Research on antibiotic resistance genes in wild and artificially bred green turtles (Chelonia mydas)

Sea turtles, vital to marine ecosystems, face population decline. Artificial breeding is a recovery strategy, yet it risks introducing antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) to wild populations and ecosystems. This study employed metagenomic techniques to compare the distribution characteristics of ARGs in the guts of wild and artificially bred green turtles (Chelonia mydas). The findings revealed that the total abundance of ARGs in C. mydas that have been artificially bred was significantly higher than that in wild individuals. Additionally, the abundance of mobile genetic elements (MGEs) co-occurring with ARGs in artificially bred C. mydas was significantly higher than in wild C. mydas. In the analysis of bacteria carrying ARGs, wild C. mydas exhibited greater bacterial diversity. Furthermore, in artificially bred C. mydas, we discovered 23 potential human pathogenic bacteria (HPB) that contain antibiotic resistance genes. In contrast, in wild C. mydas, only one type of HPB carrying an antibiotic resistance gene was found. The findings of this study not only enhance our understanding of the distribution and dissemination of ARGs within the gut microbial communities of C. mydas, but also provide vital information for assessing the potential impact of releasing artificially bred C. mydas on the spread of antibiotic resistance.

Prototropic Tautomerism and Some Features of the IR Spectra of 2-(3-Chromenyl)-1-hydroxyimidazoles

Prototropic tautomerism of 2-(3-chromenyl)-1-hydroxyimidazoles with various substituents in the chromenyl moiety (1-hydroxyimidazole – imidazole N-oxide) was studied by means of 1H NMR and IR spectroscopies. It was demonstrated that in d6-DMSO solution, the substituents in the chromenyl ring have no influence on the equilibrium shift: the prevalence of the N-oxide tautomeric form is caused by the possibility of stabilization of the planar structure with the help of the carbonyl group in position 5 of the imidazole ring. In contrast, in the solid state the general effect of the chromenyl substituent in position 2 of imidazole plays the leading role. The increase in general electron-withdrawing effect of the chromenyl moiety leads to the prevalence of the imidazole N-oxide tautomer.