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Drane K, Sheehan M, Whelan A, Ariel E, Kinobe R. The Role of Wastewater Treatment Plants in Dissemination of Antibiotic Resistance: Source, Measurement, Removal and Risk Assessment. Antibiotics (Basel) 2024; 13:668. [PMID: 39061350 PMCID: PMC11274174 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics13070668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2024] [Revised: 07/05/2024] [Accepted: 07/16/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Antibiotic Resistance Genes (ARGs) are contaminants of emerging concern with marked potential to impact public and environmental health. This review focusses on factors that influence the presence, abundance, and dissemination of ARGs within Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs) and associated effluents. Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria (ARB) and ARGs have been detected in the influent and the effluent of WWTPs worldwide. Different levels of wastewater treatment (primary, secondary, and tertiary) show different degrees of removal efficiency of ARGs, with further differences being observed when ARGs are captured as intracellular or extracellular forms. Furthermore, routinely used molecular methodologies such as quantitative polymerase chain reaction or whole genome sequencing may also vary in resistome identification and in quantifying ARG removal efficiencies from WWTP effluents. Additionally, we provide an overview of the One Health risk assessment framework, as well as future strategies on how WWTPs can be assessed for environmental and public health impact.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kezia Drane
- College of Public Health Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia;
| | - Madoc Sheehan
- College of Science, Technology, and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia;
| | - Anna Whelan
- Townsville Water and Waste, Wastewater Operations, Townsville, QLD 4810, Australia;
| | - Ellen Ariel
- College of Public Health Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia;
| | - Robert Kinobe
- College of Public Health Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia;
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2
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Aladekoyi O, Siddiqui S, Hania P, Hamza R, Gilbride K. Accumulation of antibiotics in the environment: Have appropriate measures been taken to protect Canadian human and ecological health? ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2024; 280:116513. [PMID: 38820820 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2024.116513] [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: 10/18/2023] [Revised: 05/22/2024] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/02/2024]
Abstract
In Canada, every day, contaminants of emerging concern (CEC) are discharged from waste treatment facilities into freshwaters. CECs such as pharmaceutical active compounds (PhACs), personal care products (PCPs), per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and microplastics are legally discharged from sewage treatment plants (STPs), water reclamation plants (WRPs), hospital wastewater treatment plants (HWWTPs), or other forms of wastewater treatment facilities (WWTFs). In 2006, the Government of Canada established the Chemicals Management Plan (CMP) to classify chemicals based on a risk-priority assessment, which ranked many CECs such as PhACs as being of low urgency, therefore permitting these substances to continue being released into the environment at unmonitored rates. The problem with ranking PhACs as a low priority is that CMP's risk management assessment overlooks the long-term environmental and synergistic effects of PhAC accumulation, such as the long-term risk of antibiotic CEC accumulation in the spread of antibiotic resistance genes. The goal of this review is to specifically investigate antibiotic CEC accumulation and associated environmental risks to human and environmental health, as well as to determine whether appropriate legislative strategies are in place within Canada's governance framework. In this research, secondary data on antibiotic CEC levels in Canadian and international wastewaters, their potential to promote antibiotic-resistant residues, associated environmental short- and long-term risks, and synergistic effects were all considered. Unlike similar past reviews, this review employed an interdisciplinary approach to propose new strategies from the perspectives of science, engineering, and law.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oluwatosin Aladekoyi
- Department of Chemistry and Biology, Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University), Canada
| | - Salsabil Siddiqui
- Department of Chemistry and Biology, Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University), Canada
| | - Patricia Hania
- Department of Business and Law, Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University), Canada; TMU Urban Water, Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University), Canada
| | - Rania Hamza
- Department of Civil Engineering, Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University), Canada; TMU Urban Water, Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University), Canada
| | - Kimberley Gilbride
- Department of Chemistry and Biology, Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University), Canada; TMU Urban Water, Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University), Canada.
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3
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Cao Y, Li Y, Jia L, Wang Q, Niu T, Yang Q, Wang Q, Zeng X, Wang R, Yue L. Long-term and combined heavy-metal contamination forms a unique microbiome and resistome: A case study in a Yellow River tributary sediments. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 252:118861. [PMID: 38579997 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.118861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2024] [Revised: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024]
Abstract
Microorganisms have developed mechanisms to adapt to environmental stress, but how microbial communities adapt to long-term and combined heavy-metal contamination under natural environmental conditions remains unclear. Specifically, this study analyzed the characteristics of heavy metal composition, microbial community, and heavy metal resistance genes (MRGs) in sediments along Mang River, a tributary of the Yellow River, which has been heavily polluted by industrial production for more than 40 years. The results showed that the concentrations of Cr, Zn, Pb, Cu and As in most sediments were higher than the ambient background values. Bringing the heavy metals speciation and concentration into the risk evaluation method, two-thirds of the sediment samples were at or above the moderate risk level, and the ecological risk of combined heavy metals in the sediments decreased along the river stream. The high ecological risk of heavy metals affected the microbial community structure, metabolic pathways and MRG distribution. The formation of a HM-resistant microbiome possibly occurred through the spread of insertion sequences (ISs) carrying multiple MRGs, the types of ISs carrying MRGs outnumber those of plasmids, and the quantity of MRGs on ISs is also higher than that on plasmids. These findings could improve our understanding of the adaptation mechanism of microbial communities to long-term combined heavy metal contamination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Cao
- College of Life Sciences, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, 453007, China.
| | - Yongjie Li
- College of Life Sciences, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, 453007, China.
| | - Lifen Jia
- College of Life Sciences, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, 453007, China.
| | - Qiang Wang
- College of Life Sciences, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, 453007, China.
| | - Tianqi Niu
- College of Life Sciences, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, 453007, China; School of Public Health, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453003, China.
| | - Qingxiang Yang
- College of Life Sciences, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, 453007, China; Henan International Joint Laboratory of Agricultural Microbial Ecology and Technology, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, 453007, China.
| | - Qingqing Wang
- College of Life Sciences, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, 453007, China.
| | - Xiangpeng Zeng
- College of Life Sciences, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, 453007, China.
| | - Ruifei Wang
- College of Life Sciences, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, 453007, China; Henan International Joint Laboratory of Agricultural Microbial Ecology and Technology, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, 453007, China.
| | - Lifan Yue
- Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TH, United Kingdom.
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Xie S, Hamid N, Zhang T, Zhang Z, Peng L. Unraveling the nexus: Microplastics, antibiotics, and ARGs interactions, threats and control in aquaculture - A review. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2024; 471:134324. [PMID: 38640666 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.134324] [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: 01/30/2024] [Revised: 04/04/2024] [Accepted: 04/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/21/2024]
Abstract
In recent years, aquaculture has expanded rapidly to address food scarcity and provides high-quality aquatic products. However, this growth has led to the release of significant effluents, containing emerging contaminants like antibiotics, microplastics (MPs), and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). This study investigated the occurrence and interactions of these pollutants in aquaculture environment. Combined pollutants, such as MPs and coexisting adsorbents, were widespread and could include antibiotics, heavy metals, resistance genes, and pathogens. Elevated levels of chemical pollutants on MPs could lead to the emergence of resistance genes under selective pressure, facilitated by bacterial communities and horizontal gene transfer (HGT). MPs acted as vectors, transferring pollutants into the food web. Various technologies, including membrane technology, coagulation, and advanced oxidation, have been trialed for pollutants removal, each with its benefits and drawbacks. Future research should focus on ecologically friendly treatment technologies for emerging contaminants in aquaculture wastewater. This review provided insights into understanding and addressing newly developing toxins, aiming to develop integrated systems for effective aquaculture wastewater treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiyu Xie
- Key Laboratory of Agro-Forestry Environmental Processes and Ecological Regulation of Hainan Province, Haikou 570228, China; School of Ecology and Environment, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
| | - Naima Hamid
- Faculty of Science and Marine Environment, University Malaysia Terengganu, 21030 Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia
| | - Tingting Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Agro-Forestry Environmental Processes and Ecological Regulation of Hainan Province, Haikou 570228, China; School of Ecology and Environment, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
| | - Zijun Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Agro-Forestry Environmental Processes and Ecological Regulation of Hainan Province, Haikou 570228, China; School of Ecology and Environment, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
| | - Licheng Peng
- Key Laboratory of Agro-Forestry Environmental Processes and Ecological Regulation of Hainan Province, Haikou 570228, China; School of Ecology and Environment, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China.
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Chen H, Ng C, Tran NH, Haller L, Goh SG, Charles FR, Wu Z, Lim JX, Gin KYH. Removal efficiency of antibiotic residues, antibiotic resistant bacteria, and genes across parallel secondary settling tank and membrane bioreactor treatment trains in a water reclamation plant. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 924:171723. [PMID: 38492595 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171723] [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: 12/07/2023] [Revised: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024]
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance is recognized as a potent threat to human health. Wastewater treatment facilities are viewed as hotspots for the spread of antimicrobial resistance. This study provides comprehensive data on the occurrences of 3 different antibiotic resistant opportunistic pathogens (with resistance to up to 5 antibiotics), 13 antibiotic resistant genes and intI1, and 22 different antimicrobial residues in a large water reclamation plant (176 million gallons per day) that runs a conventional Modified Ludzack-Ettinger (MLE) reactor followed by a secondary settling tank (SST) and membrane bioreactor (MBR) in parallel. All the antibiotic resistant bacteria and most of the antibiotic resistance genes were present in the raw influent, ranging from 2.5 × 102-3.7 × 106 CFU/mL and 1.2× 10-1-6.5 × 1010 GCN/mL, respectively. MBR outperformed the SST system in terms of ARB removal as the ARB targets were largely undetected in MBR effluent, with log removals ranging from 2.7 to 6.8, while SST only had log removals ranging from 0.27 to 4.6. Most of the ARG concentrations were found to have significantly higher in SST effluent than MBR permeate, and MBR had significantly higher removal efficiency for most targets (p < 0.05) except for sul1, sul2, blaOXA48, intI1 and 16S rRNA genes (p > 0.05). As for the antibiotic residues (AR), there was no significant removal from the start to the end of the treatment process, although MBR had higher removal efficiencies for azithromycin, chloramphenicol, erythromycin, erythromycin-H2O, lincomycin, sulfamethoxazole and triclosan, compared to the SST system. In conclusion, MBR outperformed SST in terms of ARB and ARGs removal. However low removal efficiencies of most AR targets were apparent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongjie Chen
- Antimicrobial Resistance Interdisciplinary Research Group, Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology, 1 Create Way, Singapore 138602, Singapore
| | - Charmaine Ng
- NUS Environmental Research Institute (NERI), National University of Singapore, T-Lab Building (#02-01), 5A Engineering Drive 1, Singapore 117411, Singapore
| | - Ngoc Han Tran
- NUS Environmental Research Institute (NERI), National University of Singapore, T-Lab Building (#02-01), 5A Engineering Drive 1, Singapore 117411, Singapore
| | - Laurence Haller
- NUS Environmental Research Institute (NERI), National University of Singapore, T-Lab Building (#02-01), 5A Engineering Drive 1, Singapore 117411, Singapore
| | - Shin Giek Goh
- NUS Environmental Research Institute (NERI), National University of Singapore, T-Lab Building (#02-01), 5A Engineering Drive 1, Singapore 117411, Singapore
| | - Francis Rathinam Charles
- NUS Environmental Research Institute (NERI), National University of Singapore, T-Lab Building (#02-01), 5A Engineering Drive 1, Singapore 117411, Singapore
| | - Zhixin Wu
- NUS Environmental Research Institute (NERI), National University of Singapore, T-Lab Building (#02-01), 5A Engineering Drive 1, Singapore 117411, Singapore
| | - Jit Xin Lim
- NUS Environmental Research Institute (NERI), National University of Singapore, T-Lab Building (#02-01), 5A Engineering Drive 1, Singapore 117411, Singapore
| | - Karina Yew-Hoong Gin
- NUS Environmental Research Institute (NERI), National University of Singapore, T-Lab Building (#02-01), 5A Engineering Drive 1, Singapore 117411, Singapore; Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, National University of Singapore, Block E1A-07-03, 1 Engineering Drive 2, 117576, Singapore.
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Ramnarine SDBJ, Jayaraman J, Ramsubhag A. Crucifer Lesion-Associated Xanthomonas Strains Show Multi-Resistance to Heavy Metals and Antibiotics. Curr Microbiol 2024; 81:136. [PMID: 38598029 DOI: 10.1007/s00284-024-03646-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
Copper resistance in phytopathogens is a major challenge to crop production globally and is known to be driven by excessive use of copper-based pesticides. However, recent studies have shown co-selection of multiple heavy metal and antibiotic resistance genes in bacteria exposed to heavy metal and xenobiotics, which may impact the epidemiology of plant, animal, and human diseases. In this study, multi-resistance to heavy metals and antibiotics were evaluated in local Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris (Xcc) and co-isolated Xanthomonas melonis (Xmel) strains from infected crucifer plants in Trinidad. Resistance to cobalt, cadmium, zinc, copper, and arsenic (V) was observed in both Xanthomonas species up to 25 mM. Heavy metal resistance (HMR) genes were found on a small plasmid-derived locus with ~ 90% similarity to a Stenotrophomonas spp. chromosomal locus and a X. perforans pLH3.1 plasmid. The co-occurrence of mobile elements in these regions implies their organization on a composite transposon-like structure. HMR genes in Xcc strains showed the lowest similarity to references, and the cus and ars operons appear to be unique among Xanthomonads. Overall, the similarity of HMR genes to Stenotrophomonas sp. chromosomal genomes suggest their origin in this genus or a related organism and subsequent spread through lateral gene transfer events. Further resistome characterization revealed the presence of small multidrug resistance (SMR), multidrug resistance (MDR) efflux pumps, and bla (Xcc) genes for broad biocide resistance in both species. Concurrently, resistance to antibiotics (streptomycin, kanamycin, tetracycline, chloramphenicol, and ampicillin) up to 1000 µg/mL was confirmed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen D B Jr Ramnarine
- Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, The University of The West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago
| | - Jayaraj Jayaraman
- Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, The University of The West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago
| | - Adesh Ramsubhag
- Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, The University of The West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago.
