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Wu Q, Wu GG, Pan KN, Wang XP, Li HY, Tian Z, Jin RC, Fan NS. Beta-blocker drives the conjugative transfer of multidrug resistance genes in pure and complex biological systems. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2024; 477:135403. [PMID: 39096644 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.135403] [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: 03/19/2024] [Revised: 06/13/2024] [Accepted: 07/31/2024] [Indexed: 08/05/2024]
Abstract
Drug resistance poses a high risk to human health. Extensive use of non-antibiotic drugs contributes to antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) transfer. However, how they affect the spread of broad-host plasmids in complex biological systems remains unknown. This study investigated the effect of metoprolol on the transfer frequency and host range of ARGs in both intrageneric and intergeneric pure culture systems, as well as in anammox microbiome. The results showed that environmental concentrations of metoprolol significantly promoted the intrageneric and intergeneric conjugative transfer. Initially, metoprolol induced excessive oxidative stress, resulting in high cell membrane permeability and bacterial SOS response. Meanwhile, more pili formation increased the adhesion and contact between bacteria, and the abundance of conjugation-related genes also increased significantly. Activation of the electron transport chain provided more ATP for this energy-consuming process. The underlying mechanism was further verified in the complex anammox conjugative system. Metoprolol induced the enrichment of ARGs and mobile genetic elements. The enhanced bacterial interaction and energy generation facilitated the high conjugative transfer frequency of ARGs. In addition, plasmid-borne ARGs tended to transfer to opportunistic pathogens. This work raises public concerns about the health and ecological risks of non-antibiotic drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Wu
- Laboratory of Water Pollution Remediation, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 311121, China
| | - Ge-Ge Wu
- Laboratory of Water Pollution Remediation, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 311121, China
| | - Kai-Nan Pan
- School of Engineering, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Xue-Ping Wang
- Laboratory of Water Pollution Remediation, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 311121, China
| | - Hong-Yan Li
- School of Engineering, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Zhe Tian
- Key Laboratory of Drinking Water Science and Technology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 2871, Beijing 100085, China
| | - Ren-Cun Jin
- School of Engineering, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Nian-Si Fan
- School of Engineering, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 310018, China.
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2
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Qiu T, Shen L, Guo Y, Gao M, Gao H, Li Y, Zhao G, Wang X. Impact of aeration rate on the transfer range of antibiotic-resistant plasmids during manure composting. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2024:124851. [PMID: 39216666 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.124851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2024] [Revised: 08/14/2024] [Accepted: 08/27/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
Conjugative plasmids are important vectors of mobile antibiotic resvistance genes (ARGs), facilitating their horizontal transfer within the environment. While composting is recognized as an effective method to reduce antibiotics and ARGs in animal manure, its impact on the bacterial host communities containing antibiotic-resistant plasmids remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the permissiveness of bacterial community during composting when challenged with multidrug-resistant conjugative RP4 plasmids, employing Pseudomonas putida as the donor strain. Ultimately, this represents the first exploration of the effects of aeration rates on the range of RP4 plasmid transfer hosts. Transconjugants were analyzed through fluorescent reporter gene-based fluorescence-activated cell sorting and Illumina sequencing. Overall, aeration rates were found to influence various physicochemical parameters of compost, including temperature, pH, total organic matter, total nitrogen, and potassium. Regarding RP4 plasmid host bacteria, the dominant phylum was determined to shift from Bacteroidetes in the raw material to Proteobacteria in the compost. Notably, a moderate-intensity aeration rate (0.05 L/min/L) was found to be more effective in reducing the diversity and richness of the RP4 plasmid host bacterial community. Following composting, the total percentage of dominant transconjugant-related genera decreased by 66.15-76.62%. Ultimately, this study determined that the aeration rate negatively impacts RP4 plasmid host abundance primarily through alterations to the environmental factors during composting. In summary, these findings enhance our understanding of plasmid host bacterial communities under varying composting aeration rates and offer novel insights into preventing the dissemination of ARGs from animal manure to farmland.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianlei Qiu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genetic Resources and Biotechnology, Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Lei Shen
- College of Life Sciences, Langfang Normal University, Langfang, China
| | - Yajie Guo
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genetic Resources and Biotechnology, Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Min Gao
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genetic Resources and Biotechnology, Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Haoze Gao
- National Engineering Research Center of Tree Breeding and Ecological Restoration, College of Biological Sciences and Technology, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Ying Li
- National Engineering Research Center of Tree Breeding and Ecological Restoration, College of Biological Sciences and Technology, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Guozhu Zhao
- National Engineering Research Center of Tree Breeding and Ecological Restoration, College of Biological Sciences and Technology, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Xuming Wang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genetic Resources and Biotechnology, Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing, China.
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3
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Liu F, Luo Y, Xu T, Lin H, Qiu Y, Li B. Current examining methods and mathematical models of horizontal transfer of antibiotic resistance genes in the environment. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1371388. [PMID: 38638913 PMCID: PMC11025395 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1371388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024] Open
Abstract
The increasing prevalence of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in the environment has garnered significant attention due to their health risk to human beings. Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) is considered as an important way for ARG dissemination. There are four general routes of HGT, including conjugation, transformation, transduction and vesiduction. Selection of appropriate examining methods is crucial for comprehensively understanding characteristics and mechanisms of different HGT ways. Moreover, combined with the results obtained from different experimental methods, mathematical models could be established and serve as a powerful tool for predicting ARG transfer dynamics and frequencies. However, current reviews of HGT for ARG spread mainly focus on its influencing factors and mechanisms, overlooking the important roles of examining methods and models. This review, therefore, delineated four pathways of HGT, summarized the strengths and limitations of current examining methods, and provided a comprehensive summing-up of mathematical models pertaining to three main HGT ways of conjugation, transformation and transduction. Finally, deficiencies in current studies were discussed, and proposed the future perspectives to better understand and assess the risks of ARG dissemination through HGT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fan Liu
- School of Energy and Environmental Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, China
| | - Yuqiu Luo
- School of Energy and Environmental Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, China
| | - Tiansi Xu
- School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Hai Lin
- School of Energy and Environmental Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, China
| | - Yong Qiu
- School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Bing Li
- School of Energy and Environmental Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, China
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4
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Tang H, Liu Z, Hu B, Zhu L. D-Ring Modifications of Tetracyclines Determine Their Ability to Induce Resistance Genes in the Environment. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024; 58:1338-1348. [PMID: 38157442 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c07559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
The widespread utilization of tetracyclines (TCs) in agriculture and medicine has led to the borderless spread of tetracycline resistance in humans, animals, and the environment, posing huge risks to both the ecosystem and human society. Changes in the functional group modifications resulted in a higher bacteriostatic efficacy of the new generation of TCs, but their effect on the emergence and evolution of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) is not yet known. To this end, four TCs from three generations were chosen to compare their structural effects on influencing the evolution of ARGs in soil microbial communities. The findings revealed that low-generation TCs, such as tetracycline and oxytetracycline, exhibited a greater propensity to stimulate the production and proliferation of ARGs than did high-generation tigecycline. Molecular docking analysis demonstrated that modifications of the D-ring functional group determined the binding capacity of TCs to the substrate-binding pocket of transcriptional regulators and efflux pumps mainly involved in drug resistance. This can be further evidenced by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction quantification and intracellular antibiotic accumulation assessment. This study sheds light on the mechanism of the structural effect of antibiotic-induced ARG production from the perspective of compound-protein binding, therefore providing theoretical support for controlling the dissemination of antibiotic resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huiming Tang
- College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Organic Pollution Process and Control, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Zishu Liu
- College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Baolan Hu
- College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Lizhong Zhu
- College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Organic Pollution Process and Control, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
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5
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Yin L, Wang X, Xu H, Yin B, Wang X, Zhang Y, Li X, Luo Y, Chen Z. Unrecognized risk of perfluorooctane sulfonate in promoting conjugative transfers of bacterial antibiotic resistance genes. Appl Environ Microbiol 2023; 89:e0053323. [PMID: 37565764 PMCID: PMC10537727 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00533-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Antibiotic resistance is a major global health crisis facing humanity, with horizontal gene transfer (HGT) as a principal dissemination mechanism in the natural and clinical environments. Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are emerging contaminants of global concern due to their high persistence in the environment and adverse effects on humans. However, it is unknown whether PFASs affect the HGT of bacterial antibiotic resistance. Using a genetically engineered Escherichia coli MG1655 as the donor of plasmid-encoded antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), E. coli J53 and soil bacterial community as two different recipients, this study demonstrated that the conjugation frequency of ARGs between two E. coli strains was (1.45 ± 0.17) × 10-5 and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) at environmentally relevant concentrations (2-50 μg L-1) increased conjugation transfer between E. coli strains by up to 3.25-fold. Increases in reactive oxygen species production, cell membrane permeability, biofilm formation capacity, and cell contact in two E. coli strains were proposed as major promotion mechanisms from PFOS exposure. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis of transcriptome data identified a series of candidate genes whose expression changes could contribute to the increase in conjugation transfer induced by PFOS. Furthermore, PFOS also generally increased the ARG transfer into the studied soil bacterial community, although the uptake ability of different community members of the plasmid either increased or decreased upon PFOS exposure depending on specific bacterial taxa. Overall, this study reveals an unrecognized risk of PFOS in accelerating the dissemination of antibiotic resistance. IMPORTANCE Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are emerging contaminants of global concern due to their high persistence in the environment and adverse health effects. Although the influence of environmental pollutants on the spread of antibiotic resistance, one of the biggest threats to global health, has attracted increasing attention in recent years, it is unknown whether environmental residues of PFASs affect the dissemination of bacterial antibiotic resistance. Considering PFASs, often called "forever" compounds, have significantly higher environmental persistence than most emerging organic contaminants, exploring the effect of PFASs on the spread of antibiotic resistance is more environmentally relevant and has essential ecological and health significance. By systematically examining the influence of perfluorooctane sulfonate on the antibiotic resistance gene conjugative transfer, not only at the single-strain level but also at the community level, this study has uncovered an unrecognized risk of PFASs in promoting conjugative transfers of bacterial antibiotic resistance genes, which could be incorporated into the risk assessment framework of PFASs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lichun Yin
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Xiaolong Wang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Han Xu
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Bo Yin
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Xingshuo Wang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Yulin Zhang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Xinyao Li
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Yi Luo
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Zeyou Chen
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
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6
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Yuan B, Zhang Y, Zhang Z, Lin Z, Ma Y, Sun Y. Fluorescent tag reveals the potential mechanism of how indigenous soil bacteria affect the transfer of the wild fecal antibiotic resistance plasmid pKANJ7 in different habitat soils. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2023; 455:131659. [PMID: 37209559 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.131659] [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: 12/02/2022] [Revised: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Plasmids have increasingly become a point of concern since they act as a vital medium for the dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). Although indigenous soil bacteria are critical hosts for these plasmids, the mechanisms driving the transfer of antibiotic resistance plasmids (ARPs) have not been well researched. In this study, we tracked and visualized the colonization of the wild fecal antibiotic resistance plasmid pKANJ7 in indigenous bacteria of different habitat soils (unfertilized soil (UFS), chemical fertilized soil (CFS), and manure fertilized soil (MFS)). The results showed that plasmid pKANJ7 mainly transferred to the dominant genera in the soil and genera that were highly related to the donor. More importantly, plasmid pKANJ7 also transferred to intermediate hosts which aid in the survival and persistence of these plasmids in soil. Nitrogen levels also raised the plasmid transfer rate (14th day: UFS: 0.09%, CFS: 1.21%, MFS: 4.57%). Lastly, our structural equation model (SEM) showed that dominant bacteria shifts caused by nitrogen and loam were the major driver shaping the difference in the transfer of plasmid pKANJ7. Overall, our findings enhance the mechanistic understanding of indigenous soil bacteria's role in plasmid transfer and inform potential methods to prevent the transmission of plasmid-borne resistance in the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Yuan
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Farmland Soil Pollution Prevention and Remediation, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Yue Zhang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Farmland Soil Pollution Prevention and Remediation, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Zishuai Zhang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Farmland Soil Pollution Prevention and Remediation, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Zhaoye Lin
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Farmland Soil Pollution Prevention and Remediation, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Yanwen Ma
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Farmland Soil Pollution Prevention and Remediation, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Ying Sun
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Farmland Soil Pollution Prevention and Remediation, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China.
