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Di Cesare A, Sathicq MB, Sbaffi T, Sabatino R, Manca D, Breider F, Coudret S, Pinnell LJ, Turner JW, Corno G. Parity in bacterial communities and resistomes: Microplastic and natural organic particles in the Tyrrhenian Sea. Mar Pollut Bull 2024; 203:116495. [PMID: 38759465 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Revised: 05/10/2024] [Accepted: 05/12/2024] [Indexed: 05/19/2024]
Abstract
Petroleum-based microplastic particles (MPs) are carriers of antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) in aquatic environments, influencing the selection and spread of antimicrobial resistance. This research characterized MP and natural organic particle (NOP) bacterial communities and resistomes in the Tyrrhenian Sea, a region impacted by plastic pollution and climate change. MP and NOP bacterial communities were similar but different from the free-living planktonic communities. Likewise, MP and NOP ARG abundances were similar but different (higher) from the planktonic communities. MP and NOP metagenome-assembled genomes contained ARGs associated with mobile genetic elements and exhibited co-occurrence with metal resistance genes. Overall, these findings show that MPs and NOPs harbor potential pathogenic and antimicrobial resistant bacteria, which can aid in the spread of antimicrobial resistance. Further, petroleum-based MPs do not represent novel ecological niches for allochthonous bacteria; rather, they synergize with NOPs, collectively facilitating the spread of antimicrobial resistance in marine ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Di Cesare
- National Research Council of Italy - Water Research Institute (CNR-IRSA) Molecular Ecology Group (MEG), Verbania, Italy
| | - Maria Belen Sathicq
- Instituto de Limnología "Dr. Raúl A. Ringuelet" (ILPLA) CONICET-UNLP, Bv. 120 y 62 n1437, La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Tomasa Sbaffi
- National Research Council of Italy - Water Research Institute (CNR-IRSA) Molecular Ecology Group (MEG), Verbania, Italy
| | - Raffaella Sabatino
- National Research Council of Italy - Water Research Institute (CNR-IRSA) Molecular Ecology Group (MEG), Verbania, Italy
| | - Dario Manca
- National Research Council of Italy - Water Research Institute (CNR-IRSA) Molecular Ecology Group (MEG), Verbania, Italy
| | - Florian Breider
- Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne EPFL, Central Environmental Laboratory, IIE, ENAC, Station 2, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Sylvain Coudret
- Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne EPFL, Central Environmental Laboratory, IIE, ENAC, Station 2, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Lee J Pinnell
- Veterinary Education, Research, and Outreach Program, School of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, Canyon, TX, USA
| | - Jeffrey W Turner
- Department of Life Sciences, Texas A&M University, Corpus Christi, TX, USA
| | - Gianluca Corno
- National Research Council of Italy - Water Research Institute (CNR-IRSA) Molecular Ecology Group (MEG), Verbania, Italy.
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Di Cesare A, Mammola S, Sabatino R, Fontaneto D, Eckert EM, Rogora M, Tonsi T, Corno G. Where do the antibiotic resistance genes come from? A modulated analysis of sources and loads of resistances in Lake Maggiore. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2024; 100:fiae025. [PMID: 38389242 PMCID: PMC10939355 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiae025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Revised: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) are abundant in aquatic ecosystems affected by human activities. Understanding the fate of ARGs across different ecosystems is essential because of the significant role aquatic environments play in the cycle of antibiotic resistance. We quantified selected ARGs in Lake Maggiore, its main tributaries, and the effluent of the main wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) discharging directly into the lake. We linked their dynamics to the different anthropogenic impacts in each tributary's watershed. The dynamics of tetA in the lake were influenced by those of the rivers and the WWTP effluent, and by the concentration of N-NH4, related to anthropogenic pollution, while sul2 abundance in the lake was not influenced by any water inflow. The dynamics of the different ARGs varied across the different rivers. Rivers with watersheds characterized by high population density, touristic activities, and secondary industries released more ARGs, while ermB correlated with higher numbers of primary industries. This study suggests a limited contribution of treated wastewater in the spread of ARGs, indicating as prevalent origin other sources of pollution, calling for a reconsideration on what are considered the major sources of ARGs into the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Di Cesare
- National Research Council of Italy – Water Research Institute (CNR-IRSA), I-28922 Verbania, Italy
| | - Stefano Mammola
- National Research Council of Italy – Water Research Institute (CNR-IRSA), I-28922 Verbania, Italy
- Finnish Museum of Natural History (LUOMUS), University of Helsinki, FI-00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Raffaella Sabatino
- National Research Council of Italy – Water Research Institute (CNR-IRSA), I-28922 Verbania, Italy
| | - Diego Fontaneto
- National Research Council of Italy – Water Research Institute (CNR-IRSA), I-28922 Verbania, Italy
| | - Ester M Eckert
- National Research Council of Italy – Water Research Institute (CNR-IRSA), I-28922 Verbania, Italy
| | - Michela Rogora
- National Research Council of Italy – Water Research Institute (CNR-IRSA), I-28922 Verbania, Italy
| | - Tiziana Tonsi
- National Research Council of Italy – Water Research Institute (CNR-IRSA), I-28922 Verbania, Italy
| | - Gianluca Corno
- National Research Council of Italy – Water Research Institute (CNR-IRSA), I-28922 Verbania, Italy
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3
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Sabatino R, Zullo R, Di Cesare A, Piscia R, Musazzi S, Corno G, Volta P, Galafassi S. Traditional and biodegradable plastics host distinct and potentially more hazardous microbes when compared to both natural materials and planktonic community. J Hazard Mater 2024; 465:133166. [PMID: 38101010 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.133166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2023] [Revised: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
Microplastic particles are persistent micropollutants that provide a substrate for the growth of bacterial biofilms, posing a threat to the environment. This study explores the changes in commercially available food containers made of conventional (polypropylene PP, polyethylene terephthalate PET), innovative biodegradable (Mater-Bi) and natural (wood and cellulose) materials, when introduced in the surface waters of Lake Maggiore for 43 days. Spectral changes revealed by FT-IR spectroscopy in PET and Mater-Bi, and changes in thermal properties of all human-made material tested indicated a degradation process occurred during environmental exposure. Despite similar bacterial richness, biofilms on PET, PP, and Mater-Bi differed from natural material biofilms and the planktonic community. Human-made material communities showed a higher proportion of potential pathogens, with PET and PP also exhibiting increased abundances of antibiotic resistance genes. Overall, these findings stress the need for dedicated strategies to curb the spread of human-made polymers in freshwaters, including innovative materials that, due to their biodegradable properties, might be perceived less hazardous for the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rosa Zullo
- Water Research Institute, National Research Council, Verbania, Italy.
| | - Andrea Di Cesare
- Water Research Institute, National Research Council, Verbania, Italy; NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo 90133, Italy
| | - Roberta Piscia
- Water Research Institute, National Research Council, Verbania, Italy
| | - Simona Musazzi
- Water Research Institute, National Research Council, Verbania, Italy
| | - Gianluca Corno
- Water Research Institute, National Research Council, Verbania, Italy; NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo 90133, Italy
| | - Pietro Volta
- Water Research Institute, National Research Council, Verbania, Italy
| | - Silvia Galafassi
- Water Research Institute, National Research Council, Verbania, Italy; NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo 90133, Italy
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Sabatino R, Sbaffi T, Corno G, Cabello-Yeves PJ, Di Cesare A. The diversity of the antimicrobial resistome of lake Tanganyika increases with the water depth. Environ Pollut 2024; 342:123065. [PMID: 38043766 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.123065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023]
Abstract
The presence of antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) in the microbiome of freshwater communities is a consequence of thousands of years of evolution but also of the pressure exerted by anthropogenic activities, with potential negative impact on environmental and human health. In this study, we investigated the distribution of ARGs in Lake Tanganyika (LT)'s water column to define the resistome of this ancient lake. Additionally, we compared the resistome of LT with that of Lake Baikal (LB), the oldest known lake with different environmental characteristics and a lower anthropogenic pollution than LT. We found that richness and abundance of several antimicrobial resistance classes were higher in the deep water layers in both lakes. LT Kigoma region, known for its higher anthropogenic pollution, showed a greater richness and number of ARG positive MAGs compared to Mahale. Our results provide a comprehensive understanding of the antimicrobial resistome of LT and underscore its importance as reservoir of antimicrobial resistance. In particular, the deepest water layers of LT are the main repository of diverse ARGs, mirroring what was observed in LB and in other aquatic ecosystems. These findings suggest that the deep waters might play a crucial role in the preservation of ARGs in aquatic ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raffaella Sabatino
- National Research Council of Italy - Water Research Institute (CNR-IRSA), Verbania, Italy
| | - Tomasa Sbaffi
- National Research Council of Italy - Water Research Institute (CNR-IRSA), Verbania, Italy
| | - Gianluca Corno
- National Research Council of Italy - Water Research Institute (CNR-IRSA), Verbania, Italy; National Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC), 90133, Palermo, Italy
| | | | - Andrea Di Cesare
- National Research Council of Italy - Water Research Institute (CNR-IRSA), Verbania, Italy; National Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC), 90133, Palermo, Italy.