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Bagra K, Kneis D, Padfield D, Szekeres E, Teban-Man A, Coman C, Singh G, Berendonk TU, Klümper U. Contrary effects of increasing temperatures on the spread of antimicrobial resistance in river biofilms. mSphere 2024; 9:e0057323. [PMID: 38323843 PMCID: PMC10900892 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00573-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024] Open
Abstract
River microbial communities regularly act as the first barrier of defense against the spread of antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) that enter environmental microbiomes through wastewater. However, how the invasion dynamics of wastewater-borne ARGs into river biofilm communities will shift due to climate change with increasing average and peak temperatures remains unknown. Here, we aimed to elucidate the effects of increasing temperatures on the naturally occurring river biofilm resistome, as well as the invasion success of foreign ARGs entering through wastewater. Natural biofilms were grown in a low-anthropogenic impact river and transferred to artificial laboratory recirculation flume systems operated at three different temperatures (20°C, 25°C, and 30°C). After 1 week of temperature acclimatization, significant increases in the abundance of the naturally occurring ARGs in biofilms were detected at higher temperatures. After this acclimatization period, biofilms were exposed to a single pulse of wastewater, and the invasion dynamics of wastewater-borne ARGs were analyzed over 2 weeks. After 1 day, wastewater-borne ARGs were able to invade the biofilms successfully with no observable effect of temperature on their relative abundance. However, thereafter, ARGs were lost at a far increased rate at 30°C, with ARG levels dropping to the initial natural levels after 14 days. Contrary to the lower temperatures, ARGs were either lost at slower rates or even able to establish themselves in biofilms with stable relative abundances above natural levels. Hence, higher temperatures come with contrary effects on river biofilm resistomes: naturally occurring ARGs increase in abundance, while foreign, invading ARGs are lost at elevated speeds.IMPORTANCEInfections with bacteria that gained resistance to antibiotics are taking millions of lives annually, with the death toll predicted to increase. River microbial communities act as a first defense barrier against the spread of antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) that enter the environment through wastewater after enrichment in human and animal microbiomes. The global increase in temperature due to climate change might disrupt this barrier effect by altering microbial community structure and functions. We consequently explored how increasing temperatures alter ARG spread in river microbial communities. At higher temperatures, naturally occurring ARGs increased in relative abundance. However, this coincided with a decreased success rate of invading foreign ARGs from wastewater to establish themselves in the communities. Therefore, to predict the effects of climate change on ARG spread in river microbiomes, it is imperative to consider if the river ecosystem and its resistome are dominated by naturally occurring or invading foreign ARGs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenyum Bagra
- Institute for Hydrobiology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee, Uttarakhand, India
| | - David Kneis
- Institute for Hydrobiology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Daniel Padfield
- Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Edina Szekeres
- Institute of Biological Research Cluj, NIRDBS, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Adela Teban-Man
- Institute of Biological Research Cluj, NIRDBS, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Cristian Coman
- Institute of Biological Research Cluj, NIRDBS, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Gargi Singh
- Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee, Uttarakhand, India
| | - Thomas U. Berendonk
- Institute for Hydrobiology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Uli Klümper
- Institute for Hydrobiology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
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Nasser-Ali M, Aja-Macaya P, Conde-Pérez K, Trigo-Tasende N, Rumbo-Feal S, Fernández-González A, Bou G, Poza M, Vallejo JA. Emergence of Carbapenemase Genes in Gram-Negative Bacteria Isolated from the Wastewater Treatment Plant in A Coruña, Spain. Antibiotics (Basel) 2024; 13:194. [PMID: 38391580 PMCID: PMC10886265 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics13020194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2024] [Revised: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are recognized as important niches of antibiotic-resistant bacteria that can be easily spread to the environment. In this study, we collected wastewater samples from the WWTP of A Coruña (NW Spain) from April 2020 to February 2022 to evaluate the presence of Gram-negative bacteria harboring carbapenemase genes. Bacteria isolated from wastewater were classified and their antimicrobial profiles were determined. In total, 252 Gram-negative bacteria carrying various carbapenemase genes were described. Whole-genome sequencing was conducted on 55 selected carbapenemase producing isolates using Oxford Nanopore technology. This study revealed the presence of a significant population of bacteria carrying carbapenemase genes in WWTP, which constitutes a public health problem due to their risk of dissemination to the environment. This emphasizes the usefulness of WWTP monitoring for combating antibiotic resistance. Data revealed the presence of different types of sequences harboring carbapenemase genes, such as blaKPC-2, blaGES-5, blaGES-6, blaIMP-11, blaIMP-28, blaOXA-24, blaOXA-48, blaOXA-58, blaOXA-217, and blaVIM-2. Importantly, the presence of the blaKPC-2 gene in wastewater, several months before any clinical case was detected in University Hospital of A Coruña, suggests that wastewater-based epidemiology can be used as an early warning system for the surveillance of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammed Nasser-Ali
- Microbiology Research Group, Institute of Biomedical Research (INIBIC)-University Hospital of A Coruña (CHUAC)-Interdisciplinary Center for Chemistry and Biology (CICA)-University of A Coruña (UDC)-CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC, ISCIII). Servicio de Microbiología, 3° planta, Edificio Sur, Hospital Universitario, As Xubias, 15006 A Coruna, Spain
| | - Pablo Aja-Macaya
- Microbiology Research Group, Institute of Biomedical Research (INIBIC)-University Hospital of A Coruña (CHUAC)-Interdisciplinary Center for Chemistry and Biology (CICA)-University of A Coruña (UDC)-CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC, ISCIII). Servicio de Microbiología, 3° planta, Edificio Sur, Hospital Universitario, As Xubias, 15006 A Coruna, Spain
| | - Kelly Conde-Pérez
- Microbiology Research Group, Institute of Biomedical Research (INIBIC)-University Hospital of A Coruña (CHUAC)-Interdisciplinary Center for Chemistry and Biology (CICA)-University of A Coruña (UDC)-CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC, ISCIII). Servicio de Microbiología, 3° planta, Edificio Sur, Hospital Universitario, As Xubias, 15006 A Coruna, Spain
| | - Noelia Trigo-Tasende
- Microbiology Research Group, Institute of Biomedical Research (INIBIC)-University Hospital of A Coruña (CHUAC)-Interdisciplinary Center for Chemistry and Biology (CICA)-University of A Coruña (UDC)-CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC, ISCIII). Servicio de Microbiología, 3° planta, Edificio Sur, Hospital Universitario, As Xubias, 15006 A Coruna, Spain
| | - Soraya Rumbo-Feal
- Microbiology Research Group, Institute of Biomedical Research (INIBIC)-University Hospital of A Coruña (CHUAC)-Interdisciplinary Center for Chemistry and Biology (CICA)-University of A Coruña (UDC)-CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC, ISCIII). Servicio de Microbiología, 3° planta, Edificio Sur, Hospital Universitario, As Xubias, 15006 A Coruna, Spain
| | - Ana Fernández-González
- Microbiology Research Group, Institute of Biomedical Research (INIBIC)-University Hospital of A Coruña (CHUAC)-Interdisciplinary Center for Chemistry and Biology (CICA)-University of A Coruña (UDC)-CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC, ISCIII). Servicio de Microbiología, 3° planta, Edificio Sur, Hospital Universitario, As Xubias, 15006 A Coruna, Spain
| | - Germán Bou
- Microbiology Research Group, Institute of Biomedical Research (INIBIC)-University Hospital of A Coruña (CHUAC)-Interdisciplinary Center for Chemistry and Biology (CICA)-University of A Coruña (UDC)-CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC, ISCIII). Servicio de Microbiología, 3° planta, Edificio Sur, Hospital Universitario, As Xubias, 15006 A Coruna, Spain
| | - Margarita Poza
- Microbiology Research Group, Institute of Biomedical Research (INIBIC)-University Hospital of A Coruña (CHUAC)-Interdisciplinary Center for Chemistry and Biology (CICA)-University of A Coruña (UDC)-CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC, ISCIII). Servicio de Microbiología, 3° planta, Edificio Sur, Hospital Universitario, As Xubias, 15006 A Coruna, Spain
- Microbiome and Health Group, Faculty of Sciences, Campus da Zapateira, 15071 A Coruna, Spain
| | - Juan A Vallejo
- Microbiology Research Group, Institute of Biomedical Research (INIBIC)-University Hospital of A Coruña (CHUAC)-Interdisciplinary Center for Chemistry and Biology (CICA)-University of A Coruña (UDC)-CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC, ISCIII). Servicio de Microbiología, 3° planta, Edificio Sur, Hospital Universitario, As Xubias, 15006 A Coruna, Spain
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9
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Ma Y, Wu N, Zhang T, Li Y, Cao L, Zhang P, Zhang Z, Zhu T, Zhang C. The microbiome, resistome, and their co-evolution in sewage at a hospital for infectious diseases in Shanghai, China. Microbiol Spectr 2024; 12:e0390023. [PMID: 38132570 PMCID: PMC10846037 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.03900-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) caused by the overuse of antibiotics severely threatens human health. Hospital sewage may be a key transmission hub for ARB. However, the complex link between the microbiome and resistomeresistance in hospital sewage remains unclear. In this study, metagenomic assembly and binning methods were used to investigate the microbial community, resistome, and association of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) with ARB in sewage from 10 representative sites (outpatient building, surgery building, internal medicine buildings [IMB1-4], staff dormitory, laboratory animal building, tuberculosis building [TBB], and hospital wastewater treatment plant) of a hospital in Shanghai from June 2021 to February 2022. A total of 252 ARG subtypes, belonging to 17 antibiotic classes, were identified. The relative abundance of KPC-2 was higher at IMBs and TBB than at other sites. Of the ARG-carrying contigs, 47.3%-62.6% were associated with mobile genetic elements, and the proportion of plasmid-associated ARGs was significantly higher than that of chromosome-associated ARGs. Although a similar microbiome composition was shared, certain bacteria were enriched at different sites. Potential pathogens Enterococcus B faecium and Klebsiella pneumoniae were primarily enriched in IMB2 and IMB4, respectively. The same ARGs were identified in diverse bacterial hosts (especially pathogenic bacteria), and accordingly, the latter possessed multiple ARGs. Furthermore, gene flow was frequently observed in the sewage of different buildings. The results provide crucial information on the characterization profiles of resistomes in hospital sewage in Shanghai.IMPORTANCEEnvironmental antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) play a critical role in the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance, which poses a global health threat. Wastewater from healthcare facilities serves as a significant reservoir for ARGs. Here, we characterized the microbial community along with the resistome (comprising all antibiotic resistance genes) in wastewater from a specialized hospital for infectious diseases in Shanghai. Potential pathogenic bacteria (e.g., Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Enterococcus B faecium) were frequently detected in hospital wastewater and carried multiple ARGs. A complex link between microbiome and resistome was observed in the wastewater of this hospital. The monitoring of ARGs and antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) in hospital wastewater might be of great significance for preventing the spread of ARB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingying Ma
- Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Nannan Wu
- Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Tao Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Yanpeng Li
- Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Le Cao
- Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Peng Zhang
- Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhigang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Tongyu Zhu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Chiyu Zhang
- Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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10
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Sun X, Wang X, Han Q, Yu Q, Wanyan R, Li H. Bibliometric analysis of papers on antibiotic resistance genes in aquatic environments on a global scale from 2012 to 2022: Evidence from universality, development and harmfulness. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 909:168597. [PMID: 37981129 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.168597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2023] [Revised: 11/12/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/21/2023]
Abstract
Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), emerging pollutants, are widely distributed in aquatic environments, and are tightly linked to human health. However, the research progress and trends in recent years on ARGs of aquatic environments are still unclear. This paper made a comprehensive understanding of the research advance, study trends and key topics of 1592 ARGs articles from 2012 to 2022 by bibliometrics. Publications on ARGs increased rapidly from 2012 to 2022, and scholars paid closer attention to the field of Environmental Sciences & Ecology. The most influential country and institution was mainly China and Chinese Academy of Sciences, respectively. The most articles (14.64 %) were published in the journal Science of the total environment. China and USA had the most cooperation, and USA was more inclined to international cooperation. PCR-based methods for water ARG research were the most widely used, followed by metagenomics. The most studied ARG types were sulfonamides, tetracyclines. Moreover, ARGs from wastewater and rivers were popularly concerned. Current topics mainly included pollution investigation, characteristics, transmission, reduction and risk identification of ARGs. Additionally, future research directions were proposed. Generally, by bibliometrics, this paper reviews the research hotspots and future directions of ARGs on a global scale, and summarizes the more important categories of ARGs, the pollution degree of ARGs in the relevant water environment and the research methods, which can provide a more comprehensive information for the future breakthrough of resistance mechanism, prevention and control standard formulation of ARGs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaofang Sun
- School of Public Health, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Xiaochen Wang
- School of Public Health, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Qian Han
- School of Public Health, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Qiaoling Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, Center for Grassland Microbiome, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Ruijun Wanyan
- School of Public Health, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Huan Li
- School of Public Health, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China; State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, Center for Grassland Microbiome, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China.
