1
|
Yu Z, Wang Q, Pinilla-Redondo R, Madsen JS, Clasen KAD, Ananbeh H, Olesen AK, Gong Z, Yang N, Dechesne A, Smets B, Nesme J, Sørensen SJ. Horizontal transmission of a multidrug-resistant IncN plasmid isolated from urban wastewater. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2024; 271:115971. [PMID: 38237397 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2024.115971] [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: 11/07/2023] [Revised: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/05/2024]
Abstract
Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are considered reservoirs of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). Given that plasmid-mediated horizontal gene transfer plays a critical role in disseminating ARGs in the environment, it is important to inspect the transfer potential of transmissible plasmids to have a better understanding of whether these mobile ARGs can be hosted by opportunistic pathogens and should be included in One Health's considerations. In this study, we used a fluorescent-reporter-gene based exogenous isolation approach to capture extended-spectrum beta-lactamases encoding mobile determinants from sewer microbiome samples that enter an urban water system (UWS) in Denmark. After screening and sequencing, we isolated a ∼73 Kbp IncN plasmid (pDK_DARWIN) that harboured and expressed multiple ARGs. Using a dual fluorescent reporter gene system, we showed that this plasmid can transfer into resident urban water communities. We demonstrated the transfer of pDK_DARWIN to microbiome members of both the sewer (in the upstream UWS compartment) and wastewater treatment (in the downstream UWS compartment) microbiomes. Sequence similarity search across curated plasmid repositories revealed that pDK_DARWIN derives from an IncN backbone harboured by environmental and nosocomial Enterobacterial isolates. Furthermore, we searched for pDK_DARWIN sequence matches in UWS metagenomes from three countries, revealing that this plasmid can be detected in all of them, with a higher relative abundance in hospital sewers compared to residential sewers. Overall, this study demonstrates that this IncN plasmid is prevalent across Europe and an efficient vector capable of disseminating multiple ARGs in the urban water systems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhuofeng Yu
- Section of Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Qinqin Wang
- Section of Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Rafael Pinilla-Redondo
- 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
| | - Kamille Anna Dam Clasen
- Section of Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Hanadi Ananbeh
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of AgriSciences, Mendel University in Brno, Zemedelska 1, CZ-613 00 Brno, Czech Republic; Central European Institute of Technology, Brno University of Technology, Purkynova 123, CZ-612 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Asmus Kalckar Olesen
- Section of Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Zhuang Gong
- Section of Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Nan Yang
- Section of Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - 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.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Givens CE, Kolpin DW, Hubbard LE, Meppelink SM, Cwiertny DM, Thompson DA, Lane RF, Wilson MC. Simultaneous stream assessment of antibiotics, bacteria, antibiotic resistant bacteria, and antibiotic resistance genes in an agricultural region of the United States. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 904:166753. [PMID: 37673265 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.166753] [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: 06/23/2023] [Revised: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023]
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is now recognized as a leading global threat to human health. Nevertheless, there currently is a limited understanding of the environment's role in the spread of AMR and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). In 2019, the U.S. Geological Survey conducted the first statewide assessment of antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB) and ARGs in surface water and bed sediment collected from 34 stream locations across Iowa. Environmental samples were analyzed for a suite of 29 antibiotics and plated on selective media for 15 types of bacteria growth; DNA was extracted from culture growth and used in downstream polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays for the detection of 24 ARGs. ARGs encoding resistance to antibiotics of clinical importance to human health and disease prevention were prioritized as their presence in stream systems has the potential for environmental significance. Total coliforms, Escherichia coli (E. coli), and staphylococci were nearly ubiquitous in both stream water and stream bed sediment samples, with enterococci present in 97 % of water samples, and Salmonella spp. growth present in 94 % and 67 % of water and bed sediment samples. Bacteria enumerations indicate that high bacteria loads are common in Iowa's streams, with 23 (68 %) streams exceeding state guidelines for primary contact for E. coli in recreational waters and 6 (18 %) streams exceeding the secondary contact advisory level. Although antibiotic-resistant E. coli growth was detected from 40 % of water samples, vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) and penicillinase-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) colony growth was detected from nearly all water samples. A total of 14 different ARGs were detected from viable bacteria cells from 30 Iowa streams (88 %, n = 34). Study results provide the first baseline understanding of the prevalence of ARB and ARGs throughout Iowa's waterways and health risk potential for humans, wildlife, and livestock using these waterways for drinking, irrigating, or recreating.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carrie E Givens
- U.S. Geological Survey, 5840 Enterprise Drive, Lansing, MI 48911, USA.