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Sabatino R, Sbaffi T, Sivalingam P, Corno G, Fontaneto D, Di Cesare A. Bacteriophages limitedly contribute to the antimicrobial resistome of microbial communities in wastewater treatment plants. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0110123. [PMID: 37724865 PMCID: PMC10580818 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.01101-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 09/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacteriophages are known as players in the transmission of antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) by horizontal gene transfer. In this study, we characterized the bacteriophage community and the associated ARGs to estimate the potential for phages to spread ARGs in aquatic ecosystems analyzing the intra- and extracellular DNA isolated from two wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) by shotgun metagenomics. We compared the phage antimicrobial resistome with the bacterial resistome and investigated the effect of the final disinfection treatment on the phage community and its resistome. Phage community was mainly composed by Siphoviridae and other members of the order Caudovirales. The final disinfection only marginally affected the composition of the phage community, and it was not possible to measure its effect on the antimicrobial resistome. Indeed, only three phage metagenome-assembled genomes (pMAGs) annotated as Siphoviridae, Padoviridae, and Myoviridae were positive for putative ARGs. Among the detected ARGs, i.e., dfrB6, rpoB mutants, and EF-Tu mutants, the first one was not annotated in the bacterial MAGs. Overall, these results demonstrate that bacteriophages limitedly contribute to the whole antimicrobial resistome. However, in order to obtain a comprehensive understanding of the antimicrobial resistome within a microbial community, the role of bacteriophages needs to be investigated. IMPORTANCE WWTPs are considered hotspots for the spread of ARGs by horizontal gene transfer. In this study, we evaluated the phage composition and the associated antimicrobial resistome by shotgun metagenomics of samples collected before and after the final disinfection treatment. Only a few bacteriophages carried ARGs. However, since one of the detected genes was not found in the bacterial metagenome-assembled genomes, it is necessary to investigate the phage community in order to gain a comprehensive overview of the antimicrobial resistome. This investigation could help assess the potential threats to human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raffaella Sabatino
- Molecular Ecology Group (MEG), National Research Council of Italy – Water Research Institute (CNR-IRSA), Verbania, Italy
| | - Tomasa Sbaffi
- Molecular Ecology Group (MEG), National Research Council of Italy – Water Research Institute (CNR-IRSA), Verbania, Italy
| | - Periyasamy Sivalingam
- Molecular Ecology Group (MEG), National Research Council of Italy – Water Research Institute (CNR-IRSA), Verbania, Italy
| | - Gianluca Corno
- Molecular Ecology Group (MEG), National Research Council of Italy – Water Research Institute (CNR-IRSA), Verbania, Italy
| | - Diego Fontaneto
- Molecular Ecology Group (MEG), National Research Council of Italy – Water Research Institute (CNR-IRSA), Verbania, Italy
| | - Andrea Di Cesare
- Molecular Ecology Group (MEG), National Research Council of Italy – Water Research Institute (CNR-IRSA), Verbania, Italy
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Di Cesare A, Sabatino R, Sbaffi T, Fontaneto D, Brambilla D, Beghi A, Pandolfi F, Borlandelli C, Fortino D, Biccai G, Genoni P, Corno G. Anthropogenic pollution drives the bacterial resistome in a complex freshwater ecosystem. Chemosphere 2023; 331:138800. [PMID: 37121282 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.138800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2023] [Revised: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Aquatic ecosystems in anthropogenically impacted areas are important reservoirs of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) of allochthonous origin. However, the dynamics of the different ARGs within the bacterial communities of lakes and rivers, as well as the factors that drive their selection, are not completely understood. In this study, we analysed the fate of the bacterial resistome (total content of ARGs and of metal resistance genes, MRGs) for a period of six months (summer-winter) in a continuum lake-river-lake system (Lake Varese, River Bardello, Lake Maggiore) in Northern Italy, by shotgun metagenomics. The metagenomic data were then compared with chemical, physical and microbiological data, to infer the role of anthropogenic pressure in the different sampling stations. ARGs and MRGs were more abundant and diverse in the River Bardello, characterised by the highest anthropogenic pollution. The date of sampling influenced ARGs and MRGs, with higher abundances in summer (August) than in fall or in winter, when the impact of the treated wastewater discharge in the river was limited by a higher water flow from Lake Varese. ARG and MRG abundances were significantly correlated and they co-occurred in the main network analysis modules with potential pathogenic bacteria. Different levels of anthropogenic impact selectively promoted specific ARGs while others, generally abundant in waters, were not affected by anthropogenic pressure. Reducing the level of anthropogenic pressure resulted in a rapid decrease of most ARGs. From our results, the role of anthropogenic pressure in promoting the spread of specific antibiotic resistances and of potential pathogens in aquatic ecosystem becomes clear. Finally we highlight the strict correlation between ARGs and MRGs suggesting their potential co-selection in stressed aquatic bacterial communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Di Cesare
- National Research Council of Italy - Water Research Institute (CNR-IRSA) Molecular Ecology Group (MEG), Verbania, Italy
| | - Raffaella Sabatino
- National Research Council of Italy - Water Research Institute (CNR-IRSA) Molecular Ecology Group (MEG), Verbania, Italy
| | - Tomasa Sbaffi
- National Research Council of Italy - Water Research Institute (CNR-IRSA) Molecular Ecology Group (MEG), Verbania, Italy
| | - Diego Fontaneto
- National Research Council of Italy - Water Research Institute (CNR-IRSA) Molecular Ecology Group (MEG), Verbania, Italy
| | - Diego Brambilla
- National Research Council of Italy - Water Research Institute (CNR-IRSA) Molecular Ecology Group (MEG), Verbania, Italy
| | - Andrea Beghi
- Regional Environmental Protection Agency of Lombardia, Italy
| | - Franca Pandolfi
- Regional Environmental Protection Agency of Lombardia, Italy
| | | | - Davide Fortino
- Regional Environmental Protection Agency of Lombardia, Italy
| | - Giovanni Biccai
- Regional Environmental Protection Agency of Lombardia, Italy
| | - Pietro Genoni
- Regional Environmental Protection Agency of Lombardia, Italy
| | - Gianluca Corno
- National Research Council of Italy - Water Research Institute (CNR-IRSA) Molecular Ecology Group (MEG), Verbania, Italy.
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Sivalingam P, Sabatino R, Sbaffi T, Fontaneto D, Corno G, Di Cesare A. Extracellular DNA includes an important fraction of high-risk antibiotic resistance genes in treated wastewaters. Environ Pollut 2023; 323:121325. [PMID: 36828358 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.121325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2022] [Revised: 02/04/2023] [Accepted: 02/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Wastewater treatment plants are among the main hotspots for the release of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) into the environment. ARGs in treated wastewater can be found in the intracellular DNA (iDNA) and in the extracellular DNA (eDNA). In this study, we investigated the fate and the distribution (either in eDNA or in iDNA) of ARGs in the treated wastewaters pre and post-disinfection by shotgun metagenomics. The richness of the intracellular resistome was found to be higher than the extracellular one. However, the latter included different high risk ARGs. About 11% of the recovered metagenome assembled genomes (MAGs) from the extracted DNA was positive for at least one ARG and, among them, several were positive for more ARGs. The high-risk ARG bacA was the most frequently detected gene among the MAGs. The disinfection demonstrated to be an important driver of the composition of the antibiotic resistomes. Our results demonstrated that eDNA represents an important fraction of the overall ARGs, including a number of high-risk ARGs, which reach the environment with treated wastewater effluents. The studied disinfections only marginally affect the whole antibiotic resistome but cause important shifts from intracellular to extracellular DNA, potentially threating human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Periyasamy Sivalingam
- National Research Council of Italy - Water Research Institute (CNR-IRSA), Molecular Ecology Group (MEG), Verbania, Italy
| | - Raffaella Sabatino
- National Research Council of Italy - Water Research Institute (CNR-IRSA), Molecular Ecology Group (MEG), Verbania, Italy
| | - Tomasa Sbaffi
- National Research Council of Italy - Water Research Institute (CNR-IRSA), Molecular Ecology Group (MEG), Verbania, Italy
| | - Diego Fontaneto
- National Research Council of Italy - Water Research Institute (CNR-IRSA), Molecular Ecology Group (MEG), Verbania, Italy
| | - Gianluca Corno
- National Research Council of Italy - Water Research Institute (CNR-IRSA), Molecular Ecology Group (MEG), Verbania, Italy.