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11
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Wang X, Zhang H, Yu S, Li D, Gillings MR, Ren H, Mao D, Guo J, Luo Y. Inter-plasmid transfer of antibiotic resistance genes accelerates antibiotic resistance in bacterial pathogens. THE ISME JOURNAL 2024; 18:wrad032. [PMID: 38366209 PMCID: PMC10881300 DOI: 10.1093/ismejo/wrad032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2024]
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance is a major threat for public health. Plasmids play a critical role in the spread of antimicrobial resistance via horizontal gene transfer between bacterial species. However, it remains unclear how plasmids originally recruit and assemble various antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). Here, we track ARG recruitment and assembly in clinically relevant plasmids by combining a systematic analysis of 2420 complete plasmid genomes and experimental validation. Results showed that ARG transfer across plasmids is prevalent, and 87% ARGs were observed to potentially transfer among various plasmids among 8229 plasmid-borne ARGs. Interestingly, recruitment and assembly of ARGs occur mostly among compatible plasmids within the same bacterial cell, with over 88% of ARG transfers occurring between compatible plasmids. Integron and insertion sequences drive the ongoing ARG acquisition by plasmids, especially in which IS26 facilitates 63.1% of ARG transfer events among plasmids. In vitro experiment validated the important role of IS26 involved in transferring gentamicin resistance gene aacC1 between compatible plasmids. Network analysis showed four beta-lactam genes (blaTEM-1, blaNDM-4, blaKPC-2, and blaSHV-1) shuffling among 1029 plasmids and 45 clinical pathogens, suggesting that clinically alarming ARGs transferred accelerate the propagation of antibiotic resistance in clinical pathogens. ARGs in plasmids are also able to transmit across clinical and environmental boundaries, in terms of the high-sequence similarities of plasmid-borne ARGs between clinical and environmental plasmids. This study demonstrated that inter-plasmid ARG transfer is a universal mechanism for plasmid to recruit various ARGs, thus advancing our understanding of the emergence of multidrug-resistant plasmids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaolong Wang
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Hanhui Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Shenbo Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Donghang Li
- School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Michael R Gillings
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales 2109, Australia
| | - Hongqiang Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Daqing Mao
- School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Jianhua Guo
- Australian Centre for Water and Environmental Biotechnology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - 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 210023, China
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12
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Yu Z, He W, Klincke F, Madsen JS, Kot W, Hansen LH, Quintela-Baluja M, Balboa S, Dechesne A, Smets B, Nesme J, Sørensen SJ. Insights into the circular: The cryptic plasmidome and its derived antibiotic resistome in the urban water systems. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2024; 183:108351. [PMID: 38041983 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2023.108351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2023] [Revised: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/04/2023]
Abstract
Plasmids have been a concern in the dissemination and evolution of antibiotic resistance in the environment. In this study, we investigated the total pool of plasmids (plasmidome) and its derived antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in different compartments of urban water systems (UWSs) in three European countries representing different antibiotic usage regimes. We applied a direct plasmidome approach using wet-lab methods to enrich circular DNA in the samples, followed by shotgun sequencing and in silico contig circularisation. We identified 9538 novel sequences in a total of 10,942 recovered circular plasmids. Of these, 66 were identified as conjugative, 1896 mobilisable and 8970 non-mobilisable plasmids. The UWSs' plasmidome was dominated by small plasmids (≤10 Kbp) representing a broad diversity of mobility (MOB) types and incompatibility (Inc) groups. A shared collection of plasmids from different countries was detected in all treatment compartments, and plasmids could be source-tracked in the UWSs. More than half of the ARGs-encoding plasmids carried mobility genes for mobilisation/conjugation. The richness and abundance of ARGs-encoding plasmids generally decreased with the flow, while we observed that non-mobilisable ARGs-harbouring plasmids maintained their abundance in the Spanish wastewater treatment plant. Overall, our work unravels that the UWS plasmidome is dominated by cryptic (i.e., non-mobilisable, non-typeable and previously unknown) plasmids. Considering that some of these plasmids carried ARGs, were prevalent across three countries and could persist throughout the UWSs compartments, these results should alarm and call for attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuofeng Yu
- Section of Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Wanli He
- Section of Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Franziska Klincke
- Section of Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jonas Stenløkke Madsen
- Section of Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Witold Kot
- Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark; Department of Plant and Environmental Science, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, DK-1871 Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Lars Hestbjerg Hansen
- Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark; Department of Plant and Environmental Science, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, DK-1871 Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Marcos Quintela-Baluja
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, University of Santiago de Compostela, Praza do Obradoiro, 0, 15705 Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña, Spain
| | - Sabela Balboa
- School of Engineering, Newcastle University, NE1 7RX Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Arnaud Dechesne
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Bygningstorvet 115, DK-2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Barth Smets
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Bygningstorvet 115, DK-2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Joseph Nesme
- Section of Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | - Søren Johannes Sørensen
- Section of Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark.
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13
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Bagra K, Bellanger X, Merlin C, Singh G, Berendonk TU, Klümper U. Environmental stress increases the invasion success of antimicrobial resistant bacteria in river microbial communities. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 904:166661. [PMID: 37652387 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.166661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2023] [Revised: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/26/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
Environmental microbiomes are constantly exposed to invasion events through foreign, antibiotic resistant bacteria that were enriched in the anthropic sphere. However, the biotic and abiotic factors, as well as the natural barriers that determine the invasion success of these invader bacteria into the environmental microbiomes are poorly understood. A great example of such invasion events are river microbial communities constantly exposed to resistant bacteria originating from wastewater effluents. Here, we aim at gaining comprehensive insights into the key factors that determine their invasion success with a particular focus on the effects of environmental stressors, regularly co-released in wastewater effluents. Understanding invasion dynamics of resistant bacteria is crucial for limiting the environmental spread of antibiotic resistance. To achieve this, we grew natural microbial biofilms on glass slides in rivers for one month. The biofilms were then transferred to laboratory, recirculating flume systems and exposed to a single pulse of a model resistant invader bacterium (Escherichia coli) either in presence or absence of stress induced by Cu2+. The invasion dynamics of E. coli into the biofilms were then monitored for 14 days. Despite an initially successful introduction of E. coli into the biofilms, independent of the imposed stress, over time the invader perished in absence of stress. However, under stress the invading strain successfully established and proliferated in the biofilms. Noteworthy, the increased establishment success of the invader coincided with a loss in microbial community diversity under stress conditions, likely due to additional niche space becoming available for the invader.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenyum Bagra
- Technische Universität Dresden, Institute of Hydrobiology, Dresden, Germany; Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee, Uttarakhand, India
| | - Xavier Bellanger
- Université de Lorraine, CNRS, LCPME, UMR 7564, Villers-lès-Nancy, France
| | - Christophe Merlin
- Université de Lorraine, CNRS, LCPME, UMR 7564, Villers-lès-Nancy, France
| | - Gargi Singh
- Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee, Uttarakhand, India
| | - Thomas U Berendonk
- Technische Universität Dresden, Institute of Hydrobiology, Dresden, Germany
| | - Uli Klümper
- Technische Universität Dresden, Institute of Hydrobiology, Dresden, Germany.
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14
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Balcha ES, Gómez F, Gemeda MT, Bekele FB, Abera S, Cavalazzi B, Woldesemayat AA. Shotgun Metagenomics-Guided Prediction Reveals the Metal Tolerance and Antibiotic Resistance of Microbes in Poly-Extreme Environments in the Danakil Depression, Afar Region. Antibiotics (Basel) 2023; 12:1697. [PMID: 38136731 PMCID: PMC10740858 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics12121697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 11/19/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The occurrence and spread of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in environmental microorganisms, particularly in poly-extremophilic bacteria, remain underexplored and have received limited attention. This study aims to investigate the prevalence of ARGs and metal resistance genes (MRGs) in shotgun metagenome sequences obtained from water and salt crust samples collected from Lake Afdera and the Assale salt plain in the Danakil Depression, northern Ethiopia. Potential ARGs were characterized by the comprehensive antibiotic research database (CARD), while MRGs were identified by using BacMetScan V.1.0. A total of 81 ARGs and 39 MRGs were identified at the sampling sites. We found a copA resistance gene for copper and the β-lactam encoding resistance genes were the most abundant the MRG and ARG in the study area. The abundance of MRGs is positively correlated with mercury (Hg) concentration, highlighting the importance of Hg in the selection of MRGs. Significant correlations also exist between heavy metals, Zn and Cd, and ARGs, which suggests that MRGs and ARGs can be co-selected in the environment contaminated by heavy metals. A network analysis revealed that MRGs formed a complex network with ARGs, primarily associated with β-lactams, aminoglycosides, and tetracyclines. This suggests potential co-selection mechanisms, posing concerns for both public health and ecological balance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ermias Sissay Balcha
- School of Medical Laboratory Science, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Hawassa University, Hawassa P.O. Box 1560, Ethiopia;
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Biological and Chemical Engineering, Addis Ababa Science and Technology University, Addis Ababa P.O. Box 16417, Ethiopia;
| | - Felipe Gómez
- Centro de Astrobiología (INTA-CSIC) Crtera, Ajalvir km 4 Torrejón de Ardoz, P.O. Box 28850 Madrid, Spain;
| | - Mesfin Tafesse Gemeda
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Biological and Chemical Engineering, Addis Ababa Science and Technology University, Addis Ababa P.O. Box 16417, Ethiopia;
| | - Fanuel Belayneh Bekele
- School of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Hawassa University, Hawassa P.O. Box 1560, Ethiopia;
| | - Sewunet Abera
- Department of Microbial Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), P.O. Box 50, 6700 AB Wageningen, The Netherlands;
- Institute of Biology, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9500, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
- Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR), Addis Ababa P.O. Box 2003, Ethiopia
| | - Barbara Cavalazzi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biologiche, Geologiche e Ambientali, Università di Bologna, 40100 Bologna, Italy;
- Department of Geology, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg P.O. Box 524, South Africa
| | - Adugna Abdi Woldesemayat
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Biological and Chemical Engineering, Addis Ababa Science and Technology University, Addis Ababa P.O. Box 16417, Ethiopia;
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15
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Li S, Gao H, Zhang H, Wei G, Shu Q, Li R, Jin S, Na G, Shi Y. The fate of antibiotic resistance genes in the coastal lagoon with multiple functional zones. J Environ Sci (China) 2023; 128:93-106. [PMID: 36801045 DOI: 10.1016/j.jes.2022.07.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2022] [Revised: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Coastal lagoons provide many important services to human society, but their year-round use for aquaculture introduces large amounts of sewage. The contamination of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) is therefore of great concern. In this study, 50 ARGs subtypes, two integrase genes (intl1, intl2), and 16S rRNA genes were detected by high-throughput quantitative PCR, and standard curves of all target genes were prepared for quantification. The occurrence and distribution of ARGs in a typical coastal lagoon (XinCun lagoon, China) were comprehensively explored. We detected 44 and 38 subtypes of ARGs in the water and sediment, respectively, and discuss the various factors influencing the fate of ARGs in the coastal lagoon. Macrolides-lincosamides-streptogramins B was the primary ARG type, and macB was the predominant subtype. Antibiotic efflux and antibiotic inactivation were the main ARG resistance mechanisms. The XinCun lagoon was divided into eight functional zones. The ARGs showed a distinct spatial distribution owing to the influence of microbial biomass and anthropogenic activity in different functional zones. Fishing rafts, abandoned fish ponds, the town sewage zone, and mangrove wetlands provided a large quantity of ARGs to the XinCun lagoon. Nutrients and heavy metals also significantly correlated with the fate of the ARGs, especially NO2--N and Cu, which cannot be ignored. It is noteworthy that lagoon-barrier systems coupled with persistent pollutant inputs result in coastal lagoons acting as a "buffer pool" for ARGs, which can then accumulate and threaten the offshore environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shisheng Li
- National Marine Environmental Monsitoring Center, Dalian 116023, China; College of Marine Ecology and Environment, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China
| | - Hui Gao
- National Marine Environmental Monsitoring Center, Dalian 116023, China
| | - Haibo Zhang
- National Marine Environmental Monsitoring Center, Dalian 116023, China
| | - Guangke Wei
- Laboratory for coastal marine eco-environment process and carbon sink of Hainan provincet/Yazhou Bay Innovation Institute, Hainan Tropical Ocean University, Sanya 572022, China
| | - Qin Shu
- National Marine Environmental Monsitoring Center, Dalian 116023, China; College of Marine Ecology and Environment, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China
| | - Ruijing Li
- National Marine Environmental Monsitoring Center, Dalian 116023, China
| | - Shuaichen Jin
- National Marine Environmental Monsitoring Center, Dalian 116023, China
| | - Guangshui Na
- Laboratory for coastal marine eco-environment process and carbon sink of Hainan provincet/Yazhou Bay Innovation Institute, Hainan Tropical Ocean University, Sanya 572022, China; National Marine Environmental Monsitoring Center, Dalian 116023, China; College of Marine Ecology and Environment, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China.
| | - Yali Shi
- School of Environment, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, UCAS, Hangzhou 310024, China.
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16
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Ji B, Qin J, Ma Y, Liu X, Wang T, Liu G, Li B, Wang G, Gao P. Metagenomic analysis reveals patterns and hosts of antibiotic resistance in different pig farms. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023; 30:52087-52106. [PMID: 36826766 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-25962-1] [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: 10/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
In actual production environments, antibiotic-resistant genes (ARGs) are abundant in pig manure, which can form transmission chains through animals, the environment, and humans, thereby threatening human health. Therefore, based on metagenomic analysis methods, ARGs and mobile genetic elements (MGEs) were annotated in pig manure samples from 6 pig farms in 3 regions of Shanxi Province, and the potential hosts of ARGs were analyzed. The results showed that a total of 14 ARG types were detected, including 182 ARG subtypes, among which tetracycline, phenol, aminoglycoside, and macrolide resistance genes were the main ones. ARG profiles, MGE composition, and microbial communities were significantly different in different regions as well as between different pig farms. In addition, Anaerobutyricum, Butyrivibrio, and Turicibacter were significantly associated with multiple ARGs, and bacteria such as Prevotella, Bacteroides, and the family Oscillospiraceae carried multiple ARGs, suggesting that these bacteria are potential ARG hosts in pig manure. Procrustes analysis showed that bacterial communities and MGEs were significantly correlated with ARG profiles. Variation partitioning analysis results indicated that the combined effect of MGEs and bacterial communities accounted for 64.08% of resistance variation and played an important role in ARG profiles. These findings contribute to our understanding of the dissemination and persistence of ARGs in actual production settings, and offer some guidance for the prevention and control of ARGs contamination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bingzhen Ji
- College of Animal Science, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu, 030801, Shanxi, China
| | - Junjun Qin
- College of Animal Science, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu, 030801, Shanxi, China
| | - Yijia Ma
- College of Animal Science, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu, 030801, Shanxi, China
| | - Xin Liu
- College of Bioscience and Resources Environment, Beijing University of Agriculture, Beijing, 100097, China
| | - Tian Wang
- College of Bioscience and Resources Environment, Beijing University of Agriculture, Beijing, 100097, China
| | - Guiming Liu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genetic Resources and Biotechnology, Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing, 100097, China
| | - Bugao Li
- College of Animal Science, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu, 030801, Shanxi, China
| | - Guoliang Wang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genetic Resources and Biotechnology, Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing, 100097, China
| | - Pengfei Gao
- College of Animal Science, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu, 030801, Shanxi, China.
