inflammatory damage. Diversity analysis, based on amplicon sequencing, revealed a significant reduction in the diversity of gut microbiota during E. coli-induced diarrhea. Moreover, there were notable statistical differences in the composition and structure of gut microbiota among the different treatment groups. E. coli could induce gut microbial dysbiosis by decreasing the abundance of beneficial bacteria, including Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Ligilactobacillus, Enterorhabdus, and Lachnospiraceae_UCG_001, in comparison to the control group. Conversely, supplementation with Lactobacillus reuteri could restore the abundance of beneficial bacteria and increase the diversity of the gut microbiota, thereby reshaping gut microbiota. Additionally, we also observed that supplementation with Lactobacillus reuteri alone improved the gut microbial composition and structure. In summary, the findings suggest that Lactobacillus reuteri can alleviate E. coli-induced diarrhea by preserving the integrity of the intestinal barrier and modulating the composition of the gut microbiota. These results not only contribute to understanding of the mechanism underlying the beneficial effects of Lactobacillus reuteri in relieving diarrhea, but also provide valuable insights for the development of probiotic products aimed at alleviating diarrheal diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongjing Wang
- Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary, Tibet Autonomous Region Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lhasa, Tibet, 850009, China
| | - Jiangyong Zeng
- Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary, Tibet Autonomous Region Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lhasa, Tibet, 850009, China
| | - Cuomu Wujin
- Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary, Tibet Autonomous Region Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lhasa, Tibet, 850009, China
| | - Qudrat Ullah
- Department of Theriogenology, Faculty of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, The University of Agriculture, Dera Ismail Khan, 29111, Pakistan
| | - Zhonghua Su
- Tibet Autonomous Region Animal Disease Prevention and Control Center, Lhasa, Tibet, 850009, China.
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