| | - Andrea Di Cesare
- National Research Council of Italy - Water Research Institute (CNR-IRSA), Molecular Ecology Group (MEG), Verbania, Italy
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Bonetta S, Di Cesare A, Pignata C, Sabatino R, Macrì M, Corno G, Panizzolo M, Bonetta S, Carraro E. Occurrence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and resistance genes in the urban water cycle. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2023; 30:35294-35306. [PMID: 36527555 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-24650-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
This study investigates the antibiotic resistance fate in the urban water cycle, evaluating the dynamics of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic-resistant genes (ARGs) in three different full-scale wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and two drinking water treatment plants (DWTPs) located in the same geographical area (North-West of Italy). ARB (tetracycline-, ampicillin-, and sulfonamide-resistant bacteria) were quantified by plate counting and the abundances of selected ARGs (i.e., tetA, blaTEM, and sulII) and intI1 gene were measured using quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR). Higher concentrations of ARB and ARGs were observed in the WWTPs with respect to the DWTPs identifying the WWTP as hotspot for the spread of antibiotic resistances. Although a significant reduction of ARB and ARGs was observed in WWTPs and DWTPs after the treatment, none of the detected ARB or ARGs was completely removed in drinking water. The stability of the antibiotic-resistant rates between inlet and outlet associated with the reduction of relative ARG abundances underlined that both the treatments (WWTs and DWTs) did not apply any selective pressure. The overall results highlighted the importance to investigate the antibiotic resistance dynamics in aquatic ecosystems involved in urban water cycle integrating the information obtained by culture-dependent method with the culture-independent one and the need to monitor the presence of ARB and ARGs mainly in drinking water that represents a potential route of transmission to human.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Bonetta
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, Via Accademia Albertina 13, 10123, Torino, Italy.
| | - Andrea Di Cesare
- Molecular Ecology Group (MEG), National Research Council of Italy - Water Research Institute (CNR-IRSA), Largo Tonolli 50, 28922, Verbania, Italy
| | - Cristina Pignata
- Department of Public Health and Pediatrics, University of Torino, Piazza Polonia 94, 10126, Torino, Italy
| | - Raffaella Sabatino
- Molecular Ecology Group (MEG), National Research Council of Italy - Water Research Institute (CNR-IRSA), Largo Tonolli 50, 28922, Verbania, Italy
| | - Manuela Macrì
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, Via Accademia Albertina 13, 10123, Torino, Italy
| | - Gianluca Corno
- Molecular Ecology Group (MEG), National Research Council of Italy - Water Research Institute (CNR-IRSA), Largo Tonolli 50, 28922, Verbania, Italy
| | - Marco Panizzolo
- Department of Public Health and Pediatrics, University of Torino, Piazza Polonia 94, 10126, Torino, Italy
| | - Sara Bonetta
- Department of Public Health and Pediatrics, University of Torino, Piazza Polonia 94, 10126, Torino, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Carraro
- Department of Public Health and Pediatrics, University of Torino, Piazza Polonia 94, 10126, Torino, Italy
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De Carluccio M, Sabatino R, Eckert EM, Di Cesare A, Corno G, Rizzo L. Co-treatment of landfill leachate with urban wastewater by chemical, physical and biological processes: Fenton oxidation preserves autochthonous bacterial community in the activated sludge process. Chemosphere 2023; 313:137578. [PMID: 36529163 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.137578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Revised: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The impact of Fenton oxidation (FO) and Air stripping (AS) pre-treatments on the bacterial community of a biological activated sludge (B-AS) process for the co-treatment of mature landfill leachate (MLL) and urban wastewater (UWW) was assessed. In this work high-throughput sequencing was used to identify changes in the composition of the bacterial communities when exposed to different landfill leachate's pre-treatments. The combination of FO and AS to increase biodegradability (BOD5/COD) and reduce ammonia concentration (NH3) respectively, allowed to successfully operate the B-AS and effectively treat MLL. In particular, BOD5/COD resulted to be the key factor for bacterial community shifting. The microbiological community of the B-AS, mainly composed by the phylum Bacteroidota (Saprospiraceae, PHOS-HE51, Chitinophagaceae) after FO pre-treatment, shifted to Pseudomonadota (Caulobacteraceae and Hyphomicrobiaceae) when FO was not used. At the same time a drastic reduction in BOD5 removal was observed (90%-58%). On the other hand, high NH3 concentration affected the abundance of the family Saprospiraceae, known to play a key role in the degradation of complex organic compounds in B-AS. The results obtained suggest that a suitable combination of pre-treatments can reduce the negative effect of MLL on the B-AS process, reducing the pressure on autochthonous bacteria and therefore the acclimatization time of the biological process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco De Carluccio
- Water Science and Technology Group (WaSTe), Department of Civil Engineering, University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II 132, 84084, Fisciano SA, Italy
| | - Raffaella Sabatino
- 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
| | - Andrea Di Cesare
- 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
| | - Luigi Rizzo
- Water Science and Technology Group (WaSTe), Department of Civil Engineering, University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II 132, 84084, Fisciano SA, Italy.
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Corno G, Ghaly T, Sabatino R, Eckert EM, Galafassi S, Gillings MR, Di Cesare A. Class 1 integron and related antimicrobial resistance gene dynamics along a complex freshwater system affected by different anthropogenic pressures. Environ Pollut 2023; 316:120601. [PMID: 36351483 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.120601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Revised: 10/10/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The risk for human health posed by polluted aquatic environments, and especially those carrying antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) of clinical interest, is still debated. This is because of our limited knowledge of the dynamics of antimicrobial resistance in the environment, the selection mechanisms underlying the spread of ARGs, and the ecological factors potentially favoring their return to humans. The Class 1 integron is one of the most effective platforms for the dissemination of ARGs. In this study we investigated a freshwater system consisting of a lake-river-lake continuum, determining the abundance of class 1 integrons and their associated ARGs by a modulated metagenomic approach. Bacterial abundance and community composition were used to identify the potential carriers of class 1 integrons and their associated ARGs over a period of six months. Class 1 integrons and their ARG cargoes were significantly more abundant in riverine sampling sites receiving treated wastewater. Further, class 1 integrons carried ARGs ranked at the highest risk for human health (e.g., catB genes), in particular, genes encoding resistance to aminoglycosides. Genera of potential pathogens, such as Pseudomonas and Escherichia-Shigella, were correlated with class 1 integrons. The lake-river-lake system demonstrated a clear relationship between the integrase gene of class 1 integrons (intI1) and anthropogenic impact, but also a strong environmental filtering that favored the elimination of intI1 once the human derived stressors were reduced. Overall, the results of this study underline the role class 1 integrons as proxy of anthropogenic pollution and suggest this genetic platform as an important driver of aminoglycoside resistance genes, including high risk ARGs, of potential concern for human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gianluca Corno
- National Research Council of Italy - Water Research Institute (CNR-IRSA) Molecular Ecology Group (MEG), Verbania, Italy.