| | - Dana W Kolpin
- U.S. Geological Survey, 400 S. Clinton Street, Iowa City, Iowa 52240, USA
| | - Laura E Hubbard
- U.S. Geological Survey, 1 Gifford Pinchot Drive, Madison, WI 53726, USA
| | | | - David M Cwiertny
- University of Iowa Center for Health Effects of Environmental Contamination, The University of Iowa, 251 North Capitol Street, Chemistry Building - Room W195, Iowa City, Iowa 52242, USA
| | - Darrin A Thompson
- University of Iowa Center for Health Effects of Environmental Contamination, The University of Iowa, 251 North Capitol Street, Chemistry Building - Room W195, Iowa City, Iowa 52242, USA
| | - Rachael F Lane
- U.S. Geological Survey, 1217 Biltmore Drive, Lawrence, Kansas 66049, USA
| | - Michaelah C Wilson
- U.S. Geological Survey, 1217 Biltmore Drive, Lawrence, Kansas 66049, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Elston KM, Phillips LE, Leonard SP, Young E, Holley JAC, Ahsanullah T, McReynolds B, Moran NA, Barrick JE. The Pathfinder plasmid toolkit for genetically engineering newly isolated bacteria enables the study of Drosophila-colonizing Orbaceae. ISME COMMUNICATIONS 2023; 3:49. [PMID: 37225918 PMCID: PMC10209150 DOI: 10.1038/s43705-023-00255-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2023] [Revised: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Toolkits of plasmids and genetic parts streamline the process of assembling DNA constructs and engineering microbes. Many of these kits were designed with specific industrial or laboratory microbes in mind. For researchers interested in non-model microbial systems, it is often unclear which tools and techniques will function in newly isolated strains. To address this challenge, we designed the Pathfinder toolkit for quickly determining the compatibility of a bacterium with different plasmid components. Pathfinder plasmids combine three different broad-host-range origins of replication with multiple antibiotic resistance cassettes and reporters, so that sets of parts can be rapidly screened through multiplex conjugation. We first tested these plasmids in Escherichia coli, a strain of Sodalis praecaptivus that colonizes insects, and a Rosenbergiella isolate from leafhoppers. Then, we used the Pathfinder plasmids to engineer previously unstudied bacteria from the family Orbaceae that were isolated from several fly species. Engineered Orbaceae strains were able to colonize Drosophila melanogaster and could be visualized in fly guts. Orbaceae are common and abundant in the guts of wild-caught flies but have not been included in laboratory studies of how the Drosophila microbiome affects fly health. Thus, this work provides foundational genetic tools for studying microbial ecology and host-associated microbes, including bacteria that are a key constituent of the gut microbiome of a model insect species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Katherine M Elston
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Laila E Phillips
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Sean P Leonard
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Eleanor Young
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Jo-Anne C Holley
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
- Freshman Research Initiative, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Tasneem Ahsanullah
- Freshman Research Initiative, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Braydin McReynolds
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Nancy A Moran
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Jeffrey E Barrick
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Elston KM, Phillips LE, Leonard SP, Young E, Holley JAC, Ahsanullah T, McReynolds B, Moran NA, Barrick JE. The Pathfinder plasmid toolkit for genetically engineering newly isolated bacteria enables the study of Drosophila -colonizing Orbaceae. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.02.15.528778. [PMID: 36824770 PMCID: PMC9949093 DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.15.528778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/18/2023]
Abstract
Toolkits of plasmids and genetic parts streamline the process of assembling DNA constructs and engineering microbes. Many of these kits were designed with specific industrial or laboratory microbes in mind. For researchers interested in non-model microbial systems, it is often unclear which tools and techniques will function in newly isolated strains. To address this challenge, we designed the Pathfinder toolkit for quickly determining the compatibility of a bacterium with different plasmid components. Pathfinder plasmids combine three different broad-host-range origins of replication with multiple antibiotic resistance cassettes and reporters, so that sets of parts can be rapidly screened through multiplex conjugation. We first tested these plasmids in Escherichia coli , a strain of Sodalis praecaptivus that colonizes insects, and a Rosenbergiella isolate from leafhoppers. Then, we used the Pathfinder plasmids to engineer previously unstudied bacteria from the family Orbaceae that were isolated from several fly species. Engineered Orbaceae strains were able to colonize Drosophila melanogaster and could be visualized in fly guts. Orbaceae are common and abundant in the guts of wild-caught flies but have not been included in laboratory studies of how the Drosophila microbiome affects fly health. Thus, this work provides foundational genetic tools for studying new host-associated microbes, including bacteria that are a key constituent of the gut microbiome of a model insect species. IMPORTANCE To fully understand how microbes have evolved to interact with their environments, one must be able to modify their genomes. However, it can be difficult and laborious to discover which genetic tools and approaches work for a new isolate. Bacteria from the recently described Orbaceae family are common in the microbiomes of insects. We developed the Pathfinder plasmid toolkit for testing the compatibility of different genetic parts with newly cultured bacteria. We demonstrate its utility by engineering Orbaceae strains isolated from flies to express fluorescent proteins and characterizing how they colonize the Drosophila melanogaster gut. Orbaceae are widespread in Drosophila in the wild but have not been included in laboratory studies examining how the gut microbiome affects fly nutrition, health, and longevity. Our work establishes a path for genetic studies aimed at understanding and altering interactions between these and other newly isolated bacteria and their hosts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Katherine M. Elston
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Laila E. Phillips
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Sean P. Leonard
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Eleanor Young
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Jo-anne C. Holley
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
- Freshman Research Initiative, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Tasneem Ahsanullah
- Freshman Research Initiative, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Braydin McReynolds
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Nancy A. Moran
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Jeffrey E. Barrick
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Sun S, Geng J, Ma L, Sun X, Qi H, Wu Y, Zhang R. Changes in antibiotic resistance genotypes and phenotypes after two typical sewage disposal processes. CHEMOSPHERE 2022; 291:132833. [PMID: 34762888 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.132833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2021] [Revised: 10/10/2021] [Accepted: 11/06/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Antibiotic resistome is a growing concern around the world. Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) have been identified as hotspots for antibiotic resistance gene (ARG) research. However, the distribution of antibiotic resistance genotypes and phenotypes in biofilm wastewater treatment system is poorly understood. In this study, the abundance and fate of antibiotic resistance genotypes and phenotypes in two typical wastewater treatment processes [biological aerated filter (BAF), anaerobic-oxic (A/O)] were quantitatively studied. The average removal rate of total ARGs was greater than 90%. In the biological treatment unit, the abundance of ARGs increased in the A/O unit and decreased in the biofilm unit. In addition, the resistance of tetracycline resistant bacteria changed after sewage disposal, which was closely related to the evolution of bacterial community. In total, the removal rate of resistance bacteria in A/O system was lower than that in BAF system. Genotypes were the basis of determining the phenotypes of microbial resistance. But it is necessary to pay close attention to antibiotic resistance phenotype due to its high variability. More specifically, antibiotic resistance mitigation in WWTPs should focus more on removing bacterial hosts to reduce the release of ARGs into the environment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shaojing Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090, China
| | - Jialu Geng
- The Engineering Technology Center of Pollution Control in Taizhou, Taizhou, 318000, China
| | - Lixin Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090, China
| | - Xiazhong Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090, China
| | - Hong Qi
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090, China.