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7
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Moradigaravand D, Li L, Dechesne A, Nesme J, de la Cruz R, Ahmad H, Banzhaf M, Sørensen SJ, Smets BF, Kreft JU. Plasmid permissiveness of wastewater microbiomes can be predicted from 16S rRNA sequences by machine learning. Bioinformatics 2023; 39:btad400. [PMID: 37348862 PMCID: PMC10318386 DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btad400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2022] [Revised: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023] Open
Abstract
MOTIVATION Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) harbor a dense and diverse microbial community. They constantly receive antimicrobial residues and resistant strains, and therefore provide conditions for horizontal gene transfer (HGT) of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) determinants. This facilitates the transmission of clinically important genes between, e.g. enteric and environmental bacteria, and vice versa. Despite the clinical importance, tools for predicting HGT remain underdeveloped. RESULTS In this study, we examined to which extent water cycle microbial community composition, as inferred by partial 16S rRNA gene sequences, can predict plasmid permissiveness, i.e. the ability of cells to receive a plasmid through conjugation, based on data from standardized filter mating assays using fluorescent bio-reporter plasmids. We leveraged a range of machine learning models for predicting the permissiveness for each taxon in the community, representing the range of hosts a plasmid is able to transfer to, for three broad host-range resistance IncP plasmids (pKJK5, pB10, and RP4). Our results indicate that the predicted permissiveness from the best performing model (random forest) showed a moderate-to-strong average correlation of 0.49 for pB10 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.44-0.55], 0.43 for pKJK5 (0.95% CI: 0.41-0.49), and 0.53 for RP4 (0.95% CI: 0.48-0.57) with the experimental permissiveness in the unseen test dataset. Predictive phylogenetic signals occurred despite the broad host-range nature of these plasmids. Our results provide a framework that contributes to the assessment of the risk of AMR pollution in wastewater systems. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION The predictive tool is available as an application at https://github.com/DaneshMoradigaravand/PlasmidPerm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danesh Moradigaravand
- Laboratory of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, KAUST Smart-Health Initiative and Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE) Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
- KAUST Computational Bioscience Research Center (CBRC), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Liguan Li
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kgs Lyngby, Denmark
- Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Arnaud Dechesne
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kgs Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Joseph Nesme
- Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Roberto de la Cruz
- Center for Computational Biology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, United Kingdom
- Institute of Microbiology and Infection, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, United Kingdom
- School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, United Kingdom
| | - Huda Ahmad
- Laboratory of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, KAUST Smart-Health Initiative and Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE) Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
- KAUST Computational Bioscience Research Center (CBRC), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
- Center for Computational Biology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, United Kingdom
| | - Manuel Banzhaf
- Institute of Microbiology and Infection, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, United Kingdom
- School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, United Kingdom
| | - Søren J Sørensen
- Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Barth F Smets
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kgs Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Jan-Ulrich Kreft
- Center for Computational Biology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, United Kingdom
- Institute of Microbiology and Infection, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, United Kingdom
- School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, United Kingdom
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8
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Wang Q, Wei S, Silva AF, Madsen JS. Cooperative antibiotic resistance facilitates horizontal gene transfer. THE ISME JOURNAL 2023; 17:846-854. [PMID: 36949153 PMCID: PMC10203111 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-023-01393-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2022] [Revised: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/24/2023]
Abstract
The rise of β-lactam resistance among pathogenic bacteria, due to the horizontal transfer of plasmid-encoded β-lactamases, is a current global health crisis. Importantly, β-lactam hydrolyzation by β-lactamases, not only protects the producing cells but also sensitive neighboring cells cooperatively. Yet, how such cooperative traits affect plasmid transmission and maintenance is currently poorly understood. Here we experimentally show that KPC-2 β-lactamase expression and extracellular activity were higher when encoded on plasmids compared with the chromosome, resulting in the elevated rescue of sensitive non-producers. This facilitated efficient plasmid transfer to the rescued non-producers and expanded the potential plasmid recipient pool and the probability of plasmid transfer to new genotypes. Social conversion of non-producers by conjugation was efficient yet not absolute. Non-cooperative plasmids, not encoding KPC-2, were moderately more competitive than cooperative plasmids when β-lactam antibiotics were absent. However, in the presence of a β-lactam antibiotic, strains with non-cooperative plasmids were efficiently outcompeted. Moreover, plasmid-free non-producers were more competitive than non-producers imposed with the metabolic burden of a plasmid. Our results suggest that cooperative antibiotic resistance especially promotes the fitness of replicons that transfer horizontally such as conjugative plasmids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qinqin Wang
- Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Shaodong Wei
- National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, 2800, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Ana Filipa Silva
- Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
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9
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Shen L, Qiu T, Guo Y, Gao M, Gao H, Zhao G, Wang X. Enhancing control of multidrug-resistant plasmid and its host community with a prolonged thermophilic phase during composting. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:989085. [PMID: 36060751 PMCID: PMC9428157 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.989085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The plasmid-mediated horizontal transfer of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) among bacteria facilitates the evolution and dissemination of antibiotic resistance. Broad-host-range plasmids can be transferred to different bacterial hosts in soil, plant rhizospheres, and wastewater treatment plants. Although composting is an effective way to convert organic waste into fertilizer and reduce some ARGs, few studies have focused on its effects on the spread of ARG-carrying plasmids and their bacterial host communities during composting. In this study, a fluorescently labeled Pseudomonas putida (P. putida) harboring a broad-host-range plasmid RP4 carrying three ARGs was inoculated into a raw material microcosm and composted with different durations of the thermophilic phase. The fate of the donor and RP4 in composting was investigated. The prolonged thermophilic composting removed 95.1% of dsRed and 98.0% of gfp, and it inhibited the rebound of P. putida and RP4 during the maturation phase. The spread potential of RP4 decreased from 10−4 to 10−6 transconjugants per recipient after composting. In addition, we sorted and analyzed the composition of RP4 recipient bacteria using fluorescence-activated cell sorting combined with 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. The recipient bacteria of RP4 belonged to eight phyla, and Firmicutes, accounting for 75.3%–90.1%, was the dominant phylum in the transconjugants. The diversity and richness of the RP4 recipient community were significantly reduced by prolonged thermophilic periods. Overall, these findings provide new insights for assessing the contribution of composting in mitigating the dissemination of plasmid-mediated ARGs, and the prolonged thermophilic phase of composting can limit the transfer of multidrug-resistant plasmids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Shen
- National Engineering Research Center of Tree Breeding and Ecological Restoration, College of Biological Sciences and Technology, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genetic Resources and Biotechnology, Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing, China
- College of Life Sciences, Langfang Normal University, Langfang, China
| | - Tianlei Qiu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genetic Resources and Biotechnology, Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yajie Guo
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genetic Resources and Biotechnology, Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Min Gao
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genetic Resources and Biotechnology, Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Haoze Gao
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genetic Resources and Biotechnology, Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Guozhu Zhao
- National Engineering Research Center of Tree Breeding and Ecological Restoration, College of Biological Sciences and Technology, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Guozhu Zhao,
| | - Xuming Wang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genetic Resources and Biotechnology, Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing, China
- Xuming Wang,
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10
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Macedo G, Olesen AK, Maccario L, Hernandez Leal L, v. d. Maas P, Heederik D, Mevius D, Sørensen SJ, Schmitt H. Horizontal Gene Transfer of an IncP1 Plasmid to Soil Bacterial Community Introduced by Escherichia coli through Manure Amendment in Soil Microcosms. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:11398-11408. [PMID: 35896060 PMCID: PMC9387108 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c02686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2022] [Revised: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
The quantification and identification of new plasmid-acquiring bacteria in representative mating conditions is critical to characterize the risk of horizontal gene transfer in the environment. This study aimed to quantify conjugation events resulting from manure application to soils and identify the transconjugants resulting from these events. Conjugation was quantified at multiple time points by plating and flow cytometry, and the transconjugants were recovered by fluorescence-activated cell sorting and identified by 16S rRNA sequencing. Overall, transconjugants were only observed within the first 4 days after manure application and at values close to the detection limits of this experimental system (1.00-2.49 log CFU/g of manured soil, ranging between 10-5 and 10-4 transconjugants-to-donor ratios). In the pool of recovered transconjugants, we found amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) of genera whose origin was traced to soils (Bacillus and Nocardioides) and manure (Comamonas and Rahnella). This work showed that gene transfer from fecal to soil bacteria occurred despite the less-than-optimal conditions faced by manure bacteria when transferred to soils, but these events were rare, mainly happened shortly after manure application, and the plasmid did not colonize the soil community. This study provides important information to determine the risks of AMR spread via manure application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gonçalo Macedo
- Department
of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 1, 3584 CL Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Wetsus,
European Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Water Technology, Oostergoweg 9, 8911 MA Leeuwarden, The Netherlands
| | - Asmus K. Olesen
- Department
of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen 2100, Denmark
| | - Lorrie Maccario
- Department
of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen 2100, Denmark
| | - Lucia Hernandez Leal
- Wetsus,
European Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Water Technology, Oostergoweg 9, 8911 MA Leeuwarden, The Netherlands
| | - Peter v. d. Maas
- Van
Hall Larenstein, University of Applied Sciences, Agora 1, 8901 BV Leeuwarden, The Netherlands
| | - Dick Heederik
- Institute
for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 2, 3584 CM Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Dik Mevius
- Department
of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 1, 3584 CL Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Department
of Bacteriology and Epidemiology, Wageningen
Bioveterinary Research, Houtribweg 39, 8221 RA Lelystad, The Netherlands
| | - Søren J. Sørensen
- Department
of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen 2100, Denmark
| | - Heike Schmitt
- Wetsus,
European Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Water Technology, Oostergoweg 9, 8911 MA Leeuwarden, The Netherlands
- Institute
for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 2, 3584 CM Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Centre
for Infectious Disease Control, National
Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Antonie van Leeuwenhoeklaan 9, 3721 MA Bilthoven, The Netherlands
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11
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Wang Y, Yu Z, Ding P, Lu J, Klümper U, Murray AK, Gaze WH, Guo J. Non-antibiotic pharmaceuticals promote conjugative plasmid transfer at a community-wide level. MICROBIOME 2022; 10:124. [PMID: 35953866 PMCID: PMC9373378 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-022-01314-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) plays a critical role in the spread of antibiotic resistance and the evolutionary shaping of bacterial communities. Conjugation is the most well characterized pathway for the spread of antibiotic resistance, compared to transformation and transduction. While antibiotics have been found to induce HGT, it remains unknown whether non-antibiotic pharmaceuticals can facilitate conjugation at a microbial community-wide level. RESULTS In this study, we demonstrate that several commonly consumed non-antibiotic pharmaceuticals (including carbamazepine, ibuprofen, naproxen and propranolol), at environmentally relevant concentrations (0.5 mg/L), can promote the conjugative transfer of IncP1-α plasmid-borne antibiotic resistance across entire microbial communities. The over-generation of reactive oxygen species in response to these non-antibiotic pharmaceuticals may contribute to the enhanced conjugation ratios. Cell sorting and 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing analyses indicated that non-antibiotic pharmaceuticals modulate transconjugant microbial communities at both phylum and genus levels. Moreover, microbial uptake ability of the IncP1-α plasmid was also upregulated under non-antibiotic pharmaceutical exposure. Several opportunistic pathogens, such as Acinetobacter and Legionella, were more likely to acquire the plasmid conferring multidrug resistance. CONCLUSIONS Considering the high possibility of co-occurrence of pathogenic bacteria, conjugative IncP1-α plasmids and non-antibiotic pharmaceuticals in various environments (e.g., activated sludge systems), our findings illustrate the potential risk associated with increased dissemination of antibiotic resistance promoted by non-antibiotic pharmaceuticals in complex environmental settings. Video abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Wang
- Australian Centre for Water and Environmental Biotechnology (ACWEB, Formerly AWMC), The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Zhigang Yu
- Australian Centre for Water and Environmental Biotechnology (ACWEB, Formerly AWMC), The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Pengbo Ding
- Australian Centre for Water and Environmental Biotechnology (ACWEB, Formerly AWMC), The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Ji Lu
- Australian Centre for Water and Environmental Biotechnology (ACWEB, Formerly AWMC), The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Uli Klümper
- Institute for Hydrobiology, Technische Universität Dresden, 01217, Dresden, Germany
| | - Aimee K Murray
- European Centre for Environment and Human Health, University of Exeter Medical School, Environment & Sustainability Institute, Penryn Campus, Penryn, TR10 9FE, UK
| | - William H Gaze
- European Centre for Environment and Human Health, University of Exeter Medical School, Environment & Sustainability Institute, Penryn Campus, Penryn, TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Jianhua Guo
- Australian Centre for Water and Environmental Biotechnology (ACWEB, Formerly AWMC), The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia.