| | - Timothy Ghaly
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology and Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Raffaella Sabatino
- National Research Council of Italy - Water Research Institute (CNR-IRSA) Molecular Ecology Group (MEG), Verbania, Italy
| | - Ester M Eckert
- National Research Council of Italy - Water Research Institute (CNR-IRSA) Molecular Ecology Group (MEG), Verbania, Italy
| | - Silvia Galafassi
- National Research Council of Italy - Water Research Institute (CNR-IRSA) Molecular Ecology Group (MEG), Verbania, Italy
| | - Michael R Gillings
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology and Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Andrea Di Cesare
- National Research Council of Italy - Water Research Institute (CNR-IRSA) Molecular Ecology Group (MEG), Verbania, Italy
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11
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Sabatino R, Cabello-Yeves PJ, Eckert EM, Corno G, Callieri C, Brambilla D, Dzhembekova N, Moncheva S, Di Cesare A. Antibiotic resistance genes correlate with metal resistances and accumulate in the deep water layers of the Black Sea. Environ Pollut 2022; 312:120033. [PMID: 36030962 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.120033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Revised: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Seas and oceans are a global reservoir of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). Only a few studies investigated the dynamics of ARGs along the water column of the Black Sea, a unique environment, with a peculiar geology, biology and history of anthropogenic pollution. In this study, we analyzed metagenomic data from two sampling campaigns (2013 and 2019) collected across three different sites in the Western Black Sea at depths ranging from 5 to 2000 m. The data were processed to annotate ARGs, metal resistance genes (MRGs) and integron integrase genes. The ARG abundance was significantly higher in the deep water layers and depth was the main driver of beta-diversity both for ARGs and MRGs. Moreover, ARG and MRG abundances strongly correlated (r = 0.95). The integron integrase gene abundances and composition were not influenced by the water depth and did not correlate with ARGs. The analysis of the obtained MAGs showed that some of them harbored intI gene together with several ARGs and MRGs, suggesting the presence of multidrug resistant bacteria and that MRGs and integrons could be involved in the selection of ARGs. These results demonstrate that the Black Sea is not only an important reservoir of ARGs, but also that they accumulate in the deep water layers where co-selection with MRGs could be assumed as a relevant mechanism of their persistence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raffaella Sabatino
- Water Research Institute - National Research Council of Italy (CNR-IRSA), Molecular Ecology Group (MEG), Largo Tonolli 50, 28922, Verbania (VB), Italy
| | - Pedro J Cabello-Yeves
- Evolutionary Genomics Group, Departamento de Producción Vegetal y Microbiología, Universidad Miguel, Hernández, San Juan de Alicante, Alicante, Spain
| | - Ester M Eckert
- Water Research Institute - National Research Council of Italy (CNR-IRSA), Molecular Ecology Group (MEG), Largo Tonolli 50, 28922, Verbania (VB), Italy
| | - Gianluca Corno
- Water Research Institute - National Research Council of Italy (CNR-IRSA), Molecular Ecology Group (MEG), Largo Tonolli 50, 28922, Verbania (VB), Italy
| | - Cristiana Callieri
- Water Research Institute - National Research Council of Italy (CNR-IRSA), Molecular Ecology Group (MEG), Largo Tonolli 50, 28922, Verbania (VB), Italy
| | - Diego Brambilla
- Water Research Institute - National Research Council of Italy (CNR-IRSA), Molecular Ecology Group (MEG), Largo Tonolli 50, 28922, Verbania (VB), Italy
| | - Nina Dzhembekova
- Institute for Oceanology Fridtj of Nansen, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, First May Street 40, P.O. Box 152, 9000, Varna, Bulgaria
| | - Snejana Moncheva
- Institute for Oceanology Fridtj of Nansen, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, First May Street 40, P.O. Box 152, 9000, Varna, Bulgaria
| | - Andrea Di Cesare
- Water Research Institute - National Research Council of Italy (CNR-IRSA), Molecular Ecology Group (MEG), Largo Tonolli 50, 28922, Verbania (VB), Italy.
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12
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Di Cesare A, Frangipani E, Citterio B, Sabatino R, Corno G, Fontaneto D, Mangiaterra G, Bencardino D, Zoppi S, Di Blasio A, Desiato R, Ru G, Marchis D. Class 1 integron and Enterococcus spp. abundances in swine farms from the " Suckling piglets" to the "Fatteners" production category. Vet Microbiol 2022; 274:109576. [PMID: 36155350 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2022.109576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2022] [Revised: 09/05/2022] [Accepted: 09/16/2022] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
Abstract
Swine farms are considered a hotspot of antimicrobial resistance and may contribute to the spread of antibiotic-resistant and/or pathogenic bacteria into the environment as well as to farm workers. In this study, swine fecal samples have been collected over the primary production, selecting three categories, i.e., "Suckling piglets", "Weaning pigs" and "Fatteners", in six intensive swine farms, for two years. Feces were analysed for the detection and abundance of class 1 integrons (used as proxy of antibiotic resistance and of anthropogenic pollution), and of enterococci [fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) and potentially pathogenic for humans] by quantitative Real Time PCR. Furthermore, Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium were isolated, analysed for the presence of the intI1 gene by Real Time PCR and genetically typed by Pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis. Both enterococci and class 1 integrons were significantly more abundant in the Suckling piglets (p = 0.0316 and 0.0242, respectively). About 8% of the isolated enterococci were positive for the intI1 gene by Real Time PCR. E. faecalis and E. faecium were found genetically heterogeneous and no specific pattern could be identified as the driver for their presence along the pig primary production. These findings suggest that the "Suckling piglets" category of production represents the key point where to mitigate the risk of transmission of enterococci and class 1 integrons with associated antibiotic resistance genes to humans and spread into the environment.
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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.
| | - Emanuela Frangipani
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, University of Urbino Carlo Bo, Urbino, Italy
| | - Barbara Citterio
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, University of Urbino Carlo Bo, Urbino, Italy
| | - Raffaella Sabatino
- 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
| | - Diego Fontaneto
- Water Research Institute (IRSA) - MEG Molecular Ecology Group, CNR - National Research Council of Italy, Largo Tonolli 50, 28922, Verbania, Italy
| | | | - Daniela Bencardino
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, University of Urbino Carlo Bo, Urbino, Italy
| | - Simona Zoppi
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta, Torino, Italy
| | - Alessia Di Blasio
- S.C. Sanità Animale, Servizio Veterinario ASL TO3, Pinerolo, Torino, Italy
| | - Rosanna Desiato
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta, Torino, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Ru
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta, Torino, Italy
| | - Daniela Marchis
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta, Torino, Italy
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13
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Sabatino R, Sbaffi T, Corno G, de Carvalho DS, Trovatti Uetanabaro AP, Góes-Neto A, Podolich O, Kozyrovska N, de Vera JP, Azevedo V, Barh D, Di Cesare A. Metagenome Analysis Reveals a Response of the Antibiotic Resistome to Mars-like Extraterrestrial Conditions. Astrobiology 2022; 22:1072-1080. [PMID: 35714354 PMCID: PMC9508453 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2021.0176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The spread of antibiotic resistance is becoming a serious global health concern. Numerous studies have been done to investigate the dynamics of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in both indoor and outdoor environments. Nonetheless, few studies are available about the dynamics of the antibiotic resistome (total content of ARGs in the microbial cultures or communities) under stress in outer space environments. In this study, we aimed to experimentally investigate the dynamics of ARGs and metal resistance genes (MRGs) in Kombucha Mutualistic Community (KMC) samples exposed to Mars-like conditions simulated during the BIOMEX experiment outside the International Space Station with analysis of the metagenomics data previously produced. Thus, we compared them with those of the respective non-exposed KMC samples. The antibiotic resistome responded to the Mars-like conditions by enriching its diversity with ARGs after exposure, which were not found in non-exposed samples (i.e., tet and van genes against tetracycline and vancomycin, respectively). Furthermore, ARGs and MRGs were correlated; therefore, their co-selection could be assumed as a mechanism for maintaining antibiotic resistance in Mars-like environments. Overall, these results highlight the high plasticity of the antibiotic resistome in response to extraterrestrial conditions and in the absence of anthropogenic stresses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raffaella Sabatino
- Water Research Institute (IRSA) - MEG Molecular Ecology Group, CNR - National Research Council of Italy, Verbania, Italy
| | - Tomasa Sbaffi
- Water Research Institute (IRSA) - MEG Molecular Ecology Group, CNR - National Research Council of Italy, Verbania, Italy
| | - Gianluca Corno
- Water Research Institute (IRSA) - MEG Molecular Ecology Group, CNR - National Research Council of Italy, Verbania, Italy
| | - Daniel Santana de Carvalho
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular e Computacional de Fungos, Departamento de Genetica, Ecologia e Evolucao, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Ana Paula Trovatti Uetanabaro
- Laboratório de Microbiologia Aplicada, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Ilhéus, Brasil
| | - Aristóteles Góes-Neto
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular e Computacional de Fungos, Departamento de Genetica, Ecologia e Evolucao, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Olga Podolich
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics of NASU, Kyiv, Ukraine
| | | | - Jean-Pierre de Vera