| | - Yining Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090, China
| | - Rui Zhang
- Heilongjiang Metrology Institute of Measurement & Verification, Harbin, 150036, China
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Wolters B, Hauschild K, Blau K, Mulder I, Heyde BJ, Sørensen SJ, Siemens J, Jechalke S, Smalla K, Nesme J. Biosolids for safe land application: does wastewater treatment plant size matters when considering antibiotics, pollutants, microbiome, mobile genetic elements and associated resistance genes? Environ Microbiol 2022; 24:1573-1589. [PMID: 35192222 PMCID: PMC9306954 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2021] [Revised: 02/04/2022] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Soil fertilization with wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) biosolids is associated with the introduction of resistance genes (RGs), mobile genetic elements (MGEs) and potentially selective pollutants (antibiotics, heavy metals, disinfectants) into soil. Not much data are available on the parallel analysis of biosolid pollutant contents, RG/MGE abundances and microbial community composition. In the present study, DNA extracted from biosolids taken at 12 WWTPs (two large-scale, six middle-scale and four small-scale plants) was used to determine the abundance of RGs and MGEs via quantitative real-time PCR and the bacterial and archaeal community composition was assessed by 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. Concentrations of heavy metals, antibiotics, the biocides triclosan, triclocarban and quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) were measured. Strong and significant correlations were revealed between several target genes and concentrations of Cu, Zn, triclosan, several antibiotics and QACs. Interestingly, the size of the sewage treatment plant (inhabitant equivalents) was negatively correlated with antibiotic concentrations, RGs and MGEs abundances and had little influence on the load of metals and QACs or the microbial community composition. Biosolids from WWTPs with anaerobic treatment and hospitals in their catchment area were associated with a higher abundance of potential opportunistic pathogens and higher concentrations of QACs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Birgit Wolters
- Julius Kühn-Institut (JKI), Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Institute for Epidemiology and Pathogen Diagnostics, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Kristin Hauschild
- Julius Kühn-Institut (JKI), Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Institute for Epidemiology and Pathogen Diagnostics, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Khald Blau
- Julius Kühn-Institut (JKI), Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Institute for Epidemiology and Pathogen Diagnostics, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Ines Mulder
- Justus Liebig University Giessen, Institute of Soil Science and Soil Conservation, iFZ Research Centre for Biosystems, Land Use and Nutrition, Giessen, Germany
| | - Benjamin Justus Heyde
- Justus Liebig University Giessen, Institute of Soil Science and Soil Conservation, iFZ Research Centre for Biosystems, Land Use and Nutrition, Giessen, Germany
| | - Søren J Sørensen
- Section of Microbiology, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jan Siemens
- Justus Liebig University Giessen, Institute of Soil Science and Soil Conservation, iFZ Research Centre for Biosystems, Land Use and Nutrition, Giessen, Germany
| | - Sven Jechalke
- Justus Liebig University Giessen, Institute of Phytopathology, iFZ Research Centre for Biosystems, Land Use and Nutrition, Giessen, Germany
| | - Kornelia Smalla
- Julius Kühn-Institut (JKI), Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Institute for Epidemiology and Pathogen Diagnostics, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Joseph Nesme
- Section of Microbiology, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Rodríguez-Molina D, Berglund F, Blaak H, Flach CF, Kemper M, Marutescu L, Gradisteanu GP, Popa M, Spießberger B, Weinmann T, Wengenroth L, Chifiriuc MC, Larsson DGJ, Nowak D, Radon K, de Roda Husman AM, Wieser A, Schmitt H. Carriage of ESBL-producing Enterobacterales in wastewater treatment plant workers and surrounding residents - the AWARE Study. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 2021:10.1007/s10096-021-04387-z. [PMID: 34902088 PMCID: PMC8667530 DOI: 10.1007/s10096-021-04387-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
To investigate whether wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) workers and residents living in close proximity to a WWTP have elevated carriage rates of ESBL-producing Enterobacterales, as compared to the general population. From 2018 to 2020, we carried out a cross-sectional study in Germany, the Netherlands, and Romania among WWTP workers (N = 344), nearby residents (living ≤ 300 m away from WWTPs; N = 431) and distant residents (living ≥ 1000 m away = reference group; N = 1165). We collected information on potential confounders via questionnaire. Culture of participants' stool samples was performed with ChromID®-ESBL agar plates and species identification with MALDI-TOF-MS. We used logistic regression to estimate the odds ratio (OR) for carrying ESBL-producing E. coli (ESBL-EC). Sensitivity analyses included stratification by country and interaction models using country as secondary exposure. Prevalence of ESBL-EC was 11% (workers), 29% (nearby residents), and 7% (distant residents), and higher in Romania (28%) than in Germany (7%) and the Netherlands (6%). Models stratified by country showed that within the Romanian population, WWTP workers are about twice as likely (aOR = 2.34, 95% CI: 1.22-4.50) and nearby residents about three times as likely (aOR = 3.17, 95% CI: 1.80-5.59) to be ESBL-EC carriers, when compared with distant residents. In stratified analyses by country, we found an increased risk for carriage of ESBL-EC in Romanian workers and nearby residents. This effect was higher for nearby residents than for workers, which suggests that, for nearby residents, factors other than the local WWTP could contribute to the increased carriage.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daloha Rodríguez-Molina
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology and NetTeaching Unit, Institute and Clinic for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Ziemssenstr. 5, 80336, Munich, Germany.