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12
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Tang H, Liu Z, Hu B, Zhu L. Effects of iron mineral adhesion on bacterial conjugation: Interfering the transmission of antibiotic resistance genes through an interfacial process. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2022; 435:128889. [PMID: 35472548 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.128889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2022] [Revised: 04/02/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Bacterial conjugation is one of the most prominent ways for antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) transmission in the environment. Interfacial interactions between natural colloidal minerals and bacteria can alter the effective contact of bacteria, thereby affecting ARGs conjugation. Understanding the impact of iron minerals, a core component of colloidal minerals, on ARGs conjugation can help assess and intervene in the risk of ARGs transmission. With three selected iron minerals perturbation experiments, it was found that the conjugative transfer of plasmid that carried kanamycin resistance gene was 1.35 - 3.91-fold promoted by low concentrations of iron minerals (i.e., 5 - 100 mg L-1), but inhibited at high concentrations (i.e., 1000 - 2000 mg L-1) as 0.10 - 0.22-fold. Conjugation occurrence was highly relevant to the number of bacteria adhering per unit mass of mineral, thus switch in the adhesion modes of mineral-bacterial determined whether the conjugate transfer of ARGs was facilitated or inhibited. In addition, a unified model was formularized upon the physicochemical and physiological effects of adhesion on conjugation, and it can be used in estimating the critical inhibitory concentration of different iron minerals on conjugation. Our findings indicate natural colloidal minerals have great potential for applications in preventing the environmental propagation of ARGs through interfacial interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huiming Tang
- Department of Environmental Science, College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Organic Pollution Process and Control, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Zishu Liu
- Department of Environmental Engineering, College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Baolan Hu
- Department of Environmental Engineering, College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Lizhong Zhu
- Department of Environmental Science, College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Organic Pollution Process and Control, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.
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13
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Zhang Y, Guo Y, Qiu T, Gao M, Wang X. Bacteriophages: Underestimated vehicles of antibiotic resistance genes in the soil. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:936267. [PMID: 35992716 PMCID: PMC9386270 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.936267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacteriophages (phages), the most abundant biological entities on Earth, have a significant effect on the composition and dynamics of microbial communities, biogeochemical cycles of global ecosystems, and bacterial evolution. A variety of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) have been identified in phage genomes in different soil samples. Phages can mediate the transfer of ARGs between bacteria via transduction. Recent studies have suggested that anthropogenic activities promote phage-mediated horizontal gene transfer events. Therefore, the role of phages in the dissemination of ARGs, which are a potential threat to human health, may be underestimated. However, the contribution of phages to the transfer of ARGs is still poorly understood. Considering the growing and wide concerns of antibiotic resistance, phages should be considered a research focus in the mobile resistome. This review aimed to provide an overview of phages as vehicles of ARGs in soil. Here, we summarized the current knowledge on the diversity and abundance of ARGs in soilborne phages and analyzed the contribution of phages to the horizontal transfer of ARGs. Finally, research deficiencies and future perspectives were discussed. This study provides a reference for preventing and controlling ARG pollution in agricultural systems.
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14
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Abstract
Biological rapid sand filtration is a commonly employed method for the removal of organic and inorganic impurities in water which relies on the degradative properties of microorganisms for the removal of diverse contaminants, but their bioremediation capabilities vary greatly across waterworks. Bioaugmentation efforts with degradation-proficient bacteria have proven difficult due to the inability of the exogenous microbes to stably colonize the sand filters. Plasmids are extrachromosomal DNA elements that can often transfer between bacteria and facilitate the flow of genetic information across microbiomes, yet their ability to spread within rapid sand filters has remained unknown. Here, we examine the permissiveness of rapid sand filter communities toward four environmentally transmissible plasmids, RP4, RSF1010, pKJK5, and TOL (pWWO), using a dual-fluorescence bioreporter platform combined with fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) and 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. Our results reveal that plasmids can transfer at high frequencies and across distantly related taxa from rapid sand filter communities, emphasizing their potential suitability for introducing bioremediation determinants in the microbiomes of underperforming water purification plants.
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15
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Baquero F, Martínez JL, F. Lanza V, Rodríguez-Beltrán J, Galán JC, San Millán A, Cantón R, Coque TM. Evolutionary Pathways and Trajectories in Antibiotic Resistance. Clin Microbiol Rev 2021; 34:e0005019. [PMID: 34190572 PMCID: PMC8404696 DOI: 10.1128/cmr.00050-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Evolution is the hallmark of life. Descriptions of the evolution of microorganisms have provided a wealth of information, but knowledge regarding "what happened" has precluded a deeper understanding of "how" evolution has proceeded, as in the case of antimicrobial resistance. The difficulty in answering the "how" question lies in the multihierarchical dimensions of evolutionary processes, nested in complex networks, encompassing all units of selection, from genes to communities and ecosystems. At the simplest ontological level (as resistance genes), evolution proceeds by random (mutation and drift) and directional (natural selection) processes; however, sequential pathways of adaptive variation can occasionally be observed, and under fixed circumstances (particular fitness landscapes), evolution is predictable. At the highest level (such as that of plasmids, clones, species, microbiotas), the systems' degrees of freedom increase dramatically, related to the variable dispersal, fragmentation, relatedness, or coalescence of bacterial populations, depending on heterogeneous and changing niches and selective gradients in complex environments. Evolutionary trajectories of antibiotic resistance find their way in these changing landscapes subjected to random variations, becoming highly entropic and therefore unpredictable. However, experimental, phylogenetic, and ecogenetic analyses reveal preferential frequented paths (highways) where antibiotic resistance flows and propagates, allowing some understanding of evolutionary dynamics, modeling and designing interventions. Studies on antibiotic resistance have an applied aspect in improving individual health, One Health, and Global Health, as well as an academic value for understanding evolution. Most importantly, they have a heuristic significance as a model to reduce the negative influence of anthropogenic effects on the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- F. Baquero
- Department of Microbiology, Ramón y Cajal University Hospital, Ramón y Cajal Institute for Health Research (IRYCIS), Network Center for Research in Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - J. L. Martínez
- National Center for Biotechnology (CNB-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - V. F. Lanza
- Department of Microbiology, Ramón y Cajal University Hospital, Ramón y Cajal Institute for Health Research (IRYCIS), Network Center for Research in Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
- Central Bioinformatics Unit, Ramón y Cajal Institute for Health Research (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain
| | - J. Rodríguez-Beltrán
- Department of Microbiology, Ramón y Cajal University Hospital, Ramón y Cajal Institute for Health Research (IRYCIS), Network Center for Research in Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - J. C. Galán
- Department of Microbiology, Ramón y Cajal University Hospital, Ramón y Cajal Institute for Health Research (IRYCIS), Network Center for Research in Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - A. San Millán
- National Center for Biotechnology (CNB-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - R. Cantón
- Department of Microbiology, Ramón y Cajal University Hospital, Ramón y Cajal Institute for Health Research (IRYCIS), Network Center for Research in Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - T. M. Coque
- Department of Microbiology, Ramón y Cajal University Hospital, Ramón y Cajal Institute for Health Research (IRYCIS), Network Center for Research in Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
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16
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Nguyen AQ, Vu HP, Nguyen LN, Wang Q, Djordjevic SP, Donner E, Yin H, Nghiem LD. Monitoring antibiotic resistance genes in wastewater treatment: Current strategies and future challenges. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 783:146964. [PMID: 33866168 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.146964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2021] [Revised: 04/01/2021] [Accepted: 04/01/2021] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing threat to human and animal health. Progress in molecular biology has revealed new and significant challenges for AMR mitigation given the immense diversity of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), the complexity of ARG transfer, and the broad range of omnipresent factors contributing to AMR. Municipal, hospital and abattoir wastewater are collected and treated in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), where the presence of diverse selection pressures together with a highly concentrated consortium of pathogenic/commensal microbes create favourable conditions for the transfer of ARGs and proliferation of antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB). The rapid emergence of antibiotic resistant pathogens of clinical and veterinary significance over the past 80 years has re-defined the role of WWTPs as a focal point in the fight against AMR. By reviewing the occurrence of ARGs in wastewater and sludge and the current technologies used to quantify ARGs and identify ARB, this paper provides a research roadmap to address existing challenges in AMR control via wastewater treatment. Wastewater treatment is a double-edged sword that can act as either a pathway for AMR spread or as a barrier to reduce the environmental release of anthropogenic AMR. State of the art ARB identification technologies, such as metagenomic sequencing and fluorescence-activated cell sorting, have enriched ARG/ARB databases, unveiled keystone species in AMR networks, and improved the resolution of AMR dissemination models. Data and information provided in this review highlight significant knowledge gaps. These include inconsistencies in ARG reporting units, lack of ARG/ARB monitoring surrogates, lack of a standardised protocol for determining ARG removal via wastewater treatments, and the inability to support appropriate risk assessment. This is due to a lack of standard monitoring targets and agreed threshold values, and paucity of information on the ARG-pathogen host relationship and risk management. These research gaps need to be addressed and research findings need to be transformed into practical guidance for WWTP operators to enable effective progress towards mitigating the evolution and spread of AMR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anh Q Nguyen
- Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Hang P Vu
- Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Luong N Nguyen
- Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Qilin Wang
- Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Steven P Djordjevic
- Institute of Infection, Immunity and Innovation, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Erica Donner
- Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, SA 5095, Australia
| | - Huabing Yin
- School of Engineering, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8LT, UK
| | - Long D Nghiem
- Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia; Institute of Environmental Sciences, Nguyen Tat Thanh University, Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam.