- German Aerospace Center (DLR), Space Operations and Astronaut Training, Microgravity User Support Center (MUSC), Cologne, Germany
| | - Vasco Azevedo
- Laboratório de Genética Celular e Molecular, Departamento de Genetica, Ecologia e Evolucao, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Debmalya Barh
- Laboratório de Genética Celular e Molecular, Departamento de Genetica, Ecologia e Evolucao, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
- Centre for Genomics and Applied Gene Technology, Institute of Integrative Omics and Applied Biotechnology (IIOAB), West Bengal, India
| | - Andrea Di Cesare
- Water Research Institute (IRSA) - MEG Molecular Ecology Group, CNR - National Research Council of Italy, Verbania, Italy
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14
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Salerno B, Cornaggia M, Sabatino R, Di Cesare A, Furlan M, Barco L, Orsini M, Cordioli B, Mantovani C, Bano L, Losasso C. Calves as Main Reservoir of Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Dairy Farms. Front Public Health 2022; 10:918658. [PMID: 35795698 PMCID: PMC9251204 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.918658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 05/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
A side effect of antibiotic usage is the emergence and dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) within microbial communities. The spread of ARGs among pathogens has emerged as a public health concern. While the distribution of ARGs is documented on a global level, their routes of transmission have not been clarified yet; for example, it is not clear whether and to what extent the emergence of ARGs originates in farms, following the selective pressure exerted by antibiotic usage in animal husbandry, and if they can spread into the environment. Here we address this cutting edge issue by combining data regarding antimicrobial usage and quantitative data from selected ARGs (blaTEM, blaCTXM, ermB, vanA, qnrS, tetA, sul2, and mcr-1) encoding for resistance to penicillins, macrolides-lincosamides-streptogramins, glycopeptides, quinolones, tetracyclines, sulfonamides, and colistin at the farm level. Results suggest that dairy farms could be considered a hotspot of ARGs, comprising those classified as the highest risk for human health and that a correlation existed between the usage of penicillins and blaTEM abundances, meaning that, although the antibiotic administration is not exclusive, it remains a certain cause of the ARGs' selection and spread in farms. Furthermore, this study identified the role of calves as the main source of ARGs spread in dairy farms, claiming the need for targeted actions in this productive category to decrease the load of ARGs along the production chain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Salerno
- Laboratory of Microbial Ecology and Genomics, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro, Italy
| | - Matteo Cornaggia
- Laboratory of Clinical Diagnostics, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro, Italy
| | - Raffaella Sabatino
- National Research Council of Italy-Water Research Institute (CNR-IRSA), Verbania, Italy
| | - Andrea Di Cesare
- National Research Council of Italy-Water Research Institute (CNR-IRSA), Verbania, Italy
| | - Maddalena Furlan
- Laboratory of Microbial Ecology and Genomics, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro, Italy
| | - Lisa Barco
- Laboratory of Microbial Ecology and Genomics, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro, Italy
| | - Massimiliano Orsini
- Laboratory of Microbial Ecology and Genomics, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro, Italy
| | - Benedetta Cordioli
- Laboratory of Clinical Diagnostics, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro, Italy
| | - Claudio Mantovani
- National Research Council of Italy-Water Research Institute (CNR-IRSA), Verbania, Italy
- Laboratory of Science Communication, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro, Italy
| | - Luca Bano
- Laboratory of Clinical Diagnostics, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro, Italy
| | - Carmen Losasso
- Laboratory of Microbial Ecology and Genomics, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro, Italy
- *Correspondence: Carmen Losasso
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15
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Sathicq MB, Sabatino R, Di Cesare A, Eckert EM, Fontaneto D, Rogora M, Corno G. PET particles raise microbiological concerns for human health while tyre wear microplastic particles potentially affect ecosystem services in waters. J Hazard Mater 2022; 429:128397. [PMID: 35236044 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.128397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Revised: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Although abundant and chemically peculiar, tyre wear microplastic particles (TWP) and their impact on the microbial communities in water are largely understudied. We tested in laboratory based semi-continuous cultures the impact of TWP and of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) derived particles (following a gradient of relative abundance) on the pathobiome (the group of potential human pathogenic bacteria) of a freshwater microbial community exposed to contamination by the effluent of a urban wastewater treatment plant, for a period of 28 days. We could define the modulated impact of the two types of microplastic particles: while PET does not favour bacterial growth, it offers a refuge to several potential pathogens of allochthonous origin (from the treated sewage effluent), TWP act as an additional carbon source, promoting the development and the massive growth of a biofilm composed by fast-growing bacterial genera including species potentially harmful and competitive in abating biodiversity in surface waters. Our results demonstrate the different ecological role and impact on freshwater environments of TWP and PET particles, and the need to approach the study of this pollutant not as a whole, but considering the origin and the chemical composition of the different particles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Belen Sathicq
- National Research Council of Italy - Water Research Institute (CNR-IRSA) Molecular Ecology Group (MEG), Verbania, Italy
| | - Raffaella Sabatino
- National Research Council of Italy - Water Research Institute (CNR-IRSA) Molecular Ecology Group (MEG), Verbania, Italy
| | - Andrea Di Cesare
- National Research Council of Italy - Water Research Institute (CNR-IRSA) Molecular Ecology Group (MEG), Verbania, Italy
| | - Ester M Eckert
- National Research Council of Italy - Water Research Institute (CNR-IRSA) Molecular Ecology Group (MEG), Verbania, Italy
| | - Diego Fontaneto
- National Research Council of Italy - Water Research Institute (CNR-IRSA) Molecular Ecology Group (MEG), Verbania, Italy
| | - Michela Rogora
- National Research Council of Italy - Water Research Institute (CNR-IRSA), Verbania, Italy
| | - Gianluca Corno
- National Research Council of Italy - Water Research Institute (CNR-IRSA) Molecular Ecology Group (MEG), Verbania, Italy.
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16
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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. Environ Pollut 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] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [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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17
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Salerno B, Furlan M, Sabatino R, Di Cesare A, Leati M, Volanti M, Barco L, Orsini M, Losasso C, Cibin V. Antibiotic resistance genes load in an antibiotic free organic broiler farm. Poult Sci 2022; 101:101675. [PMID: 35091251 PMCID: PMC8802853 DOI: 10.1016/j.psj.2021.101675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Revised: 12/03/2021] [Accepted: 12/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Salerno
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro 35020, Italy
| | - Maddalena Furlan
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro 35020, Italy
| | - Raffaella Sabatino
- Water Research Institute (IRSA) - MEG Molecular Ecology Group, CNR - National Research Council of Italy, Verbania 28922, Italy
| | - Andrea Di Cesare
- Water Research Institute (IRSA) - MEG Molecular Ecology Group, CNR - National Research Council of Italy, Verbania 28922, Italy
| | - Marta Leati
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro 35020, Italy
| | | | - Lisa Barco
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro 35020, Italy
| | | | - Carmen Losasso
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro 35020, Italy.
| | - Veronica Cibin
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro 35020, Italy
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18
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Galafassi S, Di Cesare A, Di Nardo L, Sabatino R, Valsesia A, Fumagalli FS, Corno G, Volta P. Microplastic retention in small and medium municipal wastewater treatment plants and the role of the disinfection. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2022; 29:10535-10546. [PMID: 34528196 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-16453-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) efficiently retain microplastic particles (MPs) generated within urban areas. Among the wastewater treatment steps, disinfection has not been characterized for its potential MPs retention activity, although it has been reported that processes used to abate the bacterial load could also affect MPs concentration. For this reason, we evaluated the MPs concentration across the overall wastewater treatment process and before and after the disinfection step in four small/medium WWTPs located in the north of Italy. Most of the MPs found in the samples were fibers or fragments, smaller than 500 μm, mainly composed of polyethylene, polypropylene, or polyethylene terephthalate. The retention efficiency at the outlets was higher than 94% in all the plants analyzed. More interestingly, the disinfection treatments adopted by the different WWTPs reduced MPs concentration from a minimum of 9.1% (UV treatment) to a maximum of 67.6% (chlorination), promoting a further increase of the overall retention efficiency of the WWTPs from 0.4 to 0.7%. Quantitatively, the disinfection contributes to the MPs reduction in the outlets by retaining 0.5-6.7 million MPs per day, in WWTPs that discharge 2.7-12 million MPs per day. The results of the present work underline the importance of a careful choice of the steps that constitute the wastewater treatment, including disinfection, in order to minimize MPs discharge into the natural ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Galafassi
- CNR - Water Research Institute, Largo Tonolli 50, 28922, Verbania, Italy.