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17
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Goswami A, Adkins-Jablonsky SJ, Barreto Filho MM, Shilling MD, Dawson A, Heiser S, O’Connor A, Walker M, Roberts Q, Morris JJ. Heavy Metal Pollution Impacts Soil Bacterial Community Structure and Antimicrobial Resistance at the Birmingham 35th Avenue Superfund Site. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0242622. [PMID: 36951567 PMCID: PMC10101053 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.02426-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Heavy metals (HMs) are known to modify bacterial communities both in the laboratory and in situ. Consequently, soils in HM-contaminated sites such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Superfund sites are predicted to have altered ecosystem functioning, with potential ramifications for the health of organisms, including humans, that live nearby. Further, several studies have shown that heavy metal-resistant (HMR) bacteria often also display antimicrobial resistance (AMR), and therefore HM-contaminated soils could potentially act as reservoirs that could disseminate AMR genes into human-associated pathogenic bacteria. To explore this possibility, topsoil samples were collected from six public locations in the zip code 35207 (the home of the North Birmingham 35th Avenue Superfund Site) and in six public areas in the neighboring zip code, 35214. 35027 soils had significantly elevated levels of the HMs As, Mn, Pb, and Zn, and sequencing of the V4 region of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene revealed that elevated HM concentrations correlated with reduced microbial diversity and altered community structure. While there was no difference between zip codes in the proportion of total culturable HMR bacteria, bacterial isolates with HMR almost always also exhibited AMR. Metagenomes inferred using PICRUSt2 also predicted significantly higher mean relative frequencies in 35207 for several AMR genes related to both specific and broad-spectrum AMR phenotypes. Together, these results support the hypothesis that chronic HM pollution alters the soil bacterial community structure in ecologically meaningful ways and may also select for bacteria with increased potential to contribute to AMR in human disease. IMPORTANCE Heavy metals cross-select for antimicrobial resistance in laboratory experiments, but few studies have documented this effect in polluted soils. Moreover, despite decades of awareness of heavy metal contamination at the EPA Superfund site in North Birmingham, Alabama, this is the first analysis of the impact of this pollution on the soil microbiome. Specifically, this work advances the understanding of the relationship between heavy metals, microbial diversity, and patterns of antibiotic resistance in North Birmingham soils. Our results suggest that polluted soils carry a risk of increased exposure to antibiotic-resistant infections in addition to the direct health consequences of heavy metals. Our work provides important information relevant to both political and scientific efforts to advance environmental justice for the communities that call Superfund neighborhoods home.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anuradha Goswami
- Department of Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Sarah J. Adkins-Jablonsky
- Department of Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
- Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine, Dothan, Alabama, USA
| | | | - Michelle D. Shilling
- Department of Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Alex Dawson
- Department of Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Sabrina Heiser
- Department of Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Aisha O’Connor
- Department of Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Melissa Walker
- Department of Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Qutia Roberts
- Department of Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - J. Jeffrey Morris
- Department of Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
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18
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Yorki S, Shea T, Cuomo CA, Walker BJ, LaRocque RC, Manson AL, Earl AM, Worby CJ. Comparison of long- and short-read metagenomic assembly for low-abundance species and resistance genes. Brief Bioinform 2023; 24:bbad050. [PMID: 36804804 PMCID: PMC10025444 DOI: 10.1093/bib/bbad050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Revised: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 02/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent technological and computational advances have made metagenomic assembly a viable approach to achieving high-resolution views of complex microbial communities. In previous benchmarking, short-read (SR) metagenomic assemblers had the highest accuracy, long-read (LR) assemblers generated the most contiguous sequences and hybrid (HY) assemblers balanced length and accuracy. However, no assessments have specifically compared the performance of these assemblers on low-abundance species, which include clinically relevant organisms in the gut. We generated semi-synthetic LR and SR datasets by spiking small and increasing amounts of Escherichia coli isolate reads into fecal metagenomes and, using different assemblers, examined E. coli contigs and the presence of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). For ARG assembly, although SR assemblers recovered more ARGs with high accuracy, even at low coverages, LR assemblies allowed for the placement of ARGs within longer, E. coli-specific contigs, thus pinpointing their taxonomic origin. HY assemblies identified resistance genes with high accuracy and had lower contiguity than LR assemblies. Each assembler type's strengths were maintained even when our isolate was spiked in with a competing strain, which fragmented and reduced the accuracy of all assemblies. For strain characterization and determining gene context, LR assembly is optimal, while for base-accurate gene identification, SR assemblers outperform other options. HY assembly offers contiguity and base accuracy, but requires generating data on multiple platforms, and may suffer high misassembly rates when strain diversity exists. Our results highlight the trade-offs associated with each approach for recovering low-abundance taxa, and that the optimal approach is goal-dependent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sosie Yorki
- Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Terrance Shea
- Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Christina A Cuomo
- Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Bruce J Walker
- Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Applied Invention, LLC, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Regina C LaRocque
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Abigail L Manson
- Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Ashlee M Earl
- Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Colin J Worby
- Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
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19
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Gomi R, Haramoto E, Wada H, Sugie Y, Ma CY, Raya S, Malla B, Nishimura F, Tanaka H, Ihara M. Development of two microbial source tracking markers for detection of wastewater-associated Escherichia coli isolates. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 864:160952. [PMID: 36549531 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.160952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2022] [Revised: 11/25/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Escherichia coli has been used as an indicator of fecal pollution in environmental waters. However, its presence in environmental waters does not provide information on the source of water pollution. Identifying the source of water pollution is paramount to be able to effectively reduce contamination. The present study aimed to identify E. coli microbial source tracking (MST) markers that can be used to identify domestic wastewater contamination in environmental waters. We first analyzed wastewater E. coli genomes sequenced by us (n = 50) and RefSeq animal E. coli genomes of fecal origin (n = 82), and identified 144 candidate wastewater-associated marker genes. The sensitivity and specificity of the candidate marker genes were then assessed by screening the genes in 335 RefSeq wastewater E. coli genomes and 3318 RefSeq animal E. coli genomes. We finally identified two MST markers, namely W_nqrC and W_clsA_2, which could be used for detection of wastewater-associated E. coli isolates. These two markers showed higher performance than the previously developed human wastewater-associated E. coli markers H8 and H12. When used in combination, W_nqrC and W_clsA_2 showed specificity of 98.9 % and sensitivity of 25.7 %. PCR assays to detect W_nqrC and W_clsA_2 were also developed and validated. The developed PCR assays are potentially useful for detecting E. coli isolates of wastewater origin in environmental waters, though users should keep in mind that the sensitivity of these markers is not high. Further studies are needed to assess the applicability of the developed markers to a culture-independent approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryota Gomi
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Katsura, Nishikyo-ku, 615-8540 Kyoto, Japan.
| | - Eiji Haramoto
- Interdisciplinary Center for River Basin Environment, University of Yamanashi, 4-3-11 Takeda, Kofu, 400-8511 Yamanashi, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Wada
- Research Center for Environmental Quality Management, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, 1-2 Yumihama, Otsu 520-0811, Shiga, Japan
| | - Yoshinori Sugie
- Research Center for Environmental Quality Management, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, 1-2 Yumihama, Otsu 520-0811, Shiga, Japan
| | - Chih-Yu Ma
- Research Center for Environmental Quality Management, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, 1-2 Yumihama, Otsu 520-0811, Shiga, Japan
| | - Sunayana Raya
- Department of Engineering, University of Yamanashi, Kofu, 400-8511 Yamanashi, Japan
| | - Bikash Malla
- Interdisciplinary Center for River Basin Environment, University of Yamanashi, 4-3-11 Takeda, Kofu, 400-8511 Yamanashi, Japan
| | - Fumitake Nishimura
- Research Center for Environmental Quality Management, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, 1-2 Yumihama, Otsu 520-0811, Shiga, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Tanaka
- Research Center for Environmental Quality Management, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, 1-2 Yumihama, Otsu 520-0811, Shiga, Japan
| | - Masaru Ihara
- Research Center for Environmental Quality Management, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, 1-2 Yumihama, Otsu 520-0811, Shiga, Japan; Faculty of Agriculture and Marine Science, Kochi University, Nankoku 783-8502, Kochi, Japan.
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20
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Multilayer networks of plasmid genetic similarity reveal potential pathways of gene transmission. THE ISME JOURNAL 2023; 17:649-659. [PMID: 36759552 PMCID: PMC10119158 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-023-01373-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Revised: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023]
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a significant threat to public health. Plasmids are principal vectors of AMR genes, significantly contributing to their spread and mobility across hosts. Nevertheless, little is known about the dynamics of plasmid genetic exchange across animal hosts. Here, we use theory and methodology from network and disease ecology to investigate the potential of gene transmission between plasmids using a data set of 21 plasmidomes from a single dairy cow population. We constructed a multilayer network based on pairwise plasmid genetic similarity. Genetic similarity is a signature of past genetic exchange that can aid in identifying potential routes and mechanisms of gene transmission within and between cows. Links between cows dominated the transmission network, and plasmids containing mobility genes were more connected. Modularity analysis revealed a network cluster where all plasmids contained a mobM gene, and one where all plasmids contained a beta-lactamase gene. Cows that contain both clusters also share transmission pathways with many other cows, making them candidates for super-spreading. In support, we found signatures of gene super-spreading in which a few plasmids and cows are responsible for most gene exchange. An agent-based transmission model showed that a new gene invading the cow population will likely reach all cows. Finally, we showed that edge weights contain a non-random signature for the mechanisms of gene transmission, allowing us to differentiate between dispersal and genetic exchange. These results provide insights into how genes, including those providing AMR, spread across animal hosts.
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21
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Su Z, Wen D, Gu AZ, Zheng Y, Tang Y, Chen L. Industrial effluents boosted antibiotic resistome risk in coastal environments. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2023; 171:107714. [PMID: 36571993 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2022.107714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2022] [Revised: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) have been regarded as an important source of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in environment, but out of municipal domestic WWTPs, few evidences show how environment is affected by industrial WWTPs. Here we chose Hangzhou Bay (HZB), China as our study area, where land-based municipal and industrial WWTPs discharged their effluent into the bay for decades. We adopted high-throughput metagenomic sequencing to examine the antibiotic resistome of the WWTP effluent and coastal sediment samples. And we proposed a conceptual framework for the assessment of antibiotic resistome risk, and a new bioinformatic pipeline for the evaluation of the potential horizontal gene transfer (HGT) frequency. Our results revealed that the diversity and abundance of ARGs in the WWTP's effluent were significantly higher than those in the sediment. Furthermore, the antibiotic resistome in the effluent-receiving area (ERA) showed significant difference from that in HZB. For the first time, we identified that industrial WWTP effluent boosted antibiotic resistome risk in coastal sediment. The crucial evidences included: 1) the proportion of ARGs derived from WWTP activated sludge (WA) was higher (14.3 %) and two high-risky polymyxin resistance genes (mcr-4 and mcr-5) were enriched in the industrial effluent receiving area; 2) the HGT potential was higher between resistant microbiome of the industrial effluent and its ERA sediment; and 3) the highest resistome risk was determined in the industrial effluent, and some biocide resistance genes located on high-risky contigs were related to long-term stress of industrial chemicals. These findings highlight the important effects of industrial activities on the development of environmental antimicrobial resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiguo Su
- School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China; College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Donghui Wen
- College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.
| | - April Z Gu
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Yuhan Zheng
- College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Yushi Tang
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Lyujun Chen
- School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
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22
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Amin MB, Talukdar PK, Asaduzzaman M, Roy S, Flatgard BM, Islam MR, Saha SR, Sharker Y, Mahmud ZH, Navab-Daneshmand T, Kile ML, Levy K, Julian TR, Islam MA. Effects of chronic exposure to arsenic on the fecal carriage of antibiotic-resistant Escherichia coli among people in rural Bangladesh. PLoS Pathog 2022; 18:e1010952. [PMID: 36480516 PMCID: PMC9731454 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Antibiotic resistance is a leading cause of hospitalization and death worldwide. Heavy metals such as arsenic have been shown to drive co-selection of antibiotic resistance, suggesting arsenic-contaminated drinking water is a risk factor for antibiotic resistance carriage. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and abundance of antibiotic-resistant Escherichia coli (AR-Ec) among people and drinking water in high (Hajiganj, >100 μg/L) and low arsenic-contaminated (Matlab, <20 μg/L) areas in Bangladesh. Drinking water and stool from mothers and their children (<1 year) were collected from 50 households per area. AR-Ec was detected via selective culture plating and isolates were tested for antibiotic resistance, arsenic resistance, and diarrheagenic genes by PCR. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) analysis was done for 30 E. coli isolates from 10 households. Prevalence of AR-Ec was significantly higher in water in Hajiganj (48%) compared to water in Matlab (22%, p <0.05) and among children in Hajiganj (94%) compared to children in Matlab (76%, p <0.05), but not among mothers. A significantly higher proportion of E. coli isolates from Hajiganj were multidrug-resistant (83%) compared to isolates from Matlab (71%, p <0.05). Co-resistance to arsenic and multiple antibiotics (MAR index >0.2) was observed in a higher proportion of water (78%) and child stool (100%) isolates in Hajiganj than in water (57%) and children (89%) in Matlab (p <0.05). The odds of arsenic-resistant bacteria being resistant to third-generation cephalosporin antibiotics were higher compared to arsenic-sensitive bacteria (odds ratios, OR 1.2-7.0, p <0.01). WGS-based phylogenetic analysis of E. coli isolates did not reveal any clustering based on arsenic exposure and no significant difference in resistome was found among the isolates between the two areas. The positive association detected between arsenic exposure and antibiotic resistance carriage among children in arsenic-affected areas in Bangladesh is an important public health concern that warrants redoubling efforts to reduce arsenic exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammed Badrul Amin
- Laboratory of Food Safety and One Health, Laboratory Sciences and Services Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Prabhat Kumar Talukdar
- Paul G. Allen School for Global Health, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, United States of America
| | - Muhammad Asaduzzaman
- Laboratory of Food Safety and One Health, Laboratory Sciences and Services Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Dhaka, Bangladesh
- Department of Community Medicine and Global Health, Institute of Health and Society, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Subarna Roy
- Laboratory of Food Safety and One Health, Laboratory Sciences and Services Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Brandon M. Flatgard
- Paul G. Allen School for Global Health, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, United States of America
| | - Md. Rayhanul Islam
- Laboratory of Food Safety and One Health, Laboratory Sciences and Services Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Sumita Rani Saha
- Laboratory of Food Safety and One Health, Laboratory Sciences and Services Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Yushuf Sharker
- Center for Data Research and Analytics LLC, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Zahid Hayat Mahmud
- Laboratory of Environmental Health, Laboratory Sciences and Services Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Tala Navab-Daneshmand
- School of Chemical, Biological, and Environmental Engineering, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Molly L. Kile
- School of Biological and Population Health Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Karen Levy
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Washington, United States of America
| | - Timothy R. Julian
- Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - Mohammad Aminul Islam
- Laboratory of Food Safety and One Health, Laboratory Sciences and Services Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Dhaka, Bangladesh
- Paul G. Allen School for Global Health, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, United States of America
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23
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Metcalf R, White HL, Moresco V, Ormsby MJ, Oliver DM, Quilliam RS. Sewage-associated plastic waste washed up on beaches can act as a reservoir for faecal bacteria, potential human pathogens, and genes for antimicrobial resistance. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2022; 180:113766. [PMID: 35635882 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.113766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Revised: 05/13/2022] [Accepted: 05/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Sewage-associated plastic wastes, such as wet wipes and cotton bud sticks, commonly wash up on beaches; however, it is unclear whether this represents a public health risk. In this study, sewage-associated plastic waste, and naturally occurring substrates (seaweed and sand), were collected from ten beaches along the Firth of Forth estuary (Scotland, UK) and analysed using selective media for the faecal indicator organisms (FIOs) E. coli and intestinal enterococci (IE), and potential human pathogens (Vibrio spp.). Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) analysis was used to determine antibiotic resistance in selected strains. FIOs and Vibrio were more often associated with wet wipes and cotton bud sticks than with seaweed, and there was evidence of resistance to several antibiotics. This work demonstrates that plastics associated with sewage pollution can facilitate the survival and dissemination of FIOs and Vibrio and thus, could present an as yet unquantified potential risk to human health at the beach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Metcalf
- Biological and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK.