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17
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Xu H, Chen Z, Huang R, Cui Y, Li Q, Zhao Y, Wang X, Mao D, Luo Y, Ren H. Antibiotic Resistance Gene-Carrying Plasmid Spreads into the Plant Endophytic Bacteria using Soil Bacteria as Carriers. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2021; 55:10462-10470. [PMID: 34114802 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c01615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Applications of animal manure and treated wastewater could enrich antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in the plant microbiome. However, the mechanistic studies of the transmission of ARB and ARGs from the environment to plant endophytic bacteria were few. Herein, a genetically engineered fluorescent Escherichia coli harboring a conjugative RP4 plasmid that carries three ARGs was used to trace its spread into Arabidopsis thaliana interior in a tetracycline-amended hydroponic system in the absence or presence of a simulated soil bacterial community. Confocal microscope observation demonstrated that E. coli was internalized into plant tissues and the carried RP4 plasmid was transferred into plant endophytic bacteria. More importantly, we observed that soil bacteria inhibited the internalization of E. coli but substantially promoted RP4 plasmid spread into the plant microbiome. The altered RP4-carrying bacterial community composition in the plant microbiome and the increased core-shared RP4-carrying bacteria number between plant interior and exterior in the presence of soil bacteria collectively confirmed that soil bacteria, especially Proteobacteria, might capture RP4 from E. coli and then translocate into plant microbiome, resulting in the increased RP4 plasmid spread in the plant endophytes. Overall, our findings provided important insights into the dissemination of ARB and ARGs from the environment to the plant microbiome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han Xu
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Zeyou Chen
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Ruiyang Huang
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Yuxiao Cui
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
- Municipal Experimental Teaching Demonstration Center for Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Qiang Li
- College of Agriculture and Forestry Science, Linyi University, Linyi 276000, Shandong, China
| | - Yanhui Zhao
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Xiaolong Wang
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Daqing Mao
- School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Yi Luo
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China
| | - Hongqiang Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China
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18
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Pallares-Vega R, Macedo G, Brouwer MSM, Hernandez Leal L, van der Maas P, van Loosdrecht MCM, Weissbrodt DG, Heederik D, Mevius D, Schmitt H. Temperature and Nutrient Limitations Decrease Transfer of Conjugative IncP-1 Plasmid pKJK5 to Wild Escherichia coli Strains. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:656250. [PMID: 34349732 PMCID: PMC8326584 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.656250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2021] [Accepted: 06/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasmid-mediated dissemination of antibiotic resistance among fecal Enterobacteriaceae in natural ecosystems may contribute to the persistence of antibiotic resistance genes in anthropogenically impacted environments. Plasmid transfer frequencies measured under laboratory conditions might lead to overestimation of plasmid transfer potential in natural ecosystems. This study assessed differences in the conjugative transfer of an IncP-1 (pKJK5) plasmid to three natural Escherichia coli strains carrying extended-spectrum beta-lactamases, by filter mating. Matings were performed under optimal laboratory conditions (rich LB medium and 37°C) and environmentally relevant temperatures (25, 15 and 9°C) or nutrient regimes mimicking environmental conditions and limitations (synthetic wastewater and soil extract). Under optimal nutrient conditions and temperature, two recipients yielded high transfer frequencies (5 × 10-1) while the conjugation frequency of the third strain was 1000-fold lower. Decreasing mating temperatures to psychrophilic ranges led to lower transfer frequencies, albeit all three strains conjugated under all the tested temperatures. Low nutritive media caused significant decreases in transconjugants (-3 logs for synthetic wastewater; -6 logs for soil extract), where only one of the strains was able to produce detectable transconjugants. Collectively, this study highlights that despite less-than-optimal conditions, fecal organisms may transfer plasmids in the environment, but the transfer of pKJK5 between microorganisms is limited mainly by low nutrient conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebeca Pallares-Vega
- Wetsus, European Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Water Technology, Leeuwarden, Netherlands
- Department Biotechnology, Delft University of Technology, Delft, Netherlands
| | - Gonçalo Macedo
- Wetsus, European Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Water Technology, Leeuwarden, Netherlands
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Michael S. M. Brouwer
- Department of Bacteriology and Epidemiology, Wageningen Bioveterinary Research, Lelystad, Netherlands
| | - Lucia Hernandez Leal
- Wetsus, European Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Water Technology, Leeuwarden, Netherlands
| | - Peter van der Maas
- Van Hall Larenstein, University of Applied Sciences, Leeuwarden, Netherlands
| | | | - David G. Weissbrodt
- Department Biotechnology, Delft University of Technology, Delft, Netherlands
| | - Dick Heederik
- Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Dik Mevius
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
- Department of Bacteriology and Epidemiology, Wageningen Bioveterinary Research, Lelystad, Netherlands
| | - Heike Schmitt
- Wetsus, European Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Water Technology, Leeuwarden, Netherlands
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
- Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
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19
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Pu Q, Fan XT, Sun AQ, Pan T, Li H, Bo Lassen S, An XL, Su JQ. Co-effect of cadmium and iron oxide nanoparticles on plasmid-mediated conjugative transfer of antibiotic resistance genes. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2021; 152:106453. [PMID: 33798824 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2021.106453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2020] [Revised: 02/05/2021] [Accepted: 02/06/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Conjunctive transfer of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) among bacteria driven by plasmids facilitated the evolution and spread of antibiotic resistance. Heavy metal exposure accelerated the plasmid-mediated conjunctive transfer of ARGs. Nanomaterials are well-known adsorbents for heavy metals removal, with the capability of combatting resistant bacteria/facilitating conjunctive transfer of ARGs. However, co-effect of heavy metals and nanomaterials on plasmid-mediated conjunctive transfer of ARGs was still unknown. In this study, we investigated the effect of the simultaneous exposure of Cd2+ and nano Fe2O3 on conjugative transfer of plasmid RP4 from Pseudomonas putida KT2442 to water microbial community. The permeability of bacterial cell membranes, antioxidant enzyme activities and conjugation gene expression were also investigated. The results suggested that the combination of Cd2+ and high concentration nano Fe2O3 (10 mg/L and 100 mg/L) significantly increased conjugative transfer frequencies of RP4 plasmid (p < 0.05). The most transconjugants were detected in the treatment of co-exposure to Cd2+ and nano Fe2O3, the majority of which were identified to be human pathogens. The mechanisms of the exacerbated conjugative transfer of ARGs were involved in the enhancement of cell membrane permeability, antioxidant enzyme activities, and mRNA expression levels of the conjugation genes by the co-effect of Cd2+ and nano Fe2O3. This study confirmed that the simultaneous exposure to Cd2+and nano Fe2O3 exerted a synergetic co-effect on plasmid-mediated conjunctive transfer of ARGs, emphasizing that the co-effect of nanomaterials and heavy metals should be prudently evaluated when combating antibiotic resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiang Pu
- Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1799 Jimei Road, Xiamen 361021, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xiao-Ting Fan
- Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1799 Jimei Road, Xiamen 361021, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China
| | - An-Qi Sun
- Key Laboratory for Humid Subtropical Eco-geographical Processes of the Ministry of Education, School of Geographical Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350007, China
| | - Ting Pan
- Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1799 Jimei Road, Xiamen 361021, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Hu Li
- Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1799 Jimei Road, Xiamen 361021, China
| | - Simon Bo Lassen
- Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1799 Jimei Road, Xiamen 361021, China; Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, 1871 Frederiksberg C, Denmark; Sino-Danish Center of Education and Research, Beijing, China
| | - Xin-Li An
- Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1799 Jimei Road, Xiamen 361021, China.
| | - Jian-Qiang Su
- Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1799 Jimei Road, Xiamen 361021, China
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20
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Mitchell S, Bull M, Muscatello G, Chapman B, Coleman NV. The equine hindgut as a reservoir of mobile genetic elements and antimicrobial resistance genes. Crit Rev Microbiol 2021; 47:543-561. [PMID: 33899656 DOI: 10.1080/1040841x.2021.1907301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Antibiotic resistance in bacterial pathogens is a growing problem for both human and veterinary medicine. Mobile genetic elements (MGEs) such as plasmids, transposons, and integrons enable the spread of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) among bacteria, and the overuse of antibiotics drives this process by providing the selection pressure for resistance genes to establish and persist in bacterial populations. Because bacteria, MGEs, and resistance genes can readily spread between different ecological compartments (e.g. soil, plants, animals, humans, wastewater), a "One Health" approach is needed to combat this problem. The equine hindgut is an understudied but potentially significant reservoir of ARGs and MGEs, since horses have close contact with humans, their manure is used in agriculture, they have a dense microbiome of both bacteria and fungi, and many antimicrobials used for equine treatment are also used in human medicine. Here, we collate information to date about resistance genes, plasmids, and class 1 integrons from equine-derived bacteria, we discuss why the equine hindgut deserves increased attention as a potential reservoir of ARGs, and we suggest ways to minimize the selection for ARGs in horses, in order to prevent their spread to the wider community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott Mitchell
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | | | - Gary Muscatello
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | | | - Nicholas V Coleman
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
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21
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Jong MC, Harwood CR, Blackburn A, Snape JR, Graham DW. Impact of Redox Conditions on Antibiotic Resistance Conjugative Gene Transfer Frequency and Plasmid Fate in Wastewater Ecosystems. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2020; 54:14984-14993. [PMID: 33191749 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.0c03714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Wastewater is a common pathway for the spread of antibiotic resistance (AR) genes and bacteria into the environment. Biological treatment can mitigate this path, but horizontal gene transfer (HGT) between bacteria also occurs in such processes, although the influence of bioreactor habitat and ecology on HGT frequency is not well understood. Here, we quantified how oxidation-reduction (redox) conditions impact the fate of a Green fluorescent protein (Gfp)-tagged AR plasmid (pRP4-gfp) within an E. coli host (EcoFJ1) in the liquid phase and biofilms in bioreactors. Replicate reactors treating domestic wastewater were operated under stable aerobic (+195 ± 25 mV), anoxic (-15 ± 50 mV), and anaerobic (-195 ± 15 mV) conditions, and flow cytometry and selective plating were used to quantify donor strain, EcoFJ1(pRP4-gfp), and putative transconjugants over time. Plasmid pRP4-gfp-bearing cells disappeared rapidly in aerobic ecosystems (∼2.0 log reduction after 72 h), especially in the liquid phase. In contrast, EcoFJ1(pRP4-gfp) and putative transconjugants persisted much longer in anaerobic biofilms (∼1.0 log reduction, after 72 h). Plasmid transfer frequencies were also higher under anaerobic conditions. In parallel, protozoan abundances were over 20 times higher in aerobic reactors relative to anaerobic reactors, and protozoa numbers significantly inversely correlated with pRP4-gfp signals across all reactors (p < 0.05). Taken together, observed HGT frequency and plasmid retention are impacted by habitat conditions and trophic effects, especially oxygen conditions and apparent predation. New aerobic bioreactor designs are needed, ideally employing passive aeration to save energy, to minimize resistance HGT in biological wastewater treatment processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mui-Choo Jong
- School of Engineering, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, United Kingdom
| | - Colin R Harwood
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 42X, United Kingdom
| | - Adrian Blackburn
- School of Engineering, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, United Kingdom
| | - Jason R Snape
- School of Engineering, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, United Kingdom
- School of Life Sciences, The University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, United Kingdom
| | - David W Graham
- School of Engineering, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, United Kingdom
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22
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Saak CC, Dinh CB, Dutton RJ. Experimental approaches to tracking mobile genetic elements in microbial communities. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2020; 44:606-630. [PMID: 32672812 PMCID: PMC7476777 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuaa025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2020] [Accepted: 06/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Horizontal gene transfer is an important mechanism of microbial evolution and is often driven by the movement of mobile genetic elements between cells. Due to the fact that microbes live within communities, various mechanisms of horizontal gene transfer and types of mobile elements can co-occur. However, the ways in which horizontal gene transfer impacts and is impacted by communities containing diverse mobile elements has been challenging to address. Thus, the field would benefit from incorporating community-level information and novel approaches alongside existing methods. Emerging technologies for tracking mobile elements and assigning them to host organisms provide promise for understanding the web of potential DNA transfers in diverse microbial communities more comprehensively. Compared to existing experimental approaches, chromosome conformation capture and methylome analyses have the potential to simultaneously study various types of mobile elements and their associated hosts. We also briefly discuss how fermented food microbiomes, given their experimental tractability and moderate species complexity, make ideal models to which to apply the techniques discussed herein and how they can be used to address outstanding questions in the field of horizontal gene transfer in microbial communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina C Saak
- Division of Biological Sciences, Section of Molecular Biology, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Cong B Dinh
- Division of Biological Sciences, Section of Molecular Biology, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Rachel J Dutton
- Division of Biological Sciences, Section of Molecular Biology, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
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23
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Li B, Qiu Y, Song Y, Lin H, Yin H. Dissecting horizontal and vertical gene transfer of antibiotic resistance plasmid in bacterial community using microfluidics. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2019; 131:105007. [PMID: 31326825 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2019.105007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2019] [Revised: 06/18/2019] [Accepted: 07/09/2019] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
The spread of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) has become an emerging threat to the global health. Although horizontal gene transfer (HGT) is regarded as one of the major pathways, more evidence has shown the significant involvement of vertical gene transfer (VGT). However, traditional cultivation-based methods cannot distinguish HGT and VGT, resulting in often contradictory conclusions. Here, single-cell microfluidics with time-lapse imaging has been successfully employed to dissect the contribution of plasmid-mediated HGT and VGT to ARG transmission in an environmental community. Using Escherichia coli with an ARG-coded plasmid pKJK5 with trimethoprim resistance as the donor, we quantified the effects of three representative antibiotics (trimethoprim, tetracycline and amoxicillin) on the ARG transfer process in an activated sludge bacterial community. It was found that HGT was influenced by the inhibitory mechanism of an antibiotic and its targets (donor, recipient alone or together), whereas VGT contributes significantly to the formation of transconjugants and consequently ARG spreading. Trimethoprim is highly resisted by the donor and transconjugants, and its presence significantly increased both the HGT and VGT rates. Although tetracycline and amoxicillin both inhibit the donor, they showed different effects on HGT rate as a result of different inhibitory mechanisms. Furthermore, we show the kinetics of HGT in a community can be described using an epidemic infection model, which in combination with quantitative measure of HGT and VGT on chip provides a promising tool to study and predict the dynamics of ARG spread in real-world communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bing Li
- School of Energy and Environmental Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China; State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China; Division of Biomedical Engineering, School of Engineering, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8LT, UK
| | - Yong Qiu
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
| | - Yanqing Song
- Division of Biomedical Engineering, School of Engineering, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8LT, UK
| | - Hai Lin
- School of Energy and Environmental Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Huabing Yin
- Division of Biomedical Engineering, School of Engineering, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8LT, UK.