| | - Andrea Di Cesare
- CNR - Water Research Institute, Largo Tonolli 50, 28922, Verbania, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Di Nardo
- CNR - Water Research Institute, Largo Tonolli 50, 28922, Verbania, Italy
| | - Raffaella Sabatino
- CNR - Water Research Institute, Largo Tonolli 50, 28922, Verbania, Italy
| | - Andrea Valsesia
- European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC), Ispra, Italy
| | | | - Gianluca Corno
- CNR - Water Research Institute, Largo Tonolli 50, 28922, Verbania, Italy
| | - Pietro Volta
- CNR - Water Research Institute, Largo Tonolli 50, 28922, Verbania, Italy
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19
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Di Cesare A, Pinnell LJ, Brambilla D, Elli G, Sabatino R, Sathicq MB, Corno G, O'Donnell C, Turner JW. Bioplastic accumulates antibiotic and metal resistance genes in coastal marine sediments. Environ Pollut 2021; 291:118161. [PMID: 34537596 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.118161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2021] [Revised: 09/01/2021] [Accepted: 09/09/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The oceans are increasingly polluted with plastic debris, and several studies have implicated plastic as a reservoir for antibiotic resistance genes and a potential vector for antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Bioplastic is widely regarded as an environmentally friendly replacement to conventional petroleum-based plastic, but the effects of bioplastic pollution on marine environments remain largely unknown. Here, we present the first evidence that bioplastic accumulates antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and metal resistance genes (MRGs) in marine sediments. Biofilms fouling ceramic, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) were investigated by shotgun metagenomic sequencing. Four ARG groups were more abundant in PHA: trimethoprim resistance (TMP), multidrug resistance (MDR), macrolide-lincosamide-streptogramin resistance (MLS), and polymyxin resistance (PMR). One MRG group was more abundant in PHA: multimetal resistance (MMR). The relative abundance of ARGs and MRGs were strongly correlated based on a Mantel test between the Bray-Curtis dissimilarity matrices (R = 0.97, p < 0.05) and a Pearson's analysis (R = 0.96, p < 0.05). ARGs were detected in more than 40% of the 57 metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) while MRGs were detected in more than 90% of the MAGs. Further investigation (e.g., culturing, genome sequencing, antibiotic susceptibility testing) revealed that PHA biofilms were colonized by hemolytic Bacillus cereus group bacteria that were resistant to beta-lactams, vancomycin, and bacitracin. Taken together, our findings indicate that bioplastic, like conventional petroleum-based plastic, is a reservoir for resistance genes and a potential vector for antibiotic-resistant bacteria in coastal marine sediments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Di Cesare
- Water Research Institute, National Research Council of Italy (CNR-IRSA), MEG - Molecular Ecology Group, Largo Tonolli 50, 28922, Verbania, Italy
| | - Lee J Pinnell
- Department of Life Sciences, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi, TX, 78412, United States
| | - Diego Brambilla
- Water Research Institute, National Research Council of Italy (CNR-IRSA), MEG - Molecular Ecology Group, Largo Tonolli 50, 28922, Verbania, Italy
| | - Giulia Elli
- Division of Biotechnology, Department of Chemistry, Center for Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lund University, P.O. Box 124, SE-22100, Lund, Sweden
| | - Raffaella Sabatino
- Water Research Institute, National Research Council of Italy (CNR-IRSA), MEG - Molecular Ecology Group, Largo Tonolli 50, 28922, Verbania, Italy
| | - María B Sathicq
- Water Research Institute, National Research Council of Italy (CNR-IRSA), MEG - Molecular Ecology Group, Largo Tonolli 50, 28922, Verbania, Italy
| | - Gianluca Corno
- Water Research Institute, National Research Council of Italy (CNR-IRSA), MEG - Molecular Ecology Group, Largo Tonolli 50, 28922, Verbania, Italy
| | - Colin O'Donnell
- Department of Life Sciences, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi, TX, 78412, United States
| | - Jeffrey W Turner
- Department of Life Sciences, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi, TX, 78412, United States.
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Furia F, Minella M, Gosetti F, Turci F, Sabatino R, Di Cesare A, Corno G, Vione D. Elimination from wastewater of antibiotics reserved for hospital settings, with a Fenton process based on zero-valent iron. Chemosphere 2021; 283:131170. [PMID: 34467949 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.131170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2020] [Revised: 03/18/2021] [Accepted: 06/05/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The Fenton process activated by Zero Valent Iron (ZVI-Fenton) is shown here to effectively remove antibiotics reserved for hospital settings (specifically used to treat antibiotic-resistant infections) from wastewater, thereby helping in the fight against bacterial resistance. Effective degradation of cefazolin, imipenem and vancomycin in real urban wastewater was achieved at pH 5, which is quite near neutrality when compared with classic Fenton that works effectively at pH 3-4. The possibility to operate successfully at pH 5 has several advantages compared to operation at lower pH values: (i) lower reagent costs for pH adjustment; (ii) insignificant impact on wastewater conductivity, because lesser acid is required to acidify and lesser or no base for neutralization; (iii) undetectable release of dissolved Fe, which could otherwise be an issue for wastewater quality. The cost of reagents for the treatment ranges between 0.04 and 0.07 $ m-3, which looks very suitable for practical applications. The structures of the degradation intermediates of the studied antibiotics and their likely abundance suggest that, once the primary compound is eliminated, most of the potential to trigger antibiotic action has been removed. Application of the ZVI-Fenton technique to wastewater treatment could considerably lower the possibility for antibiotics to trigger the development of resistance in bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Furia
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Università di Torino, Via Pietro Giuria 5,9, 10125, Torino, Italy
| | - Marco Minella
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Università di Torino, Via Pietro Giuria 5,9, 10125, Torino, Italy
| | - Fabio Gosetti
- Dipartimento di Scienze Dell'Ambiente e Della Terra, Università di Milano - Bicocca, Piazza Della Scienza 1, 20126, Milano, Italy
| | - Francesco Turci
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Università di Torino, Via Pietro Giuria 5,9, 10125, Torino, Italy
| | - Raffaella Sabatino
- Molecular Ecology Group, National Research Council of Italy, Water Research Institute, Largo Tonolli 50, 28922, Verbania, VCO, Italy
| | - Andrea Di Cesare
- Molecular Ecology Group, National Research Council of Italy, Water Research Institute, Largo Tonolli 50, 28922, Verbania, VCO, Italy
| | - Gianluca Corno
- Molecular Ecology Group, National Research Council of Italy, Water Research Institute, Largo Tonolli 50, 28922, Verbania, VCO, Italy
| | - Davide Vione
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Università di Torino, Via Pietro Giuria 5,9, 10125, Torino, Italy.