- Institute for Medical Information Processing, Biometry, and Epidemiology - IBE, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.
- Pettenkofer School of Public Health, Munich, Germany.
| | - Fanny Berglund
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Centre for Antibiotic Resistance Research (CARe), University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Hetty Blaak
- Centre of Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - Carl-Fredrik Flach
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Centre for Antibiotic Resistance Research (CARe), University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Merel Kemper
- Centre of Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - Luminita Marutescu
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Biology, University of Bucharest and the Academy of Romanian Scientists, Bucharest, Romania
- Earth, Environmental and Life Sciences Section, Research Institute of the University of Bucharest, University of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Gratiela Pircalabioru Gradisteanu
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Biology, University of Bucharest and the Academy of Romanian Scientists, Bucharest, Romania
- Earth, Environmental and Life Sciences Section, Research Institute of the University of Bucharest, University of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Marcela Popa
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Biology, University of Bucharest and the Academy of Romanian Scientists, Bucharest, Romania
- Earth, Environmental and Life Sciences Section, Research Institute of the University of Bucharest, University of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Beate Spießberger
- German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF) Partner Site Munich, Munich, Germany
- Max Von Pettenkofer Institute, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, LMU University Hospital Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Tobias Weinmann
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology and NetTeaching Unit, Institute and Clinic for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Ziemssenstr. 5, 80336, Munich, Germany
| | - Laura Wengenroth
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology and NetTeaching Unit, Institute and Clinic for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Ziemssenstr. 5, 80336, Munich, Germany
| | - Mariana Carmen Chifiriuc
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Biology, University of Bucharest and the Academy of Romanian Scientists, Bucharest, Romania
- Earth, Environmental and Life Sciences Section, Research Institute of the University of Bucharest, University of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania
| | - D G Joakim Larsson
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Centre for Antibiotic Resistance Research (CARe), University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Dennis Nowak
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology and NetTeaching Unit, Institute and Clinic for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Ziemssenstr. 5, 80336, Munich, Germany
- German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Comprehensive Pneumology Center Munich (CPC-M), Munich, Germany
| | - Katja Radon
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology and NetTeaching Unit, Institute and Clinic for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Ziemssenstr. 5, 80336, Munich, Germany
| | - Ana Maria de Roda Husman
- Centre of Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - Andreas Wieser
- German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF) Partner Site Munich, Munich, Germany
- Max Von Pettenkofer Institute, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, LMU University Hospital Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Heike Schmitt
- Centre of Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Cyriaque V, Géron A, Billon G, Nesme J, Werner J, Gillan DC, Sørensen SJ, Wattiez R. Metal-induced bacterial interactions promote diversity in river-sediment microbiomes. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2020; 96:5826176. [PMID: 32343356 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiaa076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2020] [Accepted: 04/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Anthropogenic metal contamination results in long-term environmental selective pressure with unclear impacts on bacterial communities, which comprise key players in ecosystem functioning. Since metal contamination poses serious toxicity and bioaccumulation issues, assessing their impact on environmental microbiomes is important to respond to current environmental and health issues. Despite elevated metal concentrations, the river sedimentary microbiome near the MetalEurop foundry (France) shows unexpected higher diversity compared with the upstream control site. In this work, a follow-up of the microbial community assembly during a metal contamination event was performed in microcosms with periodic renewal of the supernatant river water. Sediments of the control site were gradually exposed to a mixture of metals (Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn) in order to reach similar concentrations to MetalEurop sediments. Illumina sequencing of 16S rRNA gene amplicons was performed. Metal-resistant genes, czcA and pbrA, as well as IncP plasmid content, were assessed by quantitative PCR. The outcomes of this study support previous in situ observations showing that metals act as community assembly managers, increasing diversity. This work revealed progressive adaptation of the sediment microbiome through the selection of different metal-resistant mechanisms and cross-species interactions involving public good-providing bacteria co-occurring with the rest of the community.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Valentine Cyriaque
- Proteomics and Microbiology Laboratory, Research Institute for Biosciences, UMONS, 20 Place du Parc, 7000 Mons, Belgium
| | - Augustin Géron