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24
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Bürgmann H, Frigon D, H Gaze W, M Manaia C, Pruden A, Singer AC, F Smets B, Zhang T. Water and sanitation: an essential battlefront in the war on antimicrobial resistance. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2019; 94:5033400. [PMID: 29878227 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiy101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2017] [Accepted: 05/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Water and sanitation represent a key battlefront in combatting the spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Basic water sanitation infrastructure is an essential first step towards protecting public health, thereby limiting the spread of pathogens and the need for antibiotics. AMR presents unique human health risks, meriting new risk assessment frameworks specifically adapted to water and sanitation-borne AMR. There are numerous exposure routes to AMR originating from human waste, each of which must be quantified for its relative risk to human health. Wastewater treatment plants play a vital role in centralized collection and treatment of human sewage, but there are numerous unresolved issues in terms of the microbial ecological processes occurring within them and the extent to which they attenuate or amplify AMR. Research is needed to advance understanding of the fate of resistant bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes in various waste management systems, depending on the local constraints and intended reuse applications. World Health Organization and national AMR action plans would benefit from a more holistic 'One Water' understanding. In this article we provide a framework for research, policy, practice and public engagement aimed at limiting the spread of AMR from water and sanitation in low-, medium- and high-income countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helmut Bürgmann
- Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Seestrasse 79, Kastanienbaum, 6047, Switzerland
| | - Dominic Frigon
- Department of Civil Engineering, McGill University, 817 Sherbrooke Street West, Room 492, Montreal, Quebec, H3A 0C3, Canada
| | - William H Gaze
- European Center for Environment and Human Health, University of Exeter Medical School, Truro, TR1 3HD, UK
| | - Célia M Manaia
- Universidade Católica Portuguesa, CBFQ- Centro de Biotecnologia e Química Fina - Laboratório Associado, Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Rua Arquiteto Robão Vital, Apartado 2511, 4202-401 Porto, Portugal
| | - Amy Pruden
- Via Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Virginia Tech, 418 Durham Hall, 1145 Perry Street, Blacksburg, Virginia, 24061, USA
| | - Andrew C Singer
- Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, NERC Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Maclean Building, Benson Lane, Wallingford, OX10 8BB, UK
| | - Barth F Smets
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Miljøvej, DK 2800 Kgs., Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Tong Zhang
- Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Environmental Biotechnology Laboratory, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
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25
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Jung CM, Carr M, Blakeney GA, Indest KJ. Enhanced plasmid-mediated bioaugmentation of RDX-contaminated matrices in column studies using donor strain Gordonia sp. KTR9. J Ind Microbiol Biotechnol 2019; 46:1273-1281. [PMID: 31119503 DOI: 10.1007/s10295-019-02185-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2019] [Accepted: 04/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) is the lateral movement of genetic material between organisms. The RDX explosive-degrading bacterium Gordonia sp. KTR9 has been shown previously to transfer the pGKT2 plasmid containing the RDX degradative genes (xplAB) by HGT. Overall, fitness costs to the transconjugants to maintain pGKT2 was determined through growth and survivability assessments. Rhodococcus jostii RHA1 transconjugants demonstrated a fitness cost while other strains showed minimal cost. Biogeochemical parameters that stimulate HGT of pGKT2 were evaluated in soil slurry mating experiments and the absence of nitrogen was found to increase HGT events three orders of magnitude. Experiments evaluating RDX degradation in flow-through soil columns containing mating pairs showed 20% greater degradation than columns with only the donor KTR9 strain. Understanding the factors governing HGT will benefit bioaugmentation efforts where beneficial bacteria with transferrable traits could be used to more efficiently degrade contaminants through gene transfer to native populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carina M Jung
- Environmental Laboratory, US Army Engineer Research and Development Center, 3909 Halls Ferry Road, Vicksburg, MS, 39180, USA.
| | - Matthew Carr
- Environmental Laboratory, US Army Engineer Research and Development Center, 3909 Halls Ferry Road, Vicksburg, MS, 39180, USA
| | - G Alon Blakeney
- Environmental Laboratory, US Army Engineer Research and Development Center, 3909 Halls Ferry Road, Vicksburg, MS, 39180, USA
| | - Karl J Indest
- Environmental Laboratory, US Army Engineer Research and Development Center, 3909 Halls Ferry Road, Vicksburg, MS, 39180, USA.
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26
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Fan XT, Li H, Chen QL, Zhang YS, Ye J, Zhu YG, Su JQ. Fate of Antibiotic Resistant Pseudomonas putida and Broad Host Range Plasmid in Natural Soil Microcosms. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:194. [PMID: 30881351 PMCID: PMC6407330 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.00194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2018] [Accepted: 01/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasmid conjugation is one of the dominant mechanisms of horizontal gene transfer, playing a noticeable role in the rapid spread of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). Broad host range plasmids are known to transfer to diverse bacteria in extracted soil bacterial communities when evaluated by filter mating incubation. However, the persistence and dissemination of broad range plasmid in natural soil has not been well studied. In this study, Pseudomonas putida with a conjugative antibiotic resistance plasmid RP4 was inoculated into a soil microcosm, the fate and persistence of P. putida and RP4 were monitored by quantitative PCR. The concentrations of P. putida and RP4 both rapidly decreased within 15-day incubation. P. putida then decayed at a significantly lower rate during subsequent incubation, however, no further decay of RP4 was observed, resulting in an elevated RP4/P. putida ratio (up to 10) after 75-day incubation, which implied potential transfer of RP4 to soil microbiota. We further sorted RP4 recipient bacteria from the soil microcosms by fluorescence-activated cell sorting. Spread of RP4 increased during 75-day microcosm operation and was estimated at around 10-4 transconjugants per recipient at the end of incubation. Analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences of transconjugants showed that host bacteria of RP4 were affiliated to more than 15 phyla, with increased diversity and shift in the composition of host bacteria. Proteobacteria was the most dominant phylum in the transconjugant pools. Transient transfer of RP4 to some host bacteria was observed. These results emphasize the prolonged persistence of P. putida and RP4 in natural soil microcosms, and highlight the potential risks of increased spread potential of plasmid and broader range of host bacteria in disseminating ARGs in soil.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Ting Fan
- Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Hu Li
- Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen, China
| | - Qing-Lin Chen
- Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen, China
| | - Yu-Sen Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jun Ye
- Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen, China
| | - Yong-Guan Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jian-Qiang Su
- Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen, China
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27
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Qiu Y, Zhang J, Li B, Wen X, Liang P, Huang X. A novel microfluidic system enables visualization and analysis of antibiotic resistance gene transfer to activated sludge bacteria in biofilm. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2018; 642:582-590. [PMID: 29909325 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.06.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2018] [Revised: 06/01/2018] [Accepted: 06/02/2018] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in environment have become a growing public concern, due to their potential to be obtained by pathogens and their duplication along cell division. Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) was reported to be responsible for ARGs dissemination in microbes, but the HGT feature in environmental biofilm was still unclear due to insufficient assay tools. To address this challenge, we applied a novel microfluidic system to cultivate thin biofilm by continuous supply of nutrients and close contact between cells. Resembling the living state of biofilm in open environment, this chip visualized the transfer of ARG-encoded plasmids RP4 and pKJK5 to the receptors, e.g., activated sludge bacteria. The average plasmid transfer frequency per receptor (T/R) from RP4-hosted Pseudomonas putida KT2440 to activated sludge bacteria was quantified to be 2.5 × 10-3 via flow cytometry, and T/R for pKJK5-hosted Escherichia coli MG1655 was 8.9 × 10-3, while the corresponding average frequencies per donor (T/D) were diverse for the two host strains as 4.3 × 10-3 and 1.4 × 10-1 respectively. The difference between T/R and T/D was explained by the plasmid transfer kinetics, implying specific purposes of the two calculations. Finally, we collected the transconjugants by fluorescent activated cell sorting and further sequenced their 16S rDNA. Bacteria from phyla Proteobacteria and Firmicutes were found more susceptible to be transconjugants than those from Bacteroidetes. Our work demonstrated that microfluidic system was advantageous in biofilm HGT study, which can provide more insights into environmental ARG control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Qiu
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Jing Zhang
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Bing Li
- School of Energy and Environmental Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China.