| | - Hannah L White
- Biological and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK
| | - Vanessa Moresco
- Biological and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK
| | - Michael J Ormsby
- Biological and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK
| | - David M Oliver
- Biological and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK
| | - Richard S Quilliam
- Biological and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK
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24
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Yu D, Ryu K, Zhi S, Otto SJG, Neumann NF. Naturalized Escherichia coli in Wastewater and the Co-evolution of Bacterial Resistance to Water Treatment and Antibiotics. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:810312. [PMID: 35707173 PMCID: PMC9189398 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.810312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Antibiotic resistance represents one of the most pressing concerns facing public health today. While the current antibiotic resistance crisis has been driven primarily by the anthropogenic overuse of antibiotics in human and animal health, recent efforts have revealed several important environmental dimensions underlying this public health issue. Antibiotic resistant (AR) microbes, AR genes, and antibiotics have all been found widespread in natural environments, reflecting the ancient origins of this phenomenon. In addition, modern societal advancements in sanitation engineering (i.e., sewage treatment) have also contributed to the dissemination of resistance, and concerningly, may also be promoting the evolution of resistance to water treatment. This is reflected in the recent characterization of naturalized wastewater strains of Escherichia coli-strains that appear to be adapted to live in wastewater (and meat packing plants). These strains carry a plethora of stress-resistance genes against common treatment processes, such as chlorination, heat, UV light, and advanced oxidation, mechanisms which potentially facilitate their survival during sewage treatment. These strains also carry an abundance of common antibiotic resistance genes, and evidence suggests that resistance to some antibiotics is linked to resistance to treatment (e.g., tetracycline resistance and chlorine resistance). As such, these naturalized E. coli populations may be co-evolving resistance against both antibiotics and water treatment. Recently, extraintestinal pathogenic strains of E. coli (ExPEC) have also been shown to exhibit phenotypic resistance to water treatment, seemingly associated with the presence of various shared genetic elements with naturalized wastewater E. coli. Consequently, some pathogenic microbes may also be evolving resistance to the two most important public health interventions for controlling infectious disease in modern society-antibiotic therapy and water treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Yu
- School of Public Health, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
- Antimicrobial Resistance – One Health Consortium, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Kanghee Ryu
- School of Public Health, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
- Antimicrobial Resistance – One Health Consortium, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Shuai Zhi
- School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
- The Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
| | - Simon J. G. Otto
- School of Public Health, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
- Antimicrobial Resistance – One Health Consortium, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Human-Environment-Animal Transdisciplinary Antimicrobial Resistance Research Group, School of Public Health, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
- Healthy Environments, Centre for Health Communities, School of Public Health, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Norman F. Neumann
- School of Public Health, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
- Antimicrobial Resistance – One Health Consortium, Calgary, AB, Canada
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25
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Li W, Mao F, Ng C, Jong MC, Goh SG, Charles FR, Ng OT, Marimuthu K, He Y, Gin KYH. Population-based variations of a core resistome revealed by urban sewage metagenome surveillance. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2022; 163:107185. [PMID: 35306253 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2022.107185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Revised: 03/10/2022] [Accepted: 03/13/2022] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Sewage-based surveillance is widely employed to understand the occurrence and distribution of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in urban community. However, there are limited studies which investigated the sewage of different sources within community. The present study used metagenomics to decipher the AMR profiles in five sources: local residence's source, animal source, migrant workers' source, clinical source , and urban wastewater treatment plant influent. A core resistome of ARGs was found across all samples, accounting for 81.4%-93.3% of the abundance of total resistome with only 17.3% diversity, irrespective of the sewage sources. Clinically relevant ARGs were identified in the core resistome across all wastewater sources. This included genes conferring resistance to beta-lactams as biomarkers of hospital sewage. The pet center wastewater showed a high abundance of genes encoding resistance to tetracycline, which is a commonly used veterinary antibiotic. The resistome profile of sewage from the migrant workers' dormitories showed a slight variation to that of the local residential population, suggesting possible differences in the human gut resistome of the foreign/migrant population, with biomarkers of genes encoding resistance to fosfomycin, fosmidomycin, kasugamycin, MLS, and polymyxin. The co-localization of ARGs and plasmid, MGEs and integrative and conjugative elements (ICEs) could explain variations in the core resistome, presumably a result of high antibiotic selection pressure. Further analysis showed a specific host-associated resistance pattern, in which core hosts mediated the core resistome profile. The core BMRGs were also co-localized with MGEs/ICEs and carried by core potential bacterial hosts. Local healthy population carried the lowest ARG load (copy number discharged by each person per day) but contributed the highest ARG burden (copy number discharged by the population). This study elucidates population-based variations of a core resistome, and further provides important insights into source tracking and management of AMR in urban environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenxuan Li
- NUS Environmental Research Institute, National University of Singapore, 5A Engineering Drive 1, #02-01 T-Lab Building, 117411 Singapore
| | - Feijian Mao
- Center for Eco-Environment Research, Nanjing Hydraulic Research Institute, Nanjing 210098, China
| | - Charmaine Ng
- NUS Environmental Research Institute, National University of Singapore, 5A Engineering Drive 1, #02-01 T-Lab Building, 117411 Singapore
| | - Mui Choo Jong
- NUS Environmental Research Institute, National University of Singapore, 5A Engineering Drive 1, #02-01 T-Lab Building, 117411 Singapore
| | - Shin Giek Goh
- NUS Environmental Research Institute, National University of Singapore, 5A Engineering Drive 1, #02-01 T-Lab Building, 117411 Singapore
| | - Francis Rathinam Charles
- NUS Environmental Research Institute, National University of Singapore, 5A Engineering Drive 1, #02-01 T-Lab Building, 117411 Singapore
| | - Oon Tek Ng
- National Centre for Infectious Diseases, Singapore; Department of Infectious Diseases, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore; Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
| | - Kalisvar Marimuthu
- National Centre for Infectious Diseases, Singapore; Department of Infectious Diseases, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore; Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
| | - Yiliang He
- Energy and Environmental Sustainability Solutions for Megacities (E2S2), Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE), 1 Create Way, 138602 Singapore; School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Karina Yew-Hoong Gin
- NUS Environmental Research Institute, National University of Singapore, 5A Engineering Drive 1, #02-01 T-Lab Building, 117411 Singapore; Energy and Environmental Sustainability Solutions for Megacities (E2S2), Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE), 1 Create Way, 138602 Singapore; Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, National University of Singapore, 1 Engineering Drive 2, E1A 07-03, 117576 Singapore.
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26
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Di Cesare A, Sabatino R, Yang Y, Brambilla D, Li P, Fontaneto D, Eckert EM, Corno G. Contribution of plasmidome, metal resistome and integrases to the persistence of the antibiotic resistome in aquatic environments. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2022; 297:118774. [PMID: 34974089 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.118774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Revised: 12/14/2021] [Accepted: 12/28/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are among the main hotspots of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in the environment. Previously, we demonstrated that, by increasing anthropogenic pollution, the antibiotic resistome persisted in the microbial community of rivers and lakes, independently by changes in community composition. In this study, we reanalysed the data to test for the relation of metal resistance genes (MRGs), plasmids, and integrons to the persistence of the antibiotic resistome. The experiment consisted in replicated co-cultures of riverine or lacustrine microbial communities and WWTP effluents in different proportions. Samples before (T0) and after a short period of incubation (TF) were collected and community metagenomic data were obtained by shotgun sequencing. The data were processed to annotate MRGs, plasmids, and integrases. The integrases stabilized in the aquatic environment following the degree of contamination with effluent water (in particular in one site), whereas MRGs and plasmids showed stochastic trajectories. These results confirm the potential correlation between integrons and anthropogenic pollution, and the reliability of intI1 as a pollution marker. Only in one site MRGs, plasmids, and ARGs were correlated, highlighting their partial contribution to the persistence of ARGs in surface waters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Di Cesare
- Water Research Institute (IRSA) - MEG Molecular Ecology Group, CNR - National Research Council of Italy, Largo Tonolli 50, 28922, Verbania, Italy.
| | - Raffaella Sabatino
- Water Research Institute (IRSA) - MEG Molecular Ecology Group, CNR - National Research Council of Italy, Largo Tonolli 50, 28922, Verbania, Italy
| | - Ying Yang
- School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, 519082, Zhuhai, China; Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), 519082, Zhuhai, China; Pearl River Estuary Marine Ecosystem Research Station, Ministry of Education, Zhuhai, 519082, China
| | - Diego Brambilla
- Water Research Institute (IRSA) - MEG Molecular Ecology Group, CNR - National Research Council of Italy, Largo Tonolli 50, 28922, Verbania, Italy
| | - Pu Li
- School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, 519082, Zhuhai, China; Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), 519082, Zhuhai, China; Pearl River Estuary Marine Ecosystem Research Station, Ministry of Education, Zhuhai, 519082, China
| | - Diego Fontaneto
- Water Research Institute (IRSA) - MEG Molecular Ecology Group, CNR - National Research Council of Italy, Largo Tonolli 50, 28922, Verbania, Italy
| | - Ester M Eckert
- Water Research Institute (IRSA) - MEG Molecular Ecology Group, CNR - National Research Council of Italy, Largo Tonolli 50, 28922, Verbania, Italy
| | - Gianluca Corno
- Water Research Institute (IRSA) - MEG Molecular Ecology Group, CNR - National Research Council of Italy, Largo Tonolli 50, 28922, Verbania, Italy
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Wickramarachchi A, Lin Y. GraphPlas: Refined Classification of Plasmid Sequences Using Assembly Graphs. IEEE/ACM TRANSACTIONS ON COMPUTATIONAL BIOLOGY AND BIOINFORMATICS 2022; 19:57-67. [PMID: 34029192 DOI: 10.1109/tcbb.2021.3082915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Plasmids are extra-chromosomal genetic materials with important markers that affect the function and behaviour of the microorganisms supporting their environmental adaptations. Hence the identification and recovery of such plasmid sequences from assemblies is a crucial task in metagenomics analysis. In the past, machine learning approaches have been developed to separate chromosomes and plasmids. However, there is always a compromise between precision and recall in the existing classification approaches. The similarity of compositions between chromosomes and their plasmids makes it difficult to separate plasmids and chromosomes with high accuracy. However, high confidence classifications are accurate with a significant compromise of recall, and vice versa. Hence, the requirement exists to have more sophisticated approaches to separate plasmids and chromosomes accurately while retaining an acceptable trade-off between precision and recall. We present GraphPlas, a novel approach for plasmid recovery using coverage, composition and assembly graph topology. We evaluated GraphPlas on simulated and real short read assemblies with varying compositions of plasmids and chromosomes. Our experiments show that GraphPlas is able to significantly improve accuracy in detecting plasmid and chromosomal contigs on top of popular state-of-the-art plasmid detection tools. The source code is freely available at: https://github.com/anuradhawick/GraphPlas.
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Long range PCR reveals the genetic cargo of IncP-1 plasmids in the complex microbial community of an on-farm biopurification system treating pesticide contaminated wastewater. Appl Environ Microbiol 2021; 88:e0164821. [PMID: 34878814 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01648-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Promiscuous plasmids like IncP-1 plasmids play an important role in the bacterial adaptation to pollution by acquiring and distributing xenobiotic catabolic genes. However, most information comes from isolates and the role of plasmids in governing community-wide bacterial adaptation to xenobiotics and other adaptive forces is not fully understood. Current information on the contribution of IncP-1 plasmids in community adaptation is limited because methods are lacking that directly isolate and identify the plasmid borne adaptive functions in whole-community DNA. In this study, we optimized long range PCR to directly access and identify the cargo carried by IncP-1 plasmids in environmental DNA. The DNA between the IncP-1 backbone genes trbP and traC, a main insertion site of adaptive trait determinants, is amplified and its content analysed by high-throughput sequencing. The method was applied to DNA of an on-farm biopurification system (BPS), treating pesticide contaminated wastewater, to examine whether horizontal gene exchange of catabolic functions by IncP-1 plasmids is a main driver of community adaptation in BPS. The cargo recovered from BPS community DNA, encoded catabolic but also resistance traits and various other (un)known functions. Unexpectedly, catabolic traits composed only a minor fraction of the cargo, indicating that the IncP-1 region between trbP and traC is not a major contributor to catabolic adaptation of the BPS microbiome. Instead, it contains a functionally diverse set of genes which either may assist biodegradation functions, be remnants of random gene recruitment, or confer other crucial functions for proliferation in the BPS environment. IMPORTANCE This study presents a long range PCR for direct and cultivation-independent access to the identity of the cargo of a major insertion hot spot of adaptive genes in IncP-1 plasmids and hence a new mobilome tool for understanding the role of IncP-1 plasmids in complex communities. The method was applied to DNA of an on-farm biopurification system (BPS) treating pesticide-contaminated wastewater, aiming at new insights on whether horizontal exchange of catabolic functions by IncP-1 plasmids is a main driver of community adaptation in BPS. Unexpectedly, catabolic functions represented a small fraction of the cargo genes while multiple other gene functions were recovered. These results show that the cargo of the target insertion hot spot in IncP-1 plasmids in a community, not necessarily relates to the main selective trait imposed on that community. Instead these functions might contribute to adaptation to unknown selective forces or represent remnants of random gene recruitment.