- Proteomics and Microbiology Laboratory, Research Institute for Biosciences, UMONS, 20 Place du Parc, 7000 Mons, Belgium.,Division of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling,FK9 4LA, UK
| | - Gabriel Billon
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, UMR 8516 - LASIRE - LAboratoire de Spectroscopie pour les Interactions, la Réactivité et l'Environnement, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Joseph Nesme
- Section of Microbiology, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Johannes Werner
- Department of Biological Oceanography, Leibniz Institute of Baltic Sea Research, D-18119 Rostock, Germany
| | - David C Gillan
- Proteomics and Microbiology Laboratory, Research Institute for Biosciences, UMONS, 20 Place du Parc, 7000 Mons, Belgium
| | - Søren J Sørensen
- Section of Microbiology, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Ruddy Wattiez
- Proteomics and Microbiology Laboratory, Research Institute for Biosciences, UMONS, 20 Place du Parc, 7000 Mons, Belgium
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Ma J, Cui Y, Li A, Zhang W, Ma C, Chen Z. Occurrence and distribution of five antibiotic resistance genes during the loading period in sludge treatment wetlands. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2020; 274:111190. [PMID: 32771773 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.111190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2020] [Revised: 07/20/2020] [Accepted: 08/01/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The objectives of this study were to clarify the distribution as well as the removal mechanism of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) within three sludge treatment wetlands (STWs) during a loading period of two years. Three STW units were constructed and run during the loading period: Unit 1 (U1) built with aeration tubes, Unit 2 (U2) built with aeration tubes and reeds, and Unit 3 (U3) built with reeds only. All targeted ARGs, intI1, and 16S rRNA were detected in residual sludge in the order of magnitude: 16S rRNA>sul1>intI1>sul2>tetC>tetA>ermB. The abundance of the five targeted ARGs, intI1, and 16S rRNA increased in residual sludge, during the loading period, which may be due to the increase in bacteria caused by the continuous import of exogenous nutrients. However, STWs can also remove ARGs from sewage during the loading period and the mean removal efficiency of five resistance genes was 73.0%. The removal rates of intI1 and 16S rRNA were 73.5% and 78.6%, respectively. Positive correlations were detected in abundance of most ARGs and intI1, as well as 16S rRNA (P < 0.05), indicating intI1 plays a vital part in the propagation of ARGs. The removal of bacteria harboring these genes also occurs in the STW units.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Junwen Ma
- Key Laboratory of Biotechnology and Bioresources Utilization, Ministry of Education, Dalian Minzu University, Dalian, 116600, China; School of Environment Science & Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, 116024, China
| | - Yubo Cui
- Key Laboratory of Biotechnology and Bioresources Utilization, Ministry of Education, Dalian Minzu University, Dalian, 116600, China; College of Environment and Resources, Dalian Minzu University, Dalian, 116600, China.
| | - Aimin Li
- School of Environment Science & Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, 116024, China
| | - Wanjun Zhang
- College of Environment and Resources, Dalian Minzu University, Dalian, 116600, China
| | - Chengdong Ma
- Department of Marine Ecological Environment Information, National Marine Environmental Monitoring Center, Dalian, 116023, China
| | - Zhaobo Chen
- College of Environment and Resources, Dalian Minzu University, Dalian, 116600, China
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Cyriaque V, Jacquiod S, Riber L, Abu Al-Soud W, Gillan DC, Sørensen SJ, Wattiez R. Selection and propagation of IncP conjugative plasmids following long-term anthropogenic metal pollution in river sediments. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2020; 382:121173. [PMID: 31563088 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2019.121173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2019] [Revised: 08/14/2019] [Accepted: 09/05/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
For a century, the MetalEurop foundry released metals into the river "La Deûle". Previous work revealed higher microbial diversity in metal impacted sediments, and horizontal gene transfer mediated by conjugative plasmids was suggested to drive the community adaptation to metals. We used an integrative state-of-the-art molecular approach coupling quantitative PCR, conjugation assays, flow cytometry, fluorescence activated cell sorting and 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing to investigate the presence of conjugative plasmids and their propagation patterns in sediment microbiomes. We highlighted the existence of a native broad-host range IncP conjugative plasmid population in polluted sediments, confirming their ecological importance for microbial adaptation. However, despite incompatibilities and decreased transfer frequencies with our own alien IncP plasmid, we evidenced that a wide diversity of bacterial members was still prone to uptake the plasmid, indicating that sediment microbial communities are still inclined to receive conjugative plasmids from the same group. We observed that metal pollution favoured exogenous plasmid transfer to specific metal-selected bacteria, which are likely coming from upstream sources (e.g. wastewater treatment plant, farms…). Altogether, our results suggest that MetalEurop sediments are hotspots for gene transfer via plasmids, acting as an "environmental reservoir" for microbes and mobile elements released by human activities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Valentine Cyriaque
- Proteomics and Microbiology Laboratory, Research Institute for Biosciences, UMONS, 20 place du parc, Mons, Belgium; Section of Microbiology, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, 2100 Copenhagen Ø, 1, Bygning, 1-1-215, Denmark.