| | - Xianghua Wen
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Peng Liang
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
| | - Xia Huang
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
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28
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Li B, Qiu Y, Zhang J, Huang X, Shi H, Yin H. Real-Time Study of Rapid Spread of Antibiotic Resistance Plasmid in Biofilm Using Microfluidics. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2018; 52:11132-11141. [PMID: 30179497 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.8b03281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Gene transfer in biofilms is known to play an important role in antibiotic resistance dissemination. However, the process remains poorly understood. In this study, microfluidics with time-lapse imaging was used for real-time monitoring of plasmid-mediated horizontal gene transfer (HGT) in biofilms. Pseudomonas putida KT2440 harboring an antibiotic resistance plasmid RP4 was chosen as the donor while Escherichia coli and activated sludge bacteria were used as the recipient cells. Dynamic features of the transfer process, including the transfer rate, cell growth rate and kinetic changes of the transfer frequency, were determined. It was found that the routes for gene transfer strongly depend on the structure and composition of a biofilm. While intraspecies HGT is essential to initiate a transfer event, the secondary retransfer from transconjugants to the same species is more efficient and can cause cascading gene spread in single-strain biofilms. For the activated sludge biofilm, only small and scattered colonies formed and vertical gene transfer appears to be the dominant route after initial intraspecies transfer. Furthermore, more than 46% of genera in the activated sludge were permissive to plasmid RP4, many of which are associated with human pathogens. These phenomena imply early prevention and interruptions to biofilm structure could provide an effect way to inhibit rapid antibiotic resistance gene spread and reduce the likelihood of catastrophic events associated with antibiotic resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bing Li
- School of Energy and Environmental Engineering , University of Science and Technology Beijing , Beijing , 100083 , China
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment , Tsinghua University , Beijing 100084 , P. R. China
- Division of Biomedical Engineering, School of Engineering, University of Glasgow , Glasgow , G12 8LT , U.K
| | - Yong Qiu
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment , Tsinghua University , Beijing 100084 , P. R. China
| | - Jing Zhang
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment , Tsinghua University , Beijing 100084 , P. R. China
| | - Xia Huang
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment , Tsinghua University , Beijing 100084 , P. R. China
| | - Hanchang Shi
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment , Tsinghua University , Beijing 100084 , P. R. China
| | - Huabing Yin
- Division of Biomedical Engineering, School of Engineering, University of Glasgow , Glasgow , G12 8LT , U.K
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29
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Pinilla-Redondo R, Cyriaque V, Jacquiod S, Sørensen SJ, Riber L. Monitoring plasmid-mediated horizontal gene transfer in microbiomes: recent advances and future perspectives. Plasmid 2018; 99:56-67. [PMID: 30086339 DOI: 10.1016/j.plasmid.2018.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2018] [Revised: 07/31/2018] [Accepted: 08/01/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
The emergence of antimicrobial resistant bacteria constitutes an increasing global health concern. Although it is well recognized that the cornerstone underlying this phenomenon is the dissemination of antimicrobial resistance via plasmids and other mobile genetic elements, the antimicrobial resistance transfer routes remain largely uncharted. In this review, we describe different methods for assessing the transfer frequency and host ranges of plasmids within complex microbiomes. The discussion is centered around the critical evaluation of recent advances for monitoring the fate of fluorescently tagged plasmids in bacterial communities through the coupling of fluorescence activated cell sorting and next generation sequencing techniques. We argue that this approach constitutes an exceptional tool for obtaining quantitative data regarding the extent of plasmid transfer, key disseminating taxa, and possible propagation routes. The integration of this information will provide valuable insights on how to develop alternative avenues for fighting the rise of antimicrobial resistant pathogens, as well as the means for constructing more comprehensive risk assessment models.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Valentine Cyriaque
- Proteomics and Microbiology Lab, Research Institute for Biosciences, UMONS, Mons, Belgium
| | | | - Søren J Sørensen
- Section of Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Leise Riber
- Section for Functional Genomics, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
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30
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Alkorta I, Epelde L, Garbisu C. Environmental parameters altered by climate change affect the activity of soil microorganisms involved in bioremediation. FEMS Microbiol Lett 2018; 364:4159367. [PMID: 28961781 DOI: 10.1093/femsle/fnx200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2017] [Accepted: 09/14/2017] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Bioremediation, based on the use of microorganisms to break down pollutants, can be very effective at reducing soil pollution. But the climate change we are now experiencing is bound to have an impact on bioremediation performance, since the activity and degrading abilities of soil microorganisms are dependent on a series of environmental parameters that are themselves being altered by climate change, such as soil temperature, moisture, amount of root exudates, etc. Many climate-induced effects on soil microorganisms occur indirectly through changes in plant growth and physiology derived from increased atmospheric CO2 concentrations and temperatures, the alteration of precipitation patterns, etc., with a concomitant effect on rhizoremediation performance (i.e. the plant-assisted microbial degradation of pollutants in the rhizosphere). But these effects are extremely complex and mediated by processes such as acclimation and adaptation. Besides, soil microorganisms form complex networks of interactions with a myriad of organisms from many taxonomic groups that will also be affected by climate change, further complicating data interpretation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Itziar Alkorta
- Instituto BIOFISIKA (UPV/EHU-CSIC), Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of the Basque Country, PO Box 644, 48080 Bilbao, Spain
| | - Lur Epelde
- Department of Conservation of Natural Resources, Soil Microbial Ecology Group, NEIKER-Tecnalia, Berreaga 1, 48160 Derio, Spain
| | - Carlos Garbisu
- Department of Conservation of Natural Resources, Soil Microbial Ecology Group, NEIKER-Tecnalia, Berreaga 1, 48160 Derio, Spain
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31
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Pinilla-Redondo R, Riber L, Sørensen SJ. Fluorescence Recovery Allows the Implementation of a Fluorescence Reporter Gene Platform Applicable for the Detection and Quantification of Horizontal Gene Transfer in Anoxic Environments. Appl Environ Microbiol 2018; 84:e02507-17. [PMID: 29330182 PMCID: PMC5835726 DOI: 10.1128/aem.02507-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2017] [Accepted: 12/20/2017] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The study of horizontal gene transfer (HGT) in microbial communities has been revolutionized by significant advances in cultivation-independent methods based on fluorescence reporter gene technologies. Recently, the combination of these novel approaches with flow cytometry has presented itself as one of the most powerful tools to study the spread of mobile genetic elements (MGEs) in the environment. However, the use of fluorescent markers, like green fluorescent protein (GFP) and mCherry, is limited by environmental constraints, such as oxygen availability and pH levels, that affect the correct maturation of their fluorophores. Few studies have characterized the effects of such environmental conditions in a systematic way, and the sheer amount of distinct protein variants requires each system to be examined in an individual fashion. The lack of efficient and reliable markers to monitor HGT in anaerobic environments, coupled to the abundance of ecologically and clinically relevant oxygen-deprived niches in which bacteria thrive, calls for the urgent development of suitable tools that permit its study. In an attempt to devise a process that allows the implementation of the mentioned dual-labeling system to anoxic milieus, the aerobic fluorescence recovery of mCherry and GFPmut3, as well as the effect of pH on their fluorescence intensities, was studied. The findings present a solution to an intrinsic problem that has long hampered the utilization of this system, highlight its pH limitations, and provide experimental tools that will help broaden its horizon of application to other fields.IMPORTANCE Many anaerobic environments, like the gastrointestinal tract, anaerobic digesters, and the interiors of dense biofilms, have been shown to be hotspots for horizontal gene transfer (HGT). Despite the increasing wealth of reports warning about the alarming spread of antibiotic resistance determinants, to date, HGT studies mainly rely on cultivation-based methods. Unfortunately, the relevance of these studies is often questionable, as only a minor fraction of bacteria can be cultivated. A recently developed approach to monitoring the fate of plasmids in microbial communities is based on a fluorescence dual-labeling system and allows the bypassing of cultivation. However, the fluorescent proteins on which it is founded are constrained by pH levels and by their strict dependence on oxygen for the maturation of their fluorophores. This study focused on the development and validation of an appropriate aerobic fluorescence recovery (AFR) method for this platform, as this embodies the missing technical link impeding its implementation in anoxic environments.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Leise Riber
- Section of Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Søren J Sørensen
- Section of Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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32
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Garbisu C, Garaiyurrebaso O, Epelde L, Grohmann E, Alkorta I. Plasmid-Mediated Bioaugmentation for the Bioremediation of Contaminated Soils. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:1966. [PMID: 29062312 PMCID: PMC5640721 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.01966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2017] [Accepted: 09/25/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Bioaugmentation, or the inoculation of microorganisms (e.g., bacteria harboring the required catabolic genes) into soil to enhance the rate of contaminant degradation, has great potential for the bioremediation of soils contaminated with organic compounds. Regrettably, cell bioaugmentation frequently turns into an unsuccessful initiative, owing to the rapid decrease of bacterial viability and abundance after inoculation, as well as the limited dispersal of the inoculated bacteria in the soil matrix. Genes that encode the degradation of organic compounds are often located on plasmids and, consequently, they can be spread by horizontal gene transfer into well-established, ecologically competitive, indigenous bacterial populations. Plasmid-mediated bioaugmentation aims to stimulate the spread of contaminant degradation genes among indigenous soil bacteria by the introduction of plasmids, located in donor cells, harboring such genes. But the acquisition of plasmids by recipient cells can affect the host’s fitness, a crucial aspect for the success of plasmid-mediated bioaugmentation. Besides, environmental factors (e.g., soil moisture, temperature, organic matter content) can play important roles for the transfer efficiency of catabolic plasmids, the expression of horizontally acquired genes and, finally, the contaminant degradation activity. For plasmid-mediated bioaugmentation to be reproducible, much more research is needed for a better selection of donor bacterial strains and accompanying plasmids, together with an in-depth understanding of indigenous soil bacterial populations and the environmental conditions that affect plasmid acquisition and the expression and functioning of the catabolic genes of interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Garbisu
- Soil Microbial Ecology Group, Department of Conservation of Natural Resources, Neiker Tecnalia, Derio, Spain
| | - Olatz Garaiyurrebaso
- Instituto Biofisika (UPV/EHU, CSIC), Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of the Basque Country, Bilbao, Spain
| | - Lur Epelde
- Soil Microbial Ecology Group, Department of Conservation of Natural Resources, Neiker Tecnalia, Derio, Spain
| | | | - Itziar Alkorta
- Soil Microbial Ecology Group, Department of Conservation of Natural Resources, Neiker Tecnalia, Derio, Spain
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Metal stressors consistently modulate bacterial conjugal plasmid uptake potential in a phylogenetically conserved manner. ISME JOURNAL 2016; 11:152-165. [PMID: 27482924 DOI: 10.1038/ismej.2016.98] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2016] [Revised: 05/30/2016] [Accepted: 06/07/2016] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
The environmental stimulants and inhibitors of conjugal plasmid transfer in microbial communities are poorly understood. Specifically, it is not known whether exposure to stressors may cause a community to alter its plasmid uptake ability. We assessed whether metals (Cu, Cd, Ni, Zn) and one metalloid (As), at concentrations causing partial growth inhibition, modulate community permissiveness (that is, uptake ability) against a broad-host-range IncP-type plasmid (pKJK5). Cells were extracted from an agricultural soil as recipient community and a cultivation-minimal filter mating assay was conducted with an exogenous E. coli donor strain. The donor hosted a gfp-tagged pKJK5 derivative from which conjugation events could be microscopically quantified and transconjugants isolated and phylogenetically described at high resolution via FACS and 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. Metal stress consistently decreased plasmid transfer frequencies to the community, while the transconjugal pool richness remained unaffected with OTUs belonging to 12 bacterial phyla. The taxonomic composition of the transconjugal pools was distinct from their respective recipient communities and clustered dependent on the stress type and dose. However, for certain OTUs, stress increased or decreased permissiveness by more than 1000-fold and this response was typically correlated across different metals and doses. The response to some stresses was, in addition, phylogenetically conserved. This is the first demonstration that community permissiveness is sensitive to metal(loid) stress in a manner that is both partially consistent across stressors and phylogenetically conserved.