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Bombaywala S, Purohit HJ, Dafale NA. Mobility of antibiotic resistance and its co-occurrence with metal resistance in pathogens under oxidative stress. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2021; 297:113315. [PMID: 34298350 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.113315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2021] [Revised: 07/08/2021] [Accepted: 07/16/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The bacterial communities are challenged with oxidative stress during their exposure to bactericidal antibiotics, metals, and different levels of dissolved oxygen (DO) encountered in diverse environmental habitats. The frequency of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and metal resistance genes (MRGs) co-selection is increased by selective pressure posed by oxidative stress. Hence, study of resistance acquisition is important from an evolutionary perspective. To understand the dependence of oxidative stress on the dissemination of ARGs and MRGs through a pathogenic bacterial population, 12 metagenomes belonging to gut, water and soil habitats were evaluated. The metagenome-wide analysis showed the chicken gut to pose the most diverse pool of ARGs (30.4 ppm) and pathogenic bacteria (Simpson diversity = 0.98). The most common types of resistances found in all the environmental samples were efflux pumps (13.22 ppm) and genes conferring resistance to vancomycin (12.4 ppm), tetracycline (12.1 ppm), or beta-lactam (9.4 ppm) antibiotics. Additionally, limiting DO level in soil was observed to increase the abundance of excision nucleases (uvrA and uvrB), DNA polymerase (polA), catalases (katG), and other oxidative stress response genes (OSGs). This was further evident from major variations occurred in antibiotic efflux genes due to the effect of DO concentration on two human pathogens, namely Salmonella enterica and Shigella sonnei found in all the selected habitats. In conclusion, the microbial community, when challenged with oxidative stress caused by environmental variations in oxygen level, tends to accumulate higher amounts of ARGs with increased dissemination potential through triggering non-lethal mutagenesis. Furthermore, the genetic linkage or co-occurrence of ARGs and MRGs provides evidence for selecting ARGs under high concentrations of heavy metals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sakina Bombaywala
- Environmental Biotechnology & Genomics Division, CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), Nehru Marg, Nagpur, 4400 20, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India
| | - Hemant J Purohit
- Environmental Biotechnology & Genomics Division, CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), Nehru Marg, Nagpur, 4400 20, India
| | - Nishant A Dafale
- Environmental Biotechnology & Genomics Division, CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), Nehru Marg, Nagpur, 4400 20, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India.
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Gaulke CA, Schmeltzer ER, Dasenko M, Tyler BM, Vega Thurber R, Sharpton TJ. Evaluation of the Effects of Library Preparation Procedure and Sample Characteristics on the Accuracy of Metagenomic Profiles. mSystems 2021; 6:e0044021. [PMID: 34636674 PMCID: PMC8510527 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00440-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2021] [Accepted: 09/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Shotgun metagenomic sequencing has transformed our understanding of microbial community ecology. However, preparing metagenomic libraries for high-throughput DNA sequencing remains a costly, labor-intensive, and time-consuming procedure, which in turn limits the utility of metagenomes. Several library preparation procedures have recently been developed to offset these costs, but it is unclear how these newer procedures compare to current standards in the field. In particular, it is not clear if all such procedures perform equally well across different types of microbial communities or if features of the biological samples being processed (e.g., DNA amount) impact the accuracy of the approach. To address these questions, we assessed how five different shotgun DNA sequence library preparation methods, including the commonly used Nextera Flex kit, perform when applied to metagenomic DNA. We measured each method's ability to produce metagenomic data that accurately represent the underlying taxonomic and genetic diversity of the community. We performed these analyses across a range of microbial community types (e.g., soil, coral associated, and mouse gut associated) and input DNA amounts. We find that the type of community and amount of input DNA influence each method's performance, indicating that careful consideration may be needed when selecting between methods, especially for low-complexity communities. However, the cost-effective preparation methods that we assessed are generally comparable to the current gold-standard Nextera DNA Flex kit for high-complexity communities. Overall, the results from this analysis will help expand and even facilitate access to metagenomic approaches in future studies. IMPORTANCE Metagenomic library preparation methods and sequencing technologies continue to advance rapidly, allowing researchers to characterize microbial communities in previously underexplored environmental samples and systems. However, widely accepted standardized library preparation methods can be cost-prohibitive. Newly available approaches may be less expensive, but their efficacy in comparison to standardized methods remains unknown. In this study, we compared five different metagenomic library preparation methods. We evaluated each method across a range of microbial communities varying in complexity and quantity of input DNA. Our findings demonstrate the importance of considering sample properties, including community type, composition, and DNA amount, when choosing the most appropriate metagenomic library preparation method.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher A. Gaulke
- Department of Microbiology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
| | | | - Mark Dasenko
- Center for Quantitative Life Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
| | - Brett M. Tyler
- Center for Quantitative Life Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
| | | | - Thomas J. Sharpton
- Department of Microbiology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
- Center for Quantitative Life Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
- Department of Statistics, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
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Lu XM, Liu XP. Distribution of Metal Resistance Genes in Estuarine Sediments and Associated Key Impact Factors. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2021; 82:581-590. [PMID: 33511436 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-021-01699-7] [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: 11/05/2020] [Accepted: 01/20/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Currently, little is known about the distribution of metal resistance genes (MRGs) in estuarine sediments. In this study, we used the high-throughput quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (HT-qPCR) to determine the distribution of MRGs in the sediments of an estuary system and the associated key impact factors. The relative abundance of the detected MRGs showed a decreasing trend from the river inlet toward the sea and a decrease from the middle area of the estuary to the near-shore areas on both sides; these decreases were higher in the summer than in the winter. In the estuary system during the summer, the abundance of Zn- and Cu-MRGs from the river inlet to the sea decreased by 99.5% and 93.6%, whereas those of Hg- and Cd-Zn-Co-MRGs increased by 51.5% and 16.7%, respectively. Moreover, the abundance of Zn- and Cu-MRGs in the winter decreased by 88.6% and 97.7%, respectively, whereas that of Cd-Bi-Zn-Pb-MRGs increased by 729.6%. Furthermore, the abundances of MRGs and mobile genetic elements (MGEs) were significantly positively correlated with the levels of antibiotic residues and heavy metals as well as with the particle size and total organic carbon content of the sediment; however, they were significantly negatively correlated with seawater salinity and the oxidation and reduction potential (Eh) and pH of the sediment. The abundance of MGEs was significantly positively correlated with the abundance of MRGs in the sediment. Our findings suggest that antibiotic residues facilitated the proliferation and propagation of MRGs by promoting MGEs in estuarine sediments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Ming Lu
- Urban Water Supply and Drainage System Safety and Energy Saving Engineering Technology Center, Fujian University of Technology, Fuzhou, 350118, China.
| | - Xue-Ping Liu
- Urban Water Supply and Drainage System Safety and Energy Saving Engineering Technology Center, Fujian University of Technology, Fuzhou, 350118, China
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Martin C, Stebbins B, Ajmani A, Comendul A, Hamner S, Hasan NA, Colwell R, Ford T. Nanopore-based metagenomics analysis reveals prevalence of mobile antibiotic and heavy metal resistome in wastewater. ECOTOXICOLOGY (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2021; 30:1572-1585. [PMID: 33459951 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-020-02342-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/25/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
In-depth studies of the microbiome and mobile resistome profile of different environments is central to understanding the role of the environment in antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which is one of the urgent threats to global public health. In this study, we demonstrated the use of a rapid (and easily portable) sequencing approach coupled with user-friendly bioinformatics tools, the MinION (Oxford Nanopore Technologies), on the evaluation of the microbial as well as mobile metal and antibiotic resistome profile of semi-rural wastewater. A total of 20 unique phyla, 43 classes, 227 genera, and 469 species were identified in samples collected from the Amherst Wastewater Treatment Plant, both from primary and secondary treated wastewater. Alpha diversity indices indicated that primary samples were significantly richer and more microbially diverse than secondary samples. A total of 1041 ARGs, 68 MRGs, and 17 MGEs were detected in this study. There were more classes of AMR genes in primary than secondary wastewater, but in both cases multidrug, beta-lactam and peptide AMR predominated. Of note, OXA β-lactamases, some of which are also carbapenemases, were enriched in secondary samples. Metal resistance genes against arsenic, copper, zinc and molybdenum were the dominant MRGs in the majority of the samples. A larger proportion of resistome genes were located in chromosome-derived sequences except for mobilome genes, which were predominantly located in plasmid-derived sequences. Genetic elements related to transposase were the most common MGEs in all samples. Mobile or MGE/plasmid-associated resistome genes that confer resistance to last resort antimicrobials such as carbapenems and colistin were detected in most samples. Worryingly, several of these potentially transferable genes were found to be carried by clinically-relevant hosts including pathogenic bacterial species in the orders Aeromonadales, Clostridiales, Enterobacterales and Pseudomonadales. This study demonstrated that the MinION can be used as a metagenomics approach to evaluate the microbiome, resistome, and mobilome profile of primary and secondary wastewater.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Asha Ajmani
- University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA
| | | | | | - Nur A Hasan
- Center for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA
| | - Rita Colwell
- Center for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA
| | - Timothy Ford
- University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA, 01854, USA.
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Amirsoleimani A, Brion G, Francois P. Co-Carriage of Metal and Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Sewage Associated Staphylococci. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:genes12101473. [PMID: 34680871 PMCID: PMC8535820 DOI: 10.3390/genes12101473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2021] [Revised: 09/21/2021] [Accepted: 09/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Controlling spread of resistance genes from wastewater to aquatic systems requires more knowledge on how resistance genes are acquired and transmitted. Whole genomic sequences from sewage-associated staphylococcus isolates (20 S. aureus, 2 Staphylococcus warneri, and 2 Staphylococcus delphini) were analyzed for the presence of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and metal resistance genes (MRGs). Plasmid sequences were identified in each isolate to investigate co-carriage of ARGs and MRGs within. BLASTN analysis showed that 67% of the isolates carried more than one ARG. The carriage of multiple plasmids was observed more in CC5 than CC8 S. aureus strains. Plasmid exchange was observed in all staphylococcus species except the two S. delphini isolates that carried multiple MRGs, no ARGs, and no plasmids. 85% of S. aureus isolates carried the blaZ gene, 76% co-carried blaZ with cadD and cadX, with 62% of these isolates carrying blaZ, cadD, and cadX on the same plasmid. The co-carriage of ARGs and MRGs in S. warneri isolates, and carriage of MRGs in S. delphini, without plasmids suggests non-conjugative transmission routes for gene acquisition. More studies are required that focus on the transduction and transformation routes of transmission to prevent interspecies exchange of ARGs and MRGs in sewage-associated systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atena Amirsoleimani
- Department of Civil Engineering, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506, USA;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-(859)257-4467
| | - Gail Brion
- Department of Civil Engineering, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506, USA;
| | - Patrice Francois
- Genomic Research Laboratory, Infectious Diseases Department, University Medical Center, 364-8501 Geneva, Switzerland;
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34
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Sun Y, Clarke B, Clarke J, Li X. Predicting antibiotic resistance gene abundance in activated sludge using shotgun metagenomics and machine learning. WATER RESEARCH 2021; 202:117384. [PMID: 34233249 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2021.117384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Revised: 06/06/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
While the microbiome of activated sludge (AS) in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) plays a vital role in shaping the resistome, identifying the potential bacterial hosts of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in WWTPs remains challenging. The objective of this study is to explore the feasibility of using a machine learning approach, random forests (RF's), to identify the strength of associations between ARGs and bacterial taxa in metagenomic datasets from the activated sludge of WWTPs. Our results show that the abundance of select ARGs can be predicted by RF's using abundant genera (Candidatus Accumulibacter, Dechloromonas, Pesudomonas, and Thauera, etc.), (opportunistic) pathogens and indicators (Bacteroides, Clostridium, and Streptococcus, etc.), and nitrifiers (Nitrosomonas and Nitrospira, etc.) as explanatory variables. The correlations between predicted and observed abundance of ARGs (erm(B), tet(O), tet(Q), etc.) ranged from medium (0.400 < R2 < 0.600) to strong (R2 > 0.600) when validated on testing datasets. Compared to those belonging to the other two groups, individual genera in the group of (opportunistic) pathogens and indicator bacteria had more positive functional relationships with select ARGs, suggesting genera in this group (e.g., Bacteroides, Clostridium, and Streptococcus) may be hosts of select ARGs. Furthermore, RF's with (opportunistic) pathogens and indicators as explanatory variables were used to predict the abundance of select ARGs in a full-scale WWTP successfully. Machine learning approaches such as RF's can potentially identify bacterial hosts of ARGs and reveal possible functional relationships between the ARGs and microbial community in the AS of WWTPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuepeng Sun
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 900N. 16th St, W150D Nebraska Hall, Lincoln, NE 68588-0531, United States
| | - Bertrand Clarke
- Department of Statistics, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68583, United States
| | - Jennifer Clarke
- Department of Statistics, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68583, United States; Department of Food Science and Technology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588
| | - Xu Li
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 900N. 16th St, W150D Nebraska Hall, Lincoln, NE 68588-0531, United States.
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Abstract
Bacteria acquire novel DNA through horizontal gene transfer (HGT), a process that enables an organism to rapidly adapt to changing environmental conditions, provides a competitive edge and potentially alters its relationship with its host. Although the HGT process is routinely exploited in laboratories, there is a surprising disconnect between what we know from laboratory experiments and what we know from natural environments, such as the human gut microbiome. Owing to a suite of newly available computational algorithms and experimental approaches, we have a broader understanding of the genes that are being transferred and are starting to understand the ecology of HGT in natural microbial communities. This Review focuses on these new technologies, the questions they can address and their limitations. As these methods are applied more broadly, we are beginning to recognize the full extent of HGT possible within a microbiome and the punctuated dynamics of HGT, specifically in response to external stimuli. Furthermore, we are better characterizing the complex selective pressures on mobile genetic elements and the mechanisms by which they interact with the bacterial host genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilana Lauren Brito
- Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.