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Galafassi S, Sabatino R, Sathicq MB, Eckert EM, Fontaneto D, Dalla Fontana G, Mossotti R, Corno G, Volta P, Di Cesare A. Contribution of microplastic particles to the spread of resistances and pathogenic bacteria in treated wastewaters. Water Res 2021; 201:117368. [PMID: 34186288 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2021.117368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2021] [Revised: 06/09/2021] [Accepted: 06/11/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Microplastic Particles (MPs) are ubiquitous pollutants widely found in aquatic ecosystems. Although MPs are mostly retained in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), a high number of MPs reaches the open waters potentially contributing to the spread of pathogenic bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes in the environment. Nowadays, a limited number of studies have focused on the role of MPs as carriers of potentially pathogenic and antibiotic resistant bacteria in WWTPs. Thus, an investigation on the community composition (by 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing) and the abundance of antibiotic and metal resistance genes (by qPCR) of the biofilm on MPs (the plastisphere) and of planktonic bacteria in treated (pre- and post-disinfection) wastewaters was performed. MPs resulted to be very similar in terms of type, color, size, and chemical composition, before and after the disinfection. The bacterial community on MPs differed from the planktonic community in terms of richness, composition, and structure of the community network. Potentially pathogenic bacteria generally showed higher abundances in treated wastewater than in the biofilm on MPs. Furthermore, among the tested resistance genes, only sul2 (a common resistance gene against sulfonamides) resulted to be more abundant in the plastisphere than in the planktonic bacterial community. Our results suggest that the wastewater plastisphere could promote the spread of pathogenic bacteria and resistance genes in aquatic environment although with a relatively lower contribution than the wastewater planktonic bacterial community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Galafassi
- CNR - Water Research Institute, Largo V. Tonolli 50, 28922, Verbania, Italy
| | - Raffaella Sabatino
- CNR - Water Research Institute, Largo V. Tonolli 50, 28922, Verbania, Italy
| | | | - Ester M Eckert
- CNR - Water Research Institute, Largo V. Tonolli 50, 28922, Verbania, Italy
| | - Diego Fontaneto
- CNR - Water Research Institute, Largo V. Tonolli 50, 28922, Verbania, Italy
| | - Giulia Dalla Fontana
- CNR - Istituto di Sistemi e Tecnologie Industriali Intelligenti per il Manifatturiero Avanzato, Corso G. Pella, 16, 13900, Biella, Italy
| | - Raffaella Mossotti
- CNR - Istituto di Sistemi e Tecnologie Industriali Intelligenti per il Manifatturiero Avanzato, Corso G. Pella, 16, 13900, Biella, Italy
| | - Gianluca Corno
- CNR - Water Research Institute, Largo V. Tonolli 50, 28922, Verbania, Italy
| | - Pietro Volta
- CNR - Water Research Institute, Largo V. Tonolli 50, 28922, Verbania, Italy
| | - Andrea Di Cesare
- CNR - Water Research Institute, Largo V. Tonolli 50, 28922, Verbania, Italy.
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Sathicq MB, Sabatino R, Corno G, Di Cesare A. Are microplastic particles a hotspot for the spread and the persistence of antibiotic resistance in aquatic systems? Environ Pollut 2021; 279:116896. [PMID: 33744628 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.116896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2020] [Revised: 02/25/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2021] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
In the last decade, the study of the origin and fate of plastic debris received great attention, leading to a new and broad awareness of the hazard represented by these particles for the environment and the biota. At the same time, the scientific consideration on the leading role of the environment regarding the spread of antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB) increased. Both, microplastic particles (MPs) and ARB share pollution sources and, in aquatic systems, MPs could act as a novel ecological niche, favouring the survival of pathogens and ARB. MPs can host a specific microbial biofilm, referred to as plastisphere, phylogenetically different from the surrounding planktonic microbial community and from the biofilm growing on other suspended particles. The plastisphere can influence the overall microbiome of a specific habitat, by introducing and supporting different species and by increasing horizontal gene transfer. In this review we collect and analyse the available studies coupling MPs and antibiotic resistance in water, highlighting knowledge gaps to be filled in order to understand if MPs could effectively act as a carrier of ARB and antibiotic resistance genes, and pose a real threat to human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Belén Sathicq
- 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
| | - Gianluca Corno
- Water Research Institute (IRSA) - MEG Molecular Ecology Group, CNR - National Research Council of Italy, Largo Tonolli 50, 28922, Verbania, Italy
| | - Andrea Di Cesare
- Water Research Institute (IRSA) - MEG Molecular Ecology Group, CNR - National Research Council of Italy, Largo Tonolli 50, 28922, Verbania, Italy.
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Sabatino R, Di Cesare A, Dzhembekova N, Fontaneto D, Eckert EM, Corno G, Moncheva S, Bertoni R, Callieri C. Spatial distribution of antibiotic and heavy metal resistance genes in the Black Sea. Mar Pollut Bull 2020; 160:111635. [PMID: 32919124 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.111635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2020] [Revised: 08/06/2020] [Accepted: 08/30/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB) are worldwide considered as emerging contaminants of large interest, and a primary threat to human health. It is becoming clear that the environment plays a central role in the transmission, spread, and evolution of antibiotic resistance. Although marine systems have been largely investigated, only a few studies have considered the presence of ARGs in meso- and bathypelagic waters. To date, no molecular based studies have yet been made to investigate the occurrence of ARGs in the Black Sea, the largest meromictic basin in the world, receiving water from a number of important European rivers and their residues of anthropogenic activities in permanently stratified mesopelagic water masses. In this study, we determined the presence and the abundance of five ARGs (blaCTXM, ermB, qnrS, sul2, tetA) and of the heavy metal resistance gene (HMRG) czcA, in different sampling sites in the eastern and western Black Sea, at several depths (up to 1000 m) and various distances from the shoreline. Three ARGs (blaCTXM, sul2, and tetA) and czcA were present in at least 43% of the analysed samples, whereas ermB and qnrS were never detected. In particular, sul2 abundances increased significantly in coastal location, whereas tetA increased with sampling depth. These findings point out the Black Sea as a source of ARGs and HMRGs distributed along the whole water column.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raffaella Sabatino
- Water Research Institute - National Research Council of Italy (CNR-IRSA), Molecular Ecology Group (MEG), Largo Tonolli 50, 28922 Verbania (VB), Italy.
| | - Andrea Di Cesare
- Water Research Institute - National Research Council of Italy (CNR-IRSA), Molecular Ecology Group (MEG), Largo Tonolli 50, 28922 Verbania (VB), Italy
| | - Nina Dzhembekova
- Institute for Oceanology Fridtjof Nansen, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, First May Street 40, P.O. Box 152, 9000 Varna, Bulgaria
| | - Diego Fontaneto
- Water Research Institute - National Research Council of Italy (CNR-IRSA), Molecular Ecology Group (MEG), Largo Tonolli 50, 28922 Verbania (VB), Italy
| | - Ester M Eckert
- Water Research Institute - National Research Council of Italy (CNR-IRSA), Molecular Ecology Group (MEG), Largo Tonolli 50, 28922 Verbania (VB), Italy
| | - Gianluca Corno
- Water Research Institute - National Research Council of Italy (CNR-IRSA), Molecular Ecology Group (MEG), Largo Tonolli 50, 28922 Verbania (VB), Italy
| | - Snejana Moncheva
- Institute for Oceanology Fridtjof Nansen, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, First May Street 40, P.O. Box 152, 9000 Varna, Bulgaria
| | - Roberto Bertoni
- Water Research Institute - National Research Council of Italy (CNR-IRSA), Molecular Ecology Group (MEG), Largo Tonolli 50, 28922 Verbania (VB), Italy
| | - Cristiana Callieri
- Water Research Institute - National Research Council of Italy (CNR-IRSA), Molecular Ecology Group (MEG), Largo Tonolli 50, 28922 Verbania (VB), Italy
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Turolla A, Sabatino R, Fontaneto D, Eckert EM, Colinas N, Corno G, Citterio B, Biavasco F, Antonelli M, Mauro A, Mangiaterra G, Di Cesare A. Defence strategies and antibiotic resistance gene abundance in enterococci under stress by exposure to low doses of peracetic acid. Chemosphere 2017; 185:480-488. [PMID: 28715758 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2017.07.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2017] [Revised: 06/28/2017] [Accepted: 07/08/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Peracetic acid (PAA) is an organic compound used efficiently as disinfectant in wastewater treatments. Yet, at low doses it may cause selection; thus, the effect of low doses of PAA on Enterococcus faecium as a proxy of human-related microbial waste was evaluated. Bacteria were treated with increasing doses of PAA (from 0 to 25 mg L-1 min) and incubated in regrowth experiments under non-growing, limiting conditions and under growing, favorable conditions. The changes in bacterial abundance, in bacterial phenotype (number and composition of small cell clusters), and in the abundance of an antibiotic resistance gene (ARG) was evaluated. The experiment demonstrated that the selected doses of PAA efficiently removed enterococci, and induced a long-lasting effect after PAA inactivation. The relative abundance of small clusters increased during the experiment when compared with that of the inoculum. Moreover, under growing favorable conditions the relative abundance of small clusters decreased and the number of cells per cluster increased with increasing PAA doses. A strong stability of the measured ARG was found, not showing any effect during the whole experiment. The results demonstrated the feasibility of low doses of PAA to inactivate bacteria. However, the stress induced by PAA disinfection promoted a bacterial adaptation, even if potentially without affecting the abundance of the ARG.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Turolla
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (DICA) - Environmental Section, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133, Milano, Italy
| | - Raffaella Sabatino
- Laboratory of Metabolic Research, Ospedale San Giuseppe, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Strada Cadorna 90, 28988, Piancavallo di Oggebbio, Italy; Laboratory of Clinical Neurobiology, Ospedale San Giuseppe, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Strada Cadorna 90, 28988, Piancavallo di Oggebbio, Italy
| | - Diego Fontaneto
- Microbial Ecology Group, National Research Council - Institute of Ecosystem Study (CNR-ISE), Largo Tonolli 50, 28922, Verbania, Italy
| | - Ester M Eckert
- Microbial Ecology Group, National Research Council - Institute of Ecosystem Study (CNR-ISE), Largo Tonolli 50, 28922, Verbania, Italy
| | - Noemi Colinas
- Microbial Ecology Group, National Research Council - Institute of Ecosystem Study (CNR-ISE), Largo Tonolli 50, 28922, Verbania, Italy
| | - Gianluca Corno
- Microbial Ecology Group, National Research Council - Institute of Ecosystem Study (CNR-ISE), Largo Tonolli 50, 28922, Verbania, Italy.