| | - Samuel Jacquiod
- Section of Microbiology, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, 2100 Copenhagen Ø, 1, Bygning, 1-1-215, Denmark; Agroécologie, UMR 1347, INRA Centre Dijon, Dijon, France
| | - Leise Riber
- Section of Functional Genomics, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Ole Maaløesvej 5, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Waleed Abu Al-Soud
- Section of Microbiology, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, 2100 Copenhagen Ø, 1, Bygning, 1-1-215, Denmark; Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Jouf University, Qurayyat, Saudi Arabia
| | - David C Gillan
- Proteomics and Microbiology Laboratory, Research Institute for Biosciences, UMONS, 20 place du parc, Mons, Belgium
| | - Søren J Sørensen
- Section of Microbiology, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, 2100 Copenhagen Ø, 1, Bygning, 1-1-215, Denmark
| | - Ruddy Wattiez
- Proteomics and Microbiology Laboratory, Research Institute for Biosciences, UMONS, 20 place du parc, Mons, Belgium
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Suhartono S, Savin MC, Gbur EE. Transmissible Plasmids and Integrons Shift Escherichia coli Population Toward Larger Multiple Drug Resistance Numbers. Microb Drug Resist 2018; 24:244-252. [DOI: 10.1089/mdr.2016.0329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Suhartono Suhartono
- Cell and Molecular Biology, Department of Crop, Soil, and Environmental Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Syiah Kuala University, Banda Aceh, Indonesia
| | - Mary C. Savin
- Cell and Molecular Biology, Department of Crop, Soil, and Environmental Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas
| | - Edward E. Gbur
- Agricultural Statistics Laboratory, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Bueno I, Williams-Nguyen J, Hwang H, Sargeant JM, Nault AJ, Singer RS. Systematic Review: Impact of point sources on antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the natural environment. Zoonoses Public Health 2018; 65:e162-e184. [PMID: 29205899 DOI: 10.1111/zph.12426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2017] [Indexed: 11/02/2023]
Abstract
Point sources such as wastewater treatment plants and agricultural facilities may have a role in the dissemination of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic resistance genes (ARG). To analyse the evidence for increases in ARB in the natural environment associated with these point sources of ARB and ARG, we conducted a systematic review. We evaluated 5,247 records retrieved through database searches, including both studies that ascertained ARG and ARB outcomes. All studies were subjected to a screening process to assess relevance to the question and methodology to address our review question. A risk of bias assessment was conducted upon the final pool of studies included in the review. This article summarizes the evidence only for those studies with ARB outcomes (n = 47). Thirty-five studies were at high (n = 11) or at unclear (n = 24) risk of bias in the estimation of source effects due to lack of information and/or failure to control for confounders. Statistical analysis was used in ten studies, of which one assessed the effect of multiple sources using modelling approaches; none reported effect measures. Most studies reported higher ARB prevalence or concentration downstream/near the source. However, this evidence was primarily descriptive and it could not be concluded that there is a clear impact of point sources on increases in ARB in the environment. To quantify increases in ARB in the environment due to specific point sources, there is a need for studies that stress study design, control of biases and analytical tools to provide effect measure estimates.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- I Bueno
- Department of Veterinary Population Medicine, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, USA
| | - J Williams-Nguyen
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - H Hwang
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - J M Sargeant
- Department of Population Medicine and Centre for Public Health and Zoonoses, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - A J Nault
- Veterinary Medical Library, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, USA
| | - R S Singer
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, USA
- Instituto de Medicina Preventiva Veterinaria, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Suhartono S, Savin M. Conjugative transmission of antibiotic-resistance from stream water Escherichia coli as related to number of sulfamethoxazole but not class 1 and 2 integrase genes. Mob Genet Elements 2016; 6:e1256851. [PMID: 28090382 DOI: 10.1080/2159256x.2016.1256851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2016] [Revised: 09/22/2016] [Accepted: 10/31/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
Abstract
A conjugation assay was used to determine the effects of phenotypic resistance to one to up to 5 antibiotics, sampling site of origin, presence or absence of class 1 and/or class 2 integrase (intI) genes (intI1 and intI2), and the number of sulfamethoxazole resistance (sul) and trimethoprim resistance (dfr) genes on the transfer frequencies of plasmids from environmental, antibiotic-resistant Escherichia coli. Of 51 sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim-resistant E. coli isolates conferring at least one mob gene (mobP51, mobF11, mobF12, mobQ11, mobQ12 , or mobQu ), 38 produced transconjugants with an overall mean frequency of 1.60 × 10-3 transconjugants/ donors (T/D) or 5.89 × 10-3 transconjugants/recipients (T/R). The presence or absence of intI1 and intI2 and the presence or absence of different targeted dfr genes (dfrA1, dfrA8, dfrA12, dfrA14, dfrA17, and/or dfrB3) were not statistically related to plasmid transfer frequencies as determined by ANOVA (P ≥ 0.05). However, E. coli isolates recovered 2 km downstream of wastewater treatment plant effluent input, and those possessing resistance to 3 antibiotics had significantly greater plasmid transfer frequency than their counterparts when calculated as T/D (ANOVA followed by Fisher's least significant difference means comparison, P < 0.05). Greater plasmid transfer frequency calculated as T/D was also measured for E. coli possessing 3 compared to a single sul gene. The in-vitro frequency suggests that horizontal gene transfer of conjugative mediated-antibiotic (sul) resistance genes may be significant among resistant, stream bacteria.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Suhartono Suhartono
- Cell and Molecular Biology, Department of Crop, Soil, and Environmental Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, USA; Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Syiah Kuala University, Banda Aceh, Indonesia
| | - Mary Savin
- Cell and Molecular Biology, Department of Crop, Soil, and Environmental Sciences, University of Arkansas , Fayetteville, AR, USA