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36
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Zhang Y, Mao Q, Su YA, Zhang H, Liu H, Fu B, Su Z, Wen D. Thermophilic rather than mesophilic sludge anaerobic digesters possess lower antibiotic resistant genes abundance. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2021; 329:124924. [PMID: 33691205 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2021.124924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2021] [Revised: 02/23/2021] [Accepted: 02/24/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
For exploring the impact of temperature on antibiotic resistant genes (ARGs) during sludge anaerobic digestion (AD), the dynamic variations of sludge ARGs, plasmid ARGs, and cell-free ARGs in mesophilic (25 °C and 35 °C) and thermophilic (55 °C) digesters were investigated. The study revealed that the abundance of sludge ARGs and plasmid ARGs in thermophilic sludge AD was significantly lower than that in mesophilic digesters, while the cell-free ARGs abundance of the thermophilic digesters was similar to mesophilic digesters. Higher archaea abundance, lower bacteria abundance, and different microbial community were found in thermophilic digesters compared to that of mesophilic ones. Firmicutes might be a main group of potential hosts of ARGs in sludge AD. The distinct microbial community was the main contributor to the low ARGs abundance in thermophilic sludge AD. Thermophilic operation at 55 °C rather than mesophilic operation is more conducive to control ARGs in sludge anaerobic digestion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Zhang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Anaerobic Biotechnology, School of Environment and Civil Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China; Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Water Treatment Technology and Material, Suzhou 215011, China
| | - Qiuyan Mao
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Anaerobic Biotechnology, School of Environment and Civil Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Yu-Ao Su
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Anaerobic Biotechnology, School of Environment and Civil Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Huimin Zhang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Anaerobic Biotechnology, School of Environment and Civil Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - He Liu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Anaerobic Biotechnology, School of Environment and Civil Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China; Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Water Treatment Technology and Material, Suzhou 215011, China.
| | - Bo Fu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Anaerobic Biotechnology, School of Environment and Civil Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China; Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Water Treatment Technology and Material, Suzhou 215011, China
| | - Zhiguo Su
- College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Donghui Wen
- College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
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Priya P, Aneesh B, Harikrishnan K. Genomics as a potential tool to unravel the rhizosphere microbiome interactions on plant health. J Microbiol Methods 2021; 185:106215. [PMID: 33839214 DOI: 10.1016/j.mimet.2021.106215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2020] [Revised: 04/05/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Intense agricultural practices to meet rising food demands have caused ecosystem perturbations. For sustainable crop production, biological agents are gaining attention, but exploring their functional potential on a multi-layered complex ecosystem like the rhizosphere is challenging. This review explains the significance of genomics as a culture-independent molecular tool to understand the diversity and functional significance of the rhizosphere microbiome for sustainable agriculture. It discusses the recent significant studies in the rhizosphere environment carried out using evolving techniques like metagenomics, metatranscriptomics, and metaproteomics, their challenges, constraints infield application, and prospective solutions. The recent advances in techniques such as nanotechnology for the development of bioformulations and visualization techniques contemplating environmental safety were also discussed. The need for development of metagenomic data sets of regionally important crops, their plant microbial interactions and agricultural practices for narrowing down significant data from huge databases have been suggested. The role of taxonomical and functional diversity of soil microbiota in understanding soil suppression and part played by the microbial metabolites in the process have been analyzed and discussed in the context of 'omics' approach. 'Omics' studies have revealed important information about microbial diversity, their responses to various biotic and abiotic stimuli, and the physiology of disease suppression. This can be translated to crop sustainability and combinational approaches with advancing visualization and analysis methodologies fix the existing knowledge gap to a huge extend. With improved data processing and standardization of the methods, details of plant-microbe interactions can be successfully decoded to develop sustainable agricultural practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Priya
- Environmental Biology Lab, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India.
| | - B Aneesh
- Department of Marine Biology, Microbiology and Biochemistry, School of Marine Sciences Cochin University of Science and Technology, Cochin, Kerala, India.
| | - K Harikrishnan
- Environmental Biology Lab, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India.
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38
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Zhou C, Pan Y, Ge S, Coulon F, Yang Z. Rapid methods for antimicrobial resistance diagnosis in contaminated soils for effective remediation strategy. Trends Analyt Chem 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.trac.2021.116203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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Lapidus AL, Korobeynikov AI. Metagenomic Data Assembly - The Way of Decoding Unknown Microorganisms. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:613791. [PMID: 33833738 PMCID: PMC8021871 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.613791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2020] [Accepted: 03/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Metagenomics is a segment of conventional microbial genomics dedicated to the sequencing and analysis of combined genomic DNA of entire environmental samples. The most critical step of the metagenomic data analysis is the reconstruction of individual genes and genomes of the microorganisms in the communities using metagenomic assemblers - computational programs that put together small fragments of sequenced DNA generated by sequencing instruments. Here, we describe the challenges of metagenomic assembly, a wide spectrum of applications in which metagenomic assemblies were used to better understand the ecology and evolution of microbial ecosystems, and present one of the most efficient microbial assemblers, SPAdes that was upgraded to become applicable for metagenomics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alla L. Lapidus
- Center for Algorithmic Biotechnology, St. Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg, Russia
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40
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Monitoring Microbial Populations and Antibiotic Resistance Gene Enrichment Associated with Arctic Waste Stabilization Ponds. Appl Environ Microbiol 2021; 87:AEM.02914-20. [PMID: 33452030 PMCID: PMC8091602 DOI: 10.1128/aem.02914-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2020] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Given that the microbial communities of Arctic waste stabilization ponds (WSPs) are poorly studied to date, our characterization of multiple WSP systems and time points provides important baseline data that will assist with ongoing monitoring of effluent impacts on downstream aquatic ecosystems in the Arctic. This research also identifies indicator amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) of WSPs that will be helpful for future monitoring for WSP effluent attenuation and demonstrates that WSP microbial communities are enriched in antibiotic resistance genes. Wastewater management in the Canadian Arctic is challenging due to climate extremes, small population sizes, and lack of conventional infrastructure for wastewater treatment. Although many northern communities use waste stabilization ponds (WSPs) as their primary form of wastewater treatment, few studies have explored WSP microbial communities and assessed effluent impacts on receiving waters from a microbiological perspective. Here, we used 16S rRNA gene and metagenome sequencing to characterize WSP and receiving water microbial communities for two time points bracketing the spring WSP thaw in Baker Lake (Nunavut) and compared these results to other Nunavut WSPs in Cambridge Bay and Kugluktuk. Most amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) recovered from these WSP samples belonged to the phylum Proteobacteria, with considerable variation between the three locations and only six ASVs shared among the WSPs at >0.2% relative abundance. Wastewater indicator ASVs for the Baker Lake WSP were identified, and few indicator ASVs were detected in samples originating from other upstream or downstream sites. The metagenomic data revealed a strong enrichment of antibiotic resistance genes for WSP samples relative to downstream and reference samples, especially for genes associated with macrolide resistance. Together, our results provide a baseline characterization for WSP microbial communities, demonstrate how indicator ASVs can be used to monitor attenuation and dilution of effluent microorganisms, and reveal that WSPs can serve as hot spots for antibiotic resistance genes. IMPORTANCE Given that the microbial communities of Arctic waste stabilization ponds (WSPs) are poorly studied to date, our characterization of multiple WSP systems and time points provides important baseline data that will assist with ongoing monitoring of effluent impacts on downstream aquatic ecosystems in the Arctic. This research also identifies indicator amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) of WSPs that will be helpful for future monitoring for WSP effluent attenuation and demonstrates that WSP microbial communities are enriched in antibiotic resistance genes. Given operational and infrastructure changes anticipated for wastewater treatment systems in the Arctic, baseline data such as these are essential for further development of safe and effective wastewater treatment systems.
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Yang Y, Chen Y, Cai Y, Xing S, Mi J, Liao X. The relationship between culturable doxycycline-resistant bacterial communities and antibiotic resistance gene hosts in pig farm wastewater treatment plants. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2020; 206:111164. [PMID: 32858327 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2020.111164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2020] [Revised: 08/03/2020] [Accepted: 08/10/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Pig farm wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are an important repository for resistant bacterial communities (RBCs) and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). However, the relationship between RBCs and ARG hosts has not been well characterized. In this study, water samples from influent and effluent from five pig farm WWTPs were collected. Gradient concentrations of doxycycline (DOX) were used to screen the culturable RBCs. The abundance of 21 subtypes of ARGs and the bacterial community were investigated. This study detected a large number of culturable DOX-RBCs and ARGs in the influent and effluent of pig farm WWTPs. The abundances of ARGs and RBCs in all effluent samples was significantly lower than that in the influent samples (P < 0.05), which indicated that the WWTPs can effectively remove most ARGs and RBCs in pig farm wastewater. The main potential culturable RBCs in pig farm wastewater were the dominant bacteria Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Pseudomonas, and Rheinheimera. However, most of the ARGs were mainly present in Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, Corynebacteriaceae, Macellibacteroides, Acinetobacter, and Enterobacteriaceae, which are considered potential ARG hosts. The results presented here showed that there were obvious differences between the species of culturable DOX-RBCs and ARG hosts in the pig farm WWTPs, which may be due to various environmental factors. This highlights the urgent need for further research on the relationship between RBCs and ARG hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiwen Yang
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China; National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, South China Agriculture University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Yingxi Chen
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China; National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, South China Agriculture University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Yingfeng Cai
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China; National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, South China Agriculture University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Sicheng Xing
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China; National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, South China Agriculture University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Jiandui Mi
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China; National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, South China Agriculture University, Guangzhou, 510642, China; Key Laboratory of Tropical Agricultural Environment, Ministry of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Xindi Liao
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China; National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, South China Agriculture University, Guangzhou, 510642, China; Key Laboratory of Tropical Agricultural Environment, Ministry of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China.
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Rios Miguel AB, Jetten MS, Welte CU. The role of mobile genetic elements in organic micropollutant degradation during biological wastewater treatment. WATER RESEARCH X 2020; 9:100065. [PMID: 32984801 PMCID: PMC7494797 DOI: 10.1016/j.wroa.2020.100065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Revised: 08/19/2020] [Accepted: 08/28/2020] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are crucial for producing clean effluents from polluting sources such as hospitals, industries, and municipalities. In recent decades, many new organic compounds have ended up in surface waters in concentrations that, while very low, cause (chronic) toxicity to countless organisms. These organic micropollutants (OMPs) are usually quite recalcitrant and not sufficiently removed during wastewater treatment. Microbial degradation plays a pivotal role in OMP conversion. Microorganisms can adapt their metabolism to the use of novel molecules via mutations and rearrangements of existing genes in new clusters. Many catabolic genes have been found adjacent to mobile genetic elements (MGEs), which provide a stable scaffold to host new catabolic pathways and spread these genes in the microbial community. These mobile systems could be engineered to enhance OMP degradation in WWTPs, and this review aims to summarize and better understand the role that MGEs might play in the degradation and wastewater treatment process. Available data about the presence of catabolic MGEs in WWTPs are reviewed, and current methods used to identify and measure MGEs in environmental samples are critically evaluated. Finally, examples of how these MGEs could be used to improve micropollutant degradation in WWTPs are outlined. In the near future, advances in the use of MGEs will hopefully enable us to apply selective augmentation strategies to improve OMP conversion in WWTPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana B. Rios Miguel
- Department of Microbiology, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525, AJ Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Mike S.M. Jetten
- Department of Microbiology, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525, AJ Nijmegen, the Netherlands
- Soehngen Institute of Anaerobic Microbiology, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525, AJ Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Cornelia U. Welte
- Department of Microbiology, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525, AJ Nijmegen, the Netherlands
- Soehngen Institute of Anaerobic Microbiology, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525, AJ Nijmegen, the Netherlands
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Guo XP, Zhao S, Chen YR, Yang J, Hou LJ, Liu M, Yang Y. Antibiotic resistance genes in sediments of the Yangtze Estuary: From 2007 to 2019. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 744:140713. [PMID: 32693274 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.140713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2020] [Revised: 07/01/2020] [Accepted: 07/01/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
To better understand the occurrence and succession of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in the environment, the investigation of ARGs in sediment for a long time scale is urgently needed. In this study, sediment samples were taken in the Yangtze Estuarine area from 2007 to 2019, and the interannual variations in ARGs and their possible physicochemical and socioeconomic influencing factors were analyzed. The results showed that the abundance of ARGs, including sul1, sul2, tetM, tetW, aac(6')-Ib and qnrS, was higher in recent years (from 2015 to 2019) than that in earlier years (from 2007 to 2011), and heavier ARG pollution was found in Wusongkou (WSK) samples than in Liuhekou (LHK) samples. According to the redundancy discriminant analysis (RDA) and correlation analysis, the antibiotics (especially individual antibiotic categories, including oxytetracycline, doxycycline hyclate and norfloxacin), metals and a metal resistance gene (zntA) and total organic carbon (TOC) showed significant correlations to ARGs. In addition, antibiotics, metals, TOC and ARGs were also significantly correlated with several socioeconomic indices. Furthermore, the extended STIRPAT model analysis revealed that the second industry product and the first industry product were the major socioeconomic driver factors for the ARG distribution at WSK and LHK, respectively. Overall, with socioeconomic development, antibiotics, metals, TOC and ARGs increased in sediment. In addition, antibiotics, metals and TOC may participate in the regulation of the occurrence and distribution of ARGs in the Yangtze Estuary for the long time scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xing-Pan Guo
- Key Laboratory of Geographic Information Science (Ministry of Education), School of Geographical Sciences, East China Normal University, 500 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Sai Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Geographic Information Science (Ministry of Education), School of Geographical Sciences, East China Normal University, 500 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Yu-Ru Chen
- Key Laboratory of Geographic Information Science (Ministry of Education), School of Geographical Sciences, East China Normal University, 500 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Jing Yang
- Key Laboratory of Geographic Information Science (Ministry of Education), School of Geographical Sciences, East China Normal University, 500 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Li-Jun Hou
- State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research, Yangtze Delta Estuarine Wetland Ecosystem Observation and Research Station, Ministry of Education & Shanghai, East China Normal University, 3663 North Zhongshan Road, Shanghai 200062, China; Institute of Eco-Chongming, East China Normal University, 500 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Min Liu
- Key Laboratory of Geographic Information Science (Ministry of Education), School of Geographical Sciences, East China Normal University, 500 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Yi Yang
- Key Laboratory of Geographic Information Science (Ministry of Education), School of Geographical Sciences, East China Normal University, 500 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200241, China; State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research, Yangtze Delta Estuarine Wetland Ecosystem Observation and Research Station, Ministry of Education & Shanghai, East China Normal University, 3663 North Zhongshan Road, Shanghai 200062, China; Institute of Eco-Chongming, East China Normal University, 500 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200241, China.