| | - Barbara Citterio
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Biotechnology Section, University of Urbino "Carlo Bo", via Arco d'Augusto 2, 61032, Fano, Italy
| | - Francesca Biavasco
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, via Brecce Bianche, 60131, Ancona, Italy
| | - Manuela Antonelli
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (DICA) - Environmental Section, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133, Milano, Italy
| | - Alessandro Mauro
- Laboratory of Clinical Neurobiology, Ospedale San Giuseppe, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Strada Cadorna 90, 28988, Piancavallo di Oggebbio, Italy; Department of Neuroscience "Rita Levi Montalcini", University of Turin, via Cherasco 15, 10126, Turin, Italy
| | - Gianmarco Mangiaterra
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, via Brecce Bianche, 60131, Ancona, Italy
| | - Andrea Di Cesare
- Microbial Ecology Group, National Research Council - Institute of Ecosystem Study (CNR-ISE), Largo Tonolli 50, 28922, Verbania, Italy
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Morroni G, Di Cesare A, Di Sante L, Brenciani A, Vignaroli C, Pasquaroli S, Giovanetti E, Sabatino R, Rossi L, Magnani M, Biavasco F. Enterococcus faecium ST17 from Coastal Marine Sediment Carrying Transferable Multidrug Resistance Plasmids. Microb Drug Resist 2016; 22:523-530. [PMID: 26982016 DOI: 10.1089/mdr.2015.0222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The multidrug-resistant Enterococcus faecium 17i48, sequence type 17, from marine sediment, carrying erm(B), tet(M), and tet(L) genes, was analyzed for the presence of antibiotic resistance plasmids and for the ability to transfer resistance genes. The strain was found to harbor the replicon type (repA) of pRE25, pRUM, pHTβ, and the axe-txe toxin-antitoxin (TA) system. In mating experiments, tet(M) and tet(L) were cotransferred with the repApRE25, whereas erm(B) was consistently cotransferred with the axe-txe and repApRUM, suggesting that tetracycline and erythromycin resistance genes were carried on different elements both transferable by conjugation, likely via pHTβ-mediated mobilization. Hybridization and PCR mapping demonstrated that tet(M) and tet(L) were located in tandem on a pDO1-like plasmid that also carried the repApRE25, whereas erm(B) was carried by a pRUM-like plasmid. Sequencing of the latter plasmid showed a high nucleotide identity with pRUM and the presence of cat, aadE, sat4, and a complete aphA resistance genes. These findings show that the genetic features of E. faecium 17i48 are consistent with a hospital-adapted clone and suggest that antibiotic resistance may spread in the environment, also in the absence of antibiotic pressure, due to TA system plasmid maintenance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gianluca Morroni
- 1 Department of Biomedical Sciences and Public Health, Polytechnic University of Marche , Ancona, Italy
| | - Andrea Di Cesare
- 2 Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche , Ancona, Italy
| | - Laura Di Sante
- 2 Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche , Ancona, Italy
| | - Andrea Brenciani
- 1 Department of Biomedical Sciences and Public Health, Polytechnic University of Marche , Ancona, Italy
| | - Carla Vignaroli
- 2 Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche , Ancona, Italy
| | - Sonia Pasquaroli
- 2 Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche , Ancona, Italy
| | - Eleonora Giovanetti
- 2 Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche , Ancona, Italy
| | - Raffaella Sabatino
- 3 Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Section, Department of Biomolecular Sciences, University of Urbino "Carlo Bo," Urbino, Italy
| | - Luigia Rossi
- 3 Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Section, Department of Biomolecular Sciences, University of Urbino "Carlo Bo," Urbino, Italy
| | - Mauro Magnani
- 3 Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Section, Department of Biomolecular Sciences, University of Urbino "Carlo Bo," Urbino, Italy
| | - Francesca Biavasco
- 2 Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche , Ancona, Italy
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Sabatino R, Di Cesare A, Pasquaroli S, Vignaroli C, Citterio B, Amiri M, Rossi L, Magnani M, Mauro A, Biavasco F. Adherence and intracellular survival within human macrophages of Enterococcus faecalis isolates from coastal marine sediment. Microbes Infect 2015; 17:660-4. [DOI: 10.1016/j.micinf.2015.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2015] [Revised: 06/04/2015] [Accepted: 06/05/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Sabatino R, Antonelli A, Battistelli S, Schwendener R, Magnani M, Rossi L. Macrophage depletion by free bisphosphonates and zoledronate-loaded red blood cells. PLoS One 2014; 9:e101260. [PMID: 24968029 PMCID: PMC4072741 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0101260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2014] [Accepted: 06/04/2014] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Bisphosphonates, besides being important drugs for the treatment of various bone diseases, could also be used to induce apoptosis in macrophage-like and cancer cells. However, their activity in vivo is limited by a short plasma half-life and rapid uptake within bone. Therefore, several delivery systems have been proposed to modify their pharmacokinetic profile and biodistribution. Among these, red blood cells (RBCs) represent one of the most promising biological carriers. The aim of this study was to select the best performing compound among Clodronate, Pamidronate, Ibandronate and Zoledronate in killing macrophages and to investigate RBCs as innovative carrier system to selectively target bisphosphonates to macrophages. To this end, the encapsulation of the selected bisphosphonates in autologous RBCs as well as the effect on macrophages, both in vitro and in vivo were studied. This work shows that, among the tested bisphosphonates, Zoledronate has proven to be the most active molecule. Human and murine RBCs have been successfully loaded with Zoledronate by a procedure of hypotonic dialysis and isotonic resealing, obtaining a dose-dependent drug entrapment with a maximal loading of 7.96±2.03, 6.95±3.9 and 7.0±1.89 µmoles of Zoledronate/ml of packed RBCs for human, Swiss and Balb/C murine RBCs, respectively. Engineered RBCs were able to detach human and murine macrophages in vitro, leading to a detachment of 66±8%, 67±8% and 60.5±3.5% for human, Swiss and Balb/C RBCs, respectively. The in vivo efficacy of loaded RBCs was tested in Balb/C mice administering 59 µg/mouse of RBC-encapsulated Zoledronate. By a single administration, depletion of 29.0±16.38% hepatic macrophages and of 67.84±5.48% spleen macrophages was obtained, confirming the ability of encapsulated Zoledronate to deplete macrophages in vivo. In conclusion, RBCs loaded with Zoledronate should be considered a suitable system for targeted delivery to macrophages, both in vitro and in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raffaella Sabatino
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, University of Urbino “Carlo Bo”, Urbino (PU), Italy
| | - Antonella Antonelli
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, University of Urbino “Carlo Bo”, Urbino (PU), Italy
| | - Serafina Battistelli
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, University of Urbino “Carlo Bo”, Urbino (PU), Italy
| | - Reto Schwendener
- Institute of Molecular Cancer Research, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Mauro Magnani
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, University of Urbino “Carlo Bo”, Urbino (PU), Italy
- EryDel SpA, Urbino (PU), Italy
| | - Luigia Rossi
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, University of Urbino “Carlo Bo”, Urbino (PU), Italy
- EryDel SpA, Urbino (PU), Italy
- * E-mail:
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Santoro G, Falca M, Sabatino R, Cione P. CONSIDERAZIONI SULL’USO DELLA PCR NELLA DIAGNOSTICA TUBERCOLARE DI MATERIALI NON RESPIRATORI. Microbiol Med 2004. [DOI: 10.4081/mm.2004.3934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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