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Suhartono S, Savin M, Gbur EE. Genetic redundancy and persistence of plasmid-mediated trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole resistant effluent and stream water Escherichia coli. WATER RESEARCH 2016; 103:197-204. [PMID: 27455416 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2016.07.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2016] [Revised: 07/14/2016] [Accepted: 07/15/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Antibiotic resistant bacteria may persist in effluent receiving surface water in the presence of low (sub-inhibitory) antibiotic concentrations if the bacteria possess multiple genes encoding resistance to the same antibiotic. This redundancy of antibiotic resistance genes may occur in plasmids harboring conjugation and mobilization (mob) and integrase (intI) genes. Plasmids extracted from 76 sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim resistant Escherichia coli originally isolated from effluent and an effluent-receiving stream were used as DNA template to identify sulfamethoxazole (sul) and trimethoprim (dfr) resistances genes plus detect the presence of intI and mob genes using PCR. Sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim resistance was plasmid-mediated with three sul (sul1, sul2 and sul3 genes) and four dfr genes (dfrA12, dfrA8, dfrA17, and dfrA1 gene) the most prevalently detected. Approximately half of the plasmids carried class 1 and/or 2 integron and, although unrelated, half were also transmissible. Sampling site in relationship to effluent input significantly affected the number of intI and mob but not the number of sul and dfr genes. In the presence of low (sub-inhibitory) sulfamethoxazole concentration, isolates persisted regardless of integron and mobilization gene designation, whereas in the presence of trimethoprim, the presence of both integron and mobilization genes made isolates less persistent than in the absence of both or the presence of a gene from either group individually. Regardless, isolates persisted in large concentrations throughout the experiment. Treated effluent containing antibiotic resistant bacteria may be an important source of integrase and mobilization genes into the stream environment. Sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim resistant bacteria may have a high degree of genetic redundancy and diversity carrying resistance to each antibiotic, although the role of integrase and mobilization genes towards persistence is unclear.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Suhartono Suhartono
- Cell and Molecular Biology, Dept. of Crop, Soil, and Environmental Sciences, University of Arkansas, 115 Plant Science Building, Fayetteville, AR, 72701, USA; Dept. of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Syiah Kuala University, Banda Aceh, 23236, Indonesia
| | - Mary Savin
- Cell and Molecular Biology, Dept. of Crop, Soil, and Environmental Sciences, University of Arkansas, 115 Plant Science Building, Fayetteville, AR, 72701, USA.
| | - Edward E Gbur
- Agricultural Statistics Laboratory, 101 Agricultural Annex, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, 72701, USA
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Andam CP, Carver SM, Berthrong ST. Horizontal Gene Flow in Managed Ecosystems. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ECOLOGY EVOLUTION AND SYSTEMATICS 2015. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ecolsys-112414-054126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Cheryl P. Andam
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts 02115;
| | - Sarah M. Carver
- Central Research, The Kraft Heinz Company, Glenview, Illinois 60025;
| | - Sean T. Berthrong
- Department of Biological Sciences, Butler University, Indianapolis, Indiana 46208;
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
LaPara TM, Madson M, Borchardt S, Lang KS, Johnson TJ. Multiple Discharges of Treated Municipal Wastewater Have a Small Effect on the Quantities of Numerous Antibiotic Resistance Determinants in the Upper Mississippi River. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2015; 49:11509-11515. [PMID: 26325533 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.5b02803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
This study evaluated multiple discharges of treated wastewater on the quantities of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in the Upper Mississippi River. Surface water and treated wastewater samples were collected along the Mississippi River during three different periods of 4 days during the summer of 2012, and quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) was used to enumerate several ARGs and related targets. Even though the wastewater effluents contained 75- to 831-fold higher levels of ARGs than the river water, the quantities of ARGs in the Mississippi River did not increase with downstream distance. Plasmids from the incompatibility group A/C were detected at low levels in the wastewater effluents but not in the river water; synthetic DNA containing an ampicillin resistance gene (bla) from cloning vectors was not detected in either the wastewater effluent or river samples. A simple 1D model suggested that the primary reason for the small impact of the wastewater discharges on ARG levels was the large flow rate of the Mississippi River compared to that of the wastewater discharges. Furthermore, this model generally overpredicted the ARG levels in the Mississippi River, suggesting that substantial loss mechanisms (e.g., decay or deposition) were occurring in the river.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Timothy M LaPara
- Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geo- Engineering, University of Minnesota , Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Matthew Madson
- Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geo- Engineering, University of Minnesota , Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Spencer Borchardt
- Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geo- Engineering, University of Minnesota , Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
17
|
In Vivo Transmission of an IncA/C Plasmid in Escherichia coli Depends on Tetracycline Concentration, and Acquisition of the Plasmid Results in a Variable Cost of Fitness. Appl Environ Microbiol 2015; 81:3561-70. [PMID: 25769824 DOI: 10.1128/aem.04193-14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2014] [Accepted: 03/10/2015] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
IncA/C plasmids are broad-host-range plasmids enabling multidrug resistance that have emerged worldwide among bacterial pathogens of humans and animals. Although antibiotic usage is suspected to be a driving force in the emergence of such strains, few studies have examined the impact of different types of antibiotic administration on the selection of plasmid-containing multidrug resistant isolates. In this study, chlortetracycline treatment at different concentrations in pig feed was examined for its impact on selection and dissemination of an IncA/C plasmid introduced orally via a commensal Escherichia coli host. Continuous low-dose administration of chlortetracycline at 50 g per ton had no observable impact on the proportions of IncA/C plasmid-containing E. coli from pig feces over the course of 35 days. In contrast, high-dose administration of chlortetracycline at 350 g per ton significantly increased IncA/C plasmid-containing E. coli in pig feces (P < 0.001) and increased movement of the IncA/C plasmid to other indigenous E. coli hosts. There was no evidence of conjugal transfer of the IncA/C plasmid to bacterial species other than E. coli. In vitro competition assays demonstrated that bacterial host background substantially impacted the cost of IncA/C plasmid carriage in E. coli and Salmonella. In vitro transfer and selection experiments demonstrated that tetracycline at 32 μg/ml was necessary to enhance IncA/C plasmid conjugative transfer, while subinhibitory concentrations of tetracycline in vitro strongly selected for IncA/C plasmid-containing E. coli. Together, these experiments improve our knowledge on the impact of differing concentrations of tetracycline on the selection of IncA/C-type plasmids.