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Abstract
Plasmids are important vehicles for rapid adaptation of bacterial populations to changing environmental conditions. It is thought that to reduce the cost of plasmid carriage, only a fraction of a local population carries plasmids or is permissive to plasmid uptake. Plasmids provide various accessory traits which might be beneficial under particular conditions. The genetic variation generated by plasmid carriage within populations ensures the robustness toward environmental changes. Plasmid-mediated gene transfer plays an important role not only in the mobilization and dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes but also in the spread of degradative pathways and pathogenicity determinants of pathogens. Here we summarize the state-of-the-art methods to study the occurrence, abundance, and diversity of plasmids in environmental bacteria. Increasingly, cultivation-independent total-community DNA-based methods are being used to characterize and quantify the diversity and abundance of plasmids in relation to various biotic and abiotic factors. An improved understanding of the ecology of plasmids and their hosts is crucial in the development of intervention strategies for antibiotic-resistance-gene spread. We discuss the potentials and limitations of methods used to determine the host range of plasmids, as the ecology of plasmids is tightly linked to their hosts. The recent advances in sequencing technologies provide an enormous potential for plasmid classification, diversity, and evolution studies, but numerous challenges still exist.
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Franklin AM, Aga DS, Cytryn E, Durso LM, McLain JE, Pruden A, Roberts MC, Rothrock MJ, Snow DD, Watson JE, Dungan RS. Antibiotics in Agroecosystems: Introduction to the Special Section. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY 2016; 45:377-93. [PMID: 27065385 DOI: 10.2134/jeq2016.01.0023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
The presence of antibiotic drug residues, antibiotic resistant bacteria, and antibiotic resistance genes in agroecosystems has become a significant area of research in recent years and is a growing public health concern. While antibiotics are used in both human medicine and agricultural practices, the majority of their use occurs in animal production where historically they have been used for growth promotion, in addition to the prevention and treatment of disease. The widespread use of antibiotics and the application of animal wastes to agricultural lands play major roles in the introduction of antibiotic-related contamination into the environment. Overt toxicity in organisms directly exposed to antibiotics in agroecosystems is typically not a major concern because environmental concentrations are generally lower than therapeutic doses. However, the impacts of introducing antibiotic contaminants into the environment are unknown, and concerns have been raised about the health of humans, animals, and ecosystems. Despite increased research focused on the occurrence and fate of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance over the past decade, standard methods and practices for analyzing environmental samples are limited and future research needs are becoming evident. To highlight and address these issues in detail, this special collection of papers was developed with a framework of five core review papers that address the (i) overall state of science of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance in agroecosystems using a causal model, (ii) chemical analysis of antibiotics found in the environment, (iii) need for background and baseline data for studies of antibiotic resistance in agroecosystems with a decision-making tool to assist in designing research studies, as well as (iv) culture- and (v) molecular-based methods for analyzing antibiotic resistance in the environment. With a focus on the core review papers, this introduction summarizes the current state of science for analyzing antibiotics and antibiotic resistance in agroecosystems, discusses current knowledge gaps, and develops future research priorities. This introduction also contains a glossary of terms used in the core reivew papers of this special section. The purpose of the glossary is to provide a common terminology that clearly characterizes the concepts shared throughout the narratives of each review paper.
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Luby E, Ibekwe AM, Zilles J, Pruden A. Molecular Methods for Assessment of Antibiotic Resistance in Agricultural Ecosystems: Prospects and Challenges. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY 2016; 45:441-453. [PMID: 27065390 DOI: 10.2134/jeq2015.07.0367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Agricultural ecosystems are of special interest for monitoring the potential for antibiotic resistance to spread through the environment and contribute to human exposure. Molecular methods, which target DNA, RNA, and other molecular components of bacterial cells, present certain advantages for characterizing and quantifying markers of antibiotic resistance and their horizontal gene transfer. These include rapid, unambiguous detection of targets; consistent results; and avoidance of culture bias. However, molecular methods are also subject to limitations that are not always clearly addressed or taken into consideration in the interpretation of scientific data. In particular, DNA-based methods do not directly assess viability or presence within an intact bacterial host, but such information may be inferred based on appropriate experimental design or in concert with complementary methods. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of existing molecular methods for tracking antibiotic resistance in agricultural ecosystems, to define their strengths and weaknesses, and to recommend a path forward for future applications of molecular methods and standardized reporting in the literature. This will guide research along the farm-to-fork continuum and support comparability of the growing number of studies in the literature in a manner that informs management decisions and policy development.
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Dealtry S, Nour EH, Holmsgaard PN, Ding GC, Weichelt V, Dunon V, Heuer H, Hansen LH, Sørensen SJ, Springael D, Smalla K. Exploring the complex response to linuron of bacterial communities from biopurification systems by means of cultivation-independent methods. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2015; 92:fiv157. [DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiv157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/03/2015] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
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Tejerizo GT, Bañuelos LA, Cervantes L, Gaytán P, Pistorio M, Romero D, Brom S. Development of molecular tools to monitor conjugative transfer in rhizobia. J Microbiol Methods 2015; 117:155-63. [PMID: 26272377 DOI: 10.1016/j.mimet.2015.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2015] [Revised: 08/05/2015] [Accepted: 08/06/2015] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Evolution of bacterial populations has been extensively driven by horizontal transfer events. Conjugative plasmid transfer is considered the principal contributor to gene exchange among bacteria. Several conjugative and mobilizable plasmids have been identified in rhizobia, and two major molecular mechanisms that regulate their transfer have been described, under laboratory conditions. The knowledge of rhizobial plasmid transfer regulation in natural environments is very poor. In this work we developed molecular tools to easily monitor the conjugative plasmid transfer in rhizobia by flow cytometry (FC) or microscopy. 24 cassettes were constructed by combining a variety of promotors, fluorescent proteins and antibiotic resistance genes, and used to tag plasmids and chromosome of donor strains. We were able to detect plasmid transfer after conversion of non-fluorescent recipients into fluorescent transconjugants. Flow cytometry (FC) was optimized to count donor, recipient and transconjugant strains to determine conjugative transfer frequencies. Results were similar, when determined either by FC or by viable counts. Our constructions also allowed the visualization of transconjugants in crosses performed on bean roots. The tools presented here may also be used for other purposes, such as analysis of transcriptional fusions or single-cell tagging. Application of the system will allow the survey of how different environmental conditions or other regulators modulate plasmid transfer in rhizobia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gonzalo Torres Tejerizo
- Instituto de Biotecnología y Biología Molecular, CCT-La Plata-CONICET, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, La Plata, Argentina.
| | - Luis Alfredo Bañuelos
- Programa de Ingeniería Genómica, Centro de Ciencias Genómicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Av. Universidad 1001, Col. Chamilpa, 62210 Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
| | - Laura Cervantes
- Programa de Ingeniería Genómica, Centro de Ciencias Genómicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Av. Universidad 1001, Col. Chamilpa, 62210 Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
| | - Paul Gaytán
- Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Av. Universidad 1001, Col. Chamilpa, 62210 Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
| | - Mariano Pistorio
- Instituto de Biotecnología y Biología Molecular, CCT-La Plata-CONICET, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, La Plata, Argentina
| | - David Romero
- Programa de Ingeniería Genómica, Centro de Ciencias Genómicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Av. Universidad 1001, Col. Chamilpa, 62210 Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
| | - Susana Brom
- Programa de Ingeniería Genómica, Centro de Ciencias Genómicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Av. Universidad 1001, Col. Chamilpa, 62210 Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
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Shintani M, Sanchez ZK, Kimbara K. Genomics of microbial plasmids: classification and identification based on replication and transfer systems and host taxonomy. Front Microbiol 2015; 6:242. [PMID: 25873913 PMCID: PMC4379921 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2015.00242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 213] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2014] [Accepted: 03/12/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasmids are important "vehicles" for the communication of genetic information between bacteria. The exchange of plasmids transmits pathogenically and environmentally relevant traits to the host bacteria, promoting their rapid evolution and adaptation to various environments. Over the past six decades, a large number of plasmids have been identified and isolated from different microbes. With the revolution of sequencing technology, more than 4600 complete sequences of plasmids found in bacteria, archaea, and eukaryotes have been determined. The classification of a wide variety of plasmids is not only important to understand their features, host ranges, and microbial evolution but is also necessary to effectively use them as genetic tools for microbial engineering. This review summarizes the current situation of the classification of fully sequenced plasmids based on their host taxonomy and their features of replication and conjugative transfer. The majority of the fully sequenced plasmids are found in bacteria in the Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Spirochaetes, Actinobacteria, Cyanobacteria and Euryarcheota phyla, and key features of each phylum are included. Recent advances in the identification of novel types of plasmids and plasmid transfer by culture-independent methods using samples from natural environments are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masaki Shintani
- Department of Applied Chemistry and Biochemical Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Shizuoka University Shizuoka, Japan ; Department of Bioscience, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Shizuoka University Shizuoka, Japan
| | - Zoe K Sanchez
- Department of Applied Chemistry and Biochemical Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Shizuoka University Shizuoka, Japan
| | - Kazuhide Kimbara
- Department of Applied Chemistry and Biochemical Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Shizuoka University Shizuoka, Japan
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Broad host range plasmids can invade an unexpectedly diverse fraction of a soil bacterial community. ISME JOURNAL 2015; 9:934-45. [PMID: 25333461 DOI: 10.1038/ismej.2014.191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 247] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2014] [Revised: 08/17/2014] [Accepted: 08/21/2014] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Conjugal plasmids can provide microbes with full complements of new genes and constitute potent vehicles for horizontal gene transfer. Conjugal plasmid transfer is deemed responsible for the rapid spread of antibiotic resistance among microbes. While broad host range plasmids are known to transfer to diverse hosts in pure culture, the extent of their ability to transfer in the complex bacterial communities present in most habitats has not been comprehensively studied. Here, we isolated and characterized transconjugants with a degree of sensitivity not previously realized to investigate the transfer range of IncP- and IncPromA-type broad host range plasmids from three proteobacterial donors to a soil bacterial community. We identified transfer to many different recipients belonging to 11 different bacterial phyla. The prevalence of transconjugants belonging to diverse Gram-positive Firmicutes and Actinobacteria suggests that inter-Gram plasmid transfer of IncP-1 and IncPromA-type plasmids is a frequent phenomenon. While the plasmid receiving fractions of the community were both plasmid- and donor- dependent, we identified a core super-permissive fraction that could take up different plasmids from diverse donor strains. This fraction, comprising 80% of the identified transconjugants, thus has the potential to dominate IncP- and IncPromA-type plasmid transfer in soil. Our results demonstrate that these broad host range plasmids have a hitherto unrecognized potential to transfer readily to very diverse bacteria and can, therefore, directly connect large proportions of the soil bacterial gene pool. This finding reinforces the evolutionary and medical significances of these plasmids.