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Salam LB, Obayori OS. Remarkable shift in structural and functional properties of an animal charcoal-polluted soil accentuated by inorganic nutrient amendment. J Genet Eng Biotechnol 2020; 18:70. [PMID: 33175233 PMCID: PMC7658278 DOI: 10.1186/s43141-020-00089-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2020] [Accepted: 11/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
Background Soils polluted with animal charcoal from skin and hide cottage industries harbour extremely toxic and carcinogenic hydrocarbon pollutants and thus require a bio-based eco-friendly strategy for their depuration. The effects of carbon-free mineral medium (CFMM) amendment on hydrocarbon degradation and microbial community structure and function in an animal charcoal-polluted soil was monitored for 6 weeks in field moist microcosms consisting of CFMM-treated soil (FN4) and an untreated control (FN1). Hydrocarbon degradation was monitored using gas chromatography-flame ionization detector (GC-FID), and changes in microbial community structure were monitored using Kraken, while functional annotation of putative open reading frames (ORFs) was done using KEGG KofamKOALA and NCBI’s conserved domain database (CDD). Results Gas chromatographic analysis of hydrocarbon fractions revealed the removal of 84.02% and 82.38% aliphatic and 70.09% and 70.14% aromatic fractions in FN4 and FN1 microcosms in 42 days. Shotgun metagenomic analysis of the two metagenomes revealed a remarkable shift in the microbial community structure. In the FN4 metagenome, 92.97% of the population belong to the phylum Firmicutes and its dominant representative genera Anoxybacillus (64.58%), Bacillus (21.47%) and Solibacillus (2.39%). In untreated FN1 metagenome, the phyla Proteobacteria (56.12%), Actinobacteria (23.79%) and Firmicutes (11.20%), and the genera Xanthobacter (9.73%), Rhizobium (7.49%) and Corynebacterium (7.35%), were preponderant. Functional annotation of putative ORFs from the two metagenomes revealed the detection of degradation genes for aromatic hydrocarbons, benzoate, xylene, chlorocyclohexane/chlorobenzene, toluene and several others in FN1 metagenome. In the FN4 metagenome, only seven hydrocarbon degradation genes were detected. Conclusion This study revealed that though CFMM amendment slightly increases the rate of hydrocarbon degradation, it negatively impacts the structural and functional properties of the animal charcoal-polluted soil. It also revealed that intrinsic bioremediation of the polluted soil could be enhanced via addition of water and aeration. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s43141-020-00089-9.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lateef Babatunde Salam
- Department of Biological Sciences, Microbiology unit, Summit University, Offa, Kwara, Nigeria.
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Zhao R, Yu K, Zhang J, Zhang G, Huang J, Ma L, Deng C, Li X, Li B. Deciphering the mobility and bacterial hosts of antibiotic resistance genes under antibiotic selection pressure by metagenomic assembly and binning approaches. WATER RESEARCH 2020; 186:116318. [PMID: 32871290 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2020.116318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 140] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2020] [Revised: 08/15/2020] [Accepted: 08/18/2020] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
The presence of antibiotics can exert significant selection pressure on the emergence and spread of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB). However, co-selection effects for ARGs, the mobility of ARGs and the identification of ARG hosts under high antibiotic selection pressures are poorly understood. Here, metagenomic assembly and binning approaches were used to comprehensively decipher the prevalence of ARGs and their potential mobility and hosts in activated sludge reactors treating antibiotic production wastewater. We found the abundance of different ARG types in antibiotic treatments varied greatly and certain antibiotic pressure promoted the co-selection for the non-corresponding types of ARGs. Antibiotic selection pressures significantly increased the abundance and proportions of ARGs mediated by plasmids (57.9%), which were more prevalent than those encoded in chromosomes (19.2%). The results indicated that plasmids and chromosomes had a tendency to carry different types of ARGs. Moreover, higher co-occurrence frequency of ARGs and MGEs revealed that antibiotics enhanced the mobility potential of ARGs mediated by both plasmids and integrative and conjugative elements. Among the 689 metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) with high estimated quality, 119 MAGs assigning to nine bacterial phyla were identified as the ARG hosts and 33 MAGs exhibited possible multi-resistance to antibiotics. Some ARG types tended to be carried by certain bacteria (e.g. bacitracin resistance genes carried by the family Burkholderiaceae) and thus showed a pronounced host-specific pattern. This study enhances the understanding of the mobility and hosts of ARGs and provides important insights into the risk assessment and management of antibiotic resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renxin Zhao
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Research Center for Urban Water Recycling and Environmental Safety, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen 518055, China; Shenzhen Engineering Research Laboratory for Sludge and Food Waste Treatment and Resource Recovery, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Ke Yu
- School of Environment and Energy, Shenzhen Graduate School, Peking University, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Jiayu Zhang
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Research Center for Urban Water Recycling and Environmental Safety, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen 518055, China; Shenzhen Engineering Research Laboratory for Sludge and Food Waste Treatment and Resource Recovery, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Guijuan Zhang
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Research Center for Urban Water Recycling and Environmental Safety, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Jin Huang
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Research Center for Urban Water Recycling and Environmental Safety, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen 518055, China; Shenzhen Engineering Research Laboratory for Sludge and Food Waste Treatment and Resource Recovery, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Liping Ma
- Shanghai Key Laboratory for Urban Ecological Process and Eco-Restoration, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Chunfang Deng
- School of Environment and Energy, Shenzhen Graduate School, Peking University, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Xiaoyan Li
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Research Center for Urban Water Recycling and Environmental Safety, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen 518055, China; Shenzhen Engineering Research Laboratory for Sludge and Food Waste Treatment and Resource Recovery, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen 518055, China; Shenzhen Environmental Science and New Energy Laboratory, Tsinghua-Berkeley Shenzhen Institute, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Bing Li
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Research Center for Urban Water Recycling and Environmental Safety, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen 518055, China; Shenzhen Engineering Research Laboratory for Sludge and Food Waste Treatment and Resource Recovery, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen 518055, China.
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Ekwanzala MD, Dewar JB, Momba MNB. Environmental resistome risks of wastewaters and aquatic environments deciphered by shotgun metagenomic assembly. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2020; 197:110612. [PMID: 32302860 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2020.110612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2020] [Revised: 04/05/2020] [Accepted: 04/07/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
In this paper, we deciphered the core resistome disseminating from hospital wastewater to the aquatic environment by characterising the resistome, plasmidome, mobilome and virulome using metagenomic analysis. This study also elucidated different environmental resistome risks using shotgun-metagenomic assembly. The results showed that clinically relevant taxa were found in assessed matrices (Salmonella spp., Acinetobacter spp, Escherichia-Shigella spp., Pseudomonas spp., Staphylococcus spp. and Vibrio spp.). For the plasmidome, we found 249 core plasmidome sequences that were shared among all assessed matrices. The core mobilome of 2424 mobile genetic elements shared among all assessed matrices was found. Regarding the virulome, we found 148 core virulence factors shared among all assessed samples, and the core virulome content was consistently shared across the most abundant bacterial genera. Although influent of wastewater showed considerable higher relative bacterial abundance (P = 0.008), hospital wastewater showed significant higher environmental resistome risk scores against all other assessed matrices, with an average of 46.34% (P = 0.001). These results suggest hospital wastewater, effluent and sewage sludge should be subjected to stringent mitigating measures to minimise such dissemination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mutshiene Deogratias Ekwanzala
- Department of Environmental, Water and Earth Sciences, Tshwane University of Technology, Arcadia Campus, Private BagX680, Pretoria, 0001, South Africa.
| | - John Barr Dewar
- Department of Life and Consumer Sciences, University of South Africa, Florida Campus, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Maggy Ndombo Benteke Momba
- Department of Environmental, Water and Earth Sciences, Tshwane University of Technology, Arcadia Campus, Private BagX680, Pretoria, 0001, South Africa.
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Alessia E, Medina M, William R, Fahrenfeld N. Factors associated with elevated levels of antibiotic resistance genes in sewer sediments and wastewater. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE : WATER RESEARCH & TECHNOLOGY 2020; 6:1697-1710. [PMID: 34295504 PMCID: PMC8294613 DOI: 10.1039/d0ew00230e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
The sewer environment is a potential hotspot for the proliferation of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and other hazardous microbial agents. Understanding the potential for ARG proliferation and retardation and/or accumulation in sewer sediments is of interest for protecting the health of sewage workers and the broader community in the event of sewer overflows as well as for interpreting sewage epidemiology data. To better understand this understudied environment for antibiotic resistance, a field survey was conducted to identify the factors that may control ARGs in sewer sediments and sewage. qPCR was performed for select ARGs and amplicon sequencing was performed for paired samples from combined and separate sanitary sewer systems. Metagenomic sequencing was performed on combined sewer sediments. The relative abundances of sul1, tet(O), tet(W), ermF, and vanA were higher in wastewater compared to sewer sediments, while NDM-1 was greater in sewer sediment and ermF was similar between the two matrices. NDM-1 was observed in sewer sediment but rarely above detection in wastewater in this study. This may indicate that larger/more frequent wastewater samples are needed for detection and/or that retardation and/or accumulation in sewage sediment may need to be considered when interpreting wastewater-based epidemiology data for ARGs. Random forest analyses indicated that season and conductivity were important variables and to a lesser extent so were pH, TSS, heavy metals, and sewer type for explaining the variance of the ARGs. These variables explained the 19-61% of the variance of sul1, tet(O), tet(G), and tet(W) quantified in wastewater. These variables performed less well for explaining the variance in sewer sediments (0.2-24%). Sewer sediment and wastewater had distinct microbial community structures and biomarkers for each are described. Metagenomics indicated that a high diversity of ARGs, including several of medical importance, were observed in the combined sewer sediment. This work provides insight into the complex sewer microbiome and the potential hazard posed by different sewer matrices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eramo Alessia
- Civil & Environmental Engineering, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 500 Bartholomew Rd., Piscataway, NJ 08854
| | - Morales Medina
- Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
| | - R. William
- Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
| | - N.L. Fahrenfeld
- Civil & Environmental Engineering, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 500 Bartholomew Rd., Piscataway, NJ 08854
- , 1-848-445-8416
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Li Y, Jing H, Kao SJ, Zhang W, Liu H. Metabolic response of prokaryotic microbes to sporadic hypoxia in a eutrophic subtropical estuary. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2020; 154:111064. [PMID: 32319898 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.111064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2019] [Revised: 03/08/2020] [Accepted: 03/10/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Coastal eutrophication and consequent oxygen depletion (hypoxia) occurs worldwide due to increased human activity. The paucity of genomic information of microbes in hypoxia prone coastal waters have hindered our understanding of microorganism related causation and adaption to the environment. Here, using metagenomic approach, we investigated microbial metabolic capability in heavily polluted Pearl River estuary. Our results highlighted the possible roles of microbial metabolic activity in the formation of bottom water hypoxia by revealing enriched organic degradation related microbial genes in the bottom layer beneath surface phytoplankton bloom. Microbial nitrate reduction in hypoxia layer was low, possibly due to the low pH and fluctuating oxygen level. On contrary, high abundance of sulfate-reducing, and antibiotic and metal resistance related genes were detected in bottom and surface layers, respectively, indicating microbial adaptation to oxygen depletion and pollution. Our study provides gene level information on the interactive relations between microbial functions and environmental stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingdong Li
- Department of Ocean Science, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Kowloon, China
| | - Hongmei Jing
- CAS Key Laboratory for Experimental Study under Deep-sea Extreme Conditions, Institute of Deep-sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya, China
| | - Shuh-Ji Kao
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Weipeng Zhang
- Department of Ocean Science, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Kowloon, China
| | - Hongbin Liu
- Department of Ocean Science, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Kowloon, China; Hong Kong Branch of Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China.
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Yuan QB, Zhai YF, Mao BY, Schwarz C, Hu N. Fates of antibiotic resistance genes in a distributed swine wastewater treatment plant. WATER ENVIRONMENT RESEARCH : A RESEARCH PUBLICATION OF THE WATER ENVIRONMENT FEDERATION 2019; 91:1565-1575. [PMID: 31004530 DOI: 10.1002/wer.1125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2018] [Revised: 04/04/2019] [Accepted: 04/13/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
This study explores the prevalence, emission, and reduction of five ARGs (sulI, tetA, mphB, qnrD, and mcr-1) and integron (intI) through a distributed swine wastewater purification facility and the effluent-receiving environment. Typical metal resistance genes (MRGs), pathogenic bacterial indicators, the bacterial community, and wastewater properties were also explored to determine their effects on the fates of ARGs. Results indicated that the purification process could hardly effectively remove ARGs' prevalence. 3.1 × 104 -7.1 × 108 copies/L were present after purification, and 4%-57% of them persisted in the subsequent creek and adjacent soil. 16S rRNA sequencing suggested that the discharge of wastewater significantly changed the bacterial community in receiving creek and soil. Molecular ecological networks analysis detected the wide co-occurrence among ARGs, MRGs, and PBGs, which could further facilitate the propagation of antibiotic resistance. ARG incidence and specific bacterial genera were closely correlated, suggesting an extensive hosting relationship. Redundancy analyses showed wastewater organics and nutrients showed positive correlation to most ARGs' abundance, but negatively correlated to their relative abundance. PRACTITIONER POINTS: Fate of five ARGs and intI was studied in a swine wastewater treatment system. The treatment process could not effectively reduce ARGs' abundance. ARGs and pathogens in wastewater were transferred to the receiving creek and soil. The network analysis found wide co-occurrence among ARGs, metal resistance genes, and pathogens. Wastewater nutrients positively correlated to ARG's abundance but negatively correlated to their relative abundance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing-Bin Yuan
- College of Environment Science and Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing, China
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Yi-Fan Zhai
- College of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing, China
| | - Bu-Yun Mao
- College of Environment Science and Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing, China
| | - Cory Schwarz
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Nan Hu
- College of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing, China
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Yadav S, Kapley A. Exploration of activated sludge resistome using metagenomics. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 692:1155-1164. [PMID: 31539947 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.07.267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2019] [Revised: 07/17/2019] [Accepted: 07/17/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Antibiotic resistance is a global problem. In India poor waste management and inadequate sanitary are key factors which encourage the dissemination of antimicrobial resistance. Microbial biodiversity serves as an invaluable source for diverse types of bioactive compounds that encompass most of the pharmaceuticals to date. Therefore, in this study, we used the metagenomic approach for the surveillance of antibiotic resistance genes, drug resistant microbes and mobile-genetic elements in two activated sludge metagenome samples collected from Ankleshwar, Gujarat, India. Proteobacteria were found to be the most abundant bacteria among the metagenome analyzed. Twenty-four genes conferring resistance to antibiotics and heavy metals were found. Multidrug resistant "ESKAPE pathogens" were also abundant in the sludge metagenome. Mobile genetic elements like IncP-1 plasmid pKJK5, IncP-1beta multi resistance plasmid and pB8 were also noticed in the higher abundance. These plasmids play an important role in the spread of antibiotic resistance by the horizontal gene transfer. Statistical analysis of both metagenome using STAMP software confirmed presence of mobile genetic elements such as gene transfer agents, phages, Prophages etc. which also play important role in the dissemination of antibiotic resistant genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shailendra Yadav
- Director's Research Cell, National Environmental, Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-NEERI), Nehru Marg, Nagpur 440020, India
| | - Atya Kapley
- Director's Research Cell, National Environmental, Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-NEERI), Nehru Marg, Nagpur 440020, India.
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