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Klümper U, Droumpali A, Dechesne A, Smets BF. Novel assay to measure the plasmid mobilizing potential of mixed microbial communities. Front Microbiol 2014; 5:730. [PMID: 25566238 PMCID: PMC4273639 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2014.00730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2014] [Accepted: 12/04/2014] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Mobilizable plasmids lack necessary genes for complete conjugation and are therefore non-self-transmissible. Instead, they rely on the conjugation system of conjugal plasmids to be horizontally transferred to new recipients. While community permissiveness, the fraction of a mixed microbial community that can receive self-transmissible conjugal plasmids, has been studied, the intrinsic ability of a community to mobilize plasmids that lack conjugation systems is unexplored. Here, we present a novel framework and experimental method to estimate the mobilization potential of mixed communities. We compare the transfer frequency of a mobilizable plasmid to that of a mobilizing and conjugal plasmid measured for a model strain and for the assayed community. With Pseudomonas putida carrying the gfp-tagged mobilizable IncQ plasmid RSF1010 as donor strain, we conducted solid surface mating experiments with either a P. putida strain carrying the mobilizing IncP-1α plasmid RP4 or a model bacterial community that was extracted from the inner walls of a domestic shower conduit. Additionally, we estimated the permissiveness of the same community for RP4 using P. putida as donor strain. The permissiveness of the model community for RP4 [at 1.16 × 10-4 transconjugants per recipient (T/R)] was similar to that previously measured for soil microbial communities. RSF1010 was mobilized by the model community at a frequency of 1.16 × 10-5 T/R, only one order of magnitude lower than its permissiveness to RP4. This mobilization frequency is unexpectedly high considering that (i) mobilization requires the presence of mobilizing conjugal plasmids within the permissive fraction of the recipients; (ii) in pure culture experiments with P. putida retromobilization of RSF1010 through RP4 only took place in approximately half of the donors receiving the conjugal plasmid in the first step. Further work is needed to establish how plasmid mobilization potential varies within and across microbial communities. This method has the potential to provide such insights; in addition it allows for the direct isolation of in situ mobilizing plasmids together with their endogenous hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uli Klümper
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Ariadni Droumpali
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Arnaud Dechesne
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Barth F Smets
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
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Protocol for Evaluating the Permissiveness of Bacterial Communities Toward Conjugal Plasmids by Quantification and Isolation of Transconjugants. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/8623_2014_36] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/05/2023]
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Bellanger X, Guilloteau H, Bonot S, Merlin C. Demonstrating plasmid-based horizontal gene transfer in complex environmental matrices: a practical approach for a critical review. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2014; 493:872-82. [PMID: 25000583 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014.06.070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2014] [Revised: 06/16/2014] [Accepted: 06/17/2014] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Plasmid-based dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes in environmental microbial communities is a matter of concern for public health, but it remains difficult to study for methodological reasons. In this study, we used the broad host range plasmid pB10 to compare and to point out the main drawbacks of the three different approaches currently used to evaluate plasmid transfer in natural communities. Culture-based selection of transconjugants appeared to be compromised by high prevalence of antibiotic resistances among natural communities, unless high loads of initial pB10-donor inocula were used. Fluorescence-based detection of transconjugants reached a dead-end consequently to the narrow host range of bacteria expressing fluorescent proteins from a genetically modified pB10 plasmid, in addition to the relatively high background level of fluorescence exhibited by some environmental matrices. The molecular-based approach was the only one to provide a mean to detect rare plasmid transfer events following a low but realistic initial pB10-donor inoculation. Whatever the method, culture-based or molecular-based, the detection of successful transfer events in a given environmental matrix seemed to be linked to the initial stability of the donor inoculum. Depending on the matrix considered, eukaryotic predation plays a significant role in either limiting or promoting the plasmid transfer events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xavier Bellanger
- Université de Lorraine and CNRS, LCPME, UMR 7564, 15 Avenue du Charmois, F-54500 Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, France.
| | - Hélène Guilloteau
- Université de Lorraine and CNRS, LCPME, UMR 7564, 15 Avenue du Charmois, F-54500 Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, France.
| | - Sébastien Bonot
- Université de Lorraine and CNRS, LCPME, UMR 7564, 15 Avenue du Charmois, F-54500 Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, France.
| | - Christophe Merlin
- Université de Lorraine and CNRS, LCPME, UMR 7564, 15 Avenue du Charmois, F-54500 Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, France.
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Musovic S, Klümper U, Dechesne A, Magid J, Smets BF. Long-term manure exposure increases soil bacterial community potential for plasmid uptake. ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY REPORTS 2014; 6:125-30. [PMID: 24596284 DOI: 10.1111/1758-2229.12138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2013] [Revised: 10/21/2013] [Accepted: 11/05/2013] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Microbial communities derived from soils subject to different agronomic treatments were challenged with three broad host range plasmids, RP4, pIPO2tet and pRO101, via solid surface filter matings to assess their permissiveness. Approximately 1 in 10 000 soil bacterial cells could receive and maintain the plasmids. The community permissiveness increased up to 100% in communities derived from manured soil. While the plasmid transfer frequency was significantly influenced by both the type of plasmid and the agronomic treatment, the diversity of the transconjugal pools was purely plasmid dependent and was dominated by β- and γ-Proteobacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanin Musovic
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
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Single-cell analyses revealed transfer ranges of IncP-1, IncP-7, and IncP-9 plasmids in a soil bacterial community. Appl Environ Microbiol 2013; 80:138-45. [PMID: 24141122 DOI: 10.1128/aem.02571-13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The conjugative transfer ranges of three different plasmids of the incompatibility groups IncP-1 (pBP136), IncP-7 (pCAR1), and IncP-9 (NAH7) were investigated in soil bacterial communities by culture-dependent and culture-independent methods. Pseudomonas putida, a donor of each plasmid, was mated with soil bacteria, and green fluorescent protein (GFP), encoded on the plasmid, was used as a reporter protein for successful transfer. GFP-expressing transconjugants were detected and separated at the single-cell level by flow cytometry. Each cell was then analyzed by PCR and sequencing of its 16S rRNA gene following either whole-genome amplification or cultivation. A large number of bacteria within the phylum Proteobacteria was identified as transconjugants for pBP136 by both culture-dependent and culture-independent methods. Transconjugants belonging to the phyla Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Firmicutes were detected only by the culture-independent method. Members of the genus Pseudomonas (class Gammaproteobacteria) were identified as major transconjugants of pCAR1 and NAH7 by both methods, whereas Delftia species (class Betaproteobacteria) were detected only by the culture-independent method. The transconjugants represented a minority of the soil bacteria. Although pCAR1-containing Delftia strains could not be cultivated after a one-to-one filter mating assay between the donor and cultivable Delftia strains as recipients, fluorescence in situ hybridization detected pCAR1-containing Delftia cells, suggesting that Delftia was a "transient" host of pCAR1.
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Fotidis IA, Karakashev D, Angelidaki I. Bioaugmentation with an acetate-oxidising consortium as a tool to tackle ammonia inhibition of anaerobic digestion. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2013; 146:57-62. [PMID: 23916979 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2013.07.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2013] [Revised: 07/08/2013] [Accepted: 07/10/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Ammonia is the major inhibitor of anaerobic digestion (AD) process in biogas plants. In the current study, the bioaugmentation of the ammonia tolerant SAO co-culture (i.e. Clostridium ultunense spp. nov. in association with Methanoculleus spp. strain MAB1) in a mesophilic up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor subjected to high ammonia loads was tested. The co-cultivation in fed-batch reactors of a fast-growing hydrogenotrophic methanogen (i.e. Methanoculleus bourgensis MS2(T)) with the SAO co-culture was also investigated. Results demonstrated that bioaugmentation of SAO co-culture in a UASB reactor was not possible most likely due to the slow maximum growth rate (μmax=0.007 h(-1)) of the culture caused by the methanogenic partner. The addition of M. bourgensis to SAO led to 42% higher growth rate (μmax=0.01 h(-1)) in fed-batch reactors. This indicates that methanogens were the slowest partners of the SAO co-culture and therefore were the limiting factor during bioaugmentation in the UASB reactor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ioannis A Fotidis
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Building 113, DK-2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Dimitar Karakashev
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Building 113, DK-2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Irini Angelidaki
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Building 113, DK-2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark.
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Rizzo L, Manaia C, Merlin C, Schwartz T, Dagot C, Ploy MC, Michael I, Fatta-Kassinos D. Urban wastewater treatment plants as hotspots for antibiotic resistant bacteria and genes spread into the environment: a review. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2013; 447:345-60. [PMID: 23396083 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.01.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1258] [Impact Index Per Article: 114.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2012] [Revised: 01/08/2013] [Accepted: 01/08/2013] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Urban wastewater treatment plants (UWTPs) are among the main sources of antibiotics' release into the environment. The occurrence of antibiotics may promote the selection of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB), which shade health risks to humans and animals. In this paper the fate of ARB and ARGs in UWTPs, focusing on different processes/technologies (i.e., biological processes, advanced treatment technologies and disinfection), was critically reviewed. The mechanisms by which biological processes influence the development/selection of ARB and ARGs transfer are still poorly understood. Advanced treatment technologies and disinfection process are regarded as a major tool to control the spread of ARB into the environment. In spite of intense efforts made over the last years to bring solutions to control antibiotic resistance spread in the environment, there are still important gaps to fill in. In particular, it is important to: (i) improve risk assessment studies in order to allow accurate estimates about the maximal abundance of ARB in UWTPs effluents that would not pose risks for human and environmental health; (ii) understand the factors and mechanisms that drive antibiotic resistance maintenance and selection in wastewater habitats. The final objective is to implement wastewater treatment technologies capable of assuring the production of UWTPs effluents with an acceptable level of ARB.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Rizzo
- Department of Civil Engineering, University of Salerno, 84084, Fisciano (SA), Italy.
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de la Cruz-Perera CI, Ren D, Blanchet M, Dendooven L, Marsch R, Sørensen SJ, Burmølle M. The ability of soil bacteria to receive the conjugative IncP1 plasmid, pKJK10, is different in a mixed community compared to single strains. FEMS Microbiol Lett 2012; 338:95-100. [PMID: 23106414 DOI: 10.1111/1574-6968.12036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2012] [Accepted: 10/25/2012] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Horizontal gene transfer by conjugation is common among bacterial populations in soil. It is well known that the host range of plasmids depends on several factors, including the identity of the plasmid host cell. In the present study, however, we demonstrate that the composition of the recipient community is also determining for the dissemination of a conjugative plasmid. We isolated 15 different bacterial strains from soil and assessed the conjugation frequencies of the IncP1 plasmid, pKJK10, by flow cytometry, from two different donors, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas putida, to either 15 different bacterial strains or to the mixed community composed of all the 15 strains. We detected transfer of pKJK10 from P. putida to Stenotrophomonas rhizophila in a diparental mating, but no transfer was observed to the mixed community. In contrast, for E. coli, transfer was observed only to the mixed community, where Ochrobactrum rhizosphaerae was identified as the dominating plasmid recipient. Our results indicate that the presence of a bacterial community impacts the plasmid permissiveness by affecting the ability of strains to receive the conjugative plasmid.
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Zhang Q, Wang B, Cao Z, Yu Y. Plasmid-mediated bioaugmentation for the degradation of chlorpyrifos in soil. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2012; 221-222:178-84. [PMID: 22560241 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2012.04.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2012] [Revised: 03/29/2012] [Accepted: 04/11/2012] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
To overcome the poor survival and low activity of the bacteria used for bioremediation, a plasmid-mediated bioaugmentation method was investigated, which could result in a persistent capacity for the degradation of chlorpyrifos in soil. The results indicate that the pDOC plasmid could transfer into soil bacteria, including members of the Pseudomonas and Staphylococcus genera. The soil bacteria acquired the ability to degrade chlorpyrifos within 5 days of the transfer of pDOC. The efficiency of the pDOC transfer in the soil, as measured by the chlorpyrifos degradation efficiency and the most probable number (MPN) of chlorpyrifos degraders, was influenced by the soil temperature, moisture level and type. The best performance for the transfer of pDOC was observed under conditions of 30°C and 60% water-holding capacity (WHC). The results presented in this paper show that the transfer of pDOC can enhance the degradation of chlorpyrifos in various soils, although the degradation efficiency did vary with the soil type. It may be concluded that the introduction of plasmids encoding enzymes that can degrade xenobiotics or donor strains harboring these plasmids is an alternative approach in bioaugmentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qun Zhang
- Institute of Pesticide and Environmental Toxicology, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, PR China
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Non-indigenous microorganisms in the Antarctic: assessing the risks. Trends Microbiol 2011; 19:540-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2011.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2011] [Revised: 07/15/2011] [Accepted: 07/28/2011] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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