Collapse
|
18
|
Antibiotic Resistance Elements in Wastewater Treatment Plants: Scope and Potential Impacts. THE HANDBOOK OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMISTRY 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/698_2015_361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
|
19
|
Diverse broad-host-range plasmids from freshwater carry few accessory genes. Appl Environ Microbiol 2013; 79:7684-95. [PMID: 24096417 DOI: 10.1128/aem.02252-13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Broad-host-range self-transferable plasmids are known to facilitate bacterial adaptation by spreading genes between phylogenetically distinct hosts. These plasmids typically have a conserved backbone region and a variable accessory region that encodes host-beneficial traits. We do not know, however, how well plasmids that do not encode accessory functions can survive in nature. The goal of this study was to characterize the backbone and accessory gene content of plasmids that were captured from freshwater sources without selecting for a particular phenotype or cultivating their host. To do this, triparental matings were used such that the only required phenotype was the plasmid's ability to mobilize a nonconjugative plasmid. Based on complete genome sequences of 10 plasmids, only 5 carried identifiable accessory gene regions, and none carried antibiotic resistance genes. The plasmids belong to four known incompatibility groups (IncN, IncP-1, IncU, and IncW) and two potentially new groups. Eight of the plasmids were shown to have a broad host range, being able to transfer into alpha-, beta-, and gammaproteobacteria. Because of the absence of antibiotic resistance genes, we resampled one of the sites and compared the proportion of captured plasmids that conferred antibiotic resistance to their hosts with the proportion of such plasmids captured from the effluent of a local wastewater treatment plant. Few of the captured plasmids from either site encoded antibiotic resistance. A high diversity of plasmids that encode no or unknown accessory functions is thus readily found in freshwater habitats. The question remains how the plasmids persist in these microbial communities.
Collapse
|
20
|
Jain A, Srivastava P. Broad host range plasmids. FEMS Microbiol Lett 2013; 348:87-96. [DOI: 10.1111/1574-6968.12241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2013] [Revised: 08/09/2013] [Accepted: 08/20/2013] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Aayushi Jain
- Department of Biochemical Engineering and Biotechnology; Indian Institute of Technology; New Delhi India
| | - Preeti Srivastava
- Department of Biochemical Engineering and Biotechnology; Indian Institute of Technology; New Delhi India
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Chen H, Zhang M. Effects of advanced treatment systems on the removal of antibiotic resistance genes in wastewater treatment plants from Hangzhou, China. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2013; 47:8157-63. [PMID: 23802698 DOI: 10.1021/es401091y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
This study aimed at quantifying the concentration and removal of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in three municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) employing different advanced treatment systems [biological aerated filter, constructed wetland, and ultraviolet (UV) disinfection]. The concentrations of tetM, tetO, tetQ, tetW, sulI, sulII, intI1, and 16S rDNA genes were examined in wastewater and biosolid samples. In municipal WWTPs, ARG reductions of 1-3 orders of magnitude were observed, and no difference was found among the three municipal WWTPs with different treatment processes (p > 0.05). In advanced treatment systems, 1-3 orders of magnitude of reductions in ARGs were observed in constructed wetlands, 0.6-1.2 orders of magnitude of reductions in ARGs were observed in the biological aerated filter, but no apparent decrease by UV disinfection was observed. A significant difference was found between constructed wetlands and biological filter (p < 0.05) and between constructed wetlands and UV disinfection (p < 0.05). In the constructed wetlands, significant correlations were observed in the removal of ARGs and 16S rDNA genes (R(2) = 0.391-0.866; p < 0.05). Constructed wetlands not only have the comparable ARG removal values with WWTP (p > 0.05) but also have the advantage in ARG relative abundance removal, and it should be given priority to be an advanced treatment system for further ARG attenuation from WWTP.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hong Chen
- Department of Environmental Engineering, College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, People's Republic of China.
| | | |
Collapse
|
22
|
Gatica J, Cytryn E. Impact of treated wastewater irrigation on antibiotic resistance in the soil microbiome. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2013; 20:3529-38. [PMID: 23378260 PMCID: PMC3646162 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-013-1505-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2012] [Accepted: 01/17/2013] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
The reuse of treated wastewater (TWW) for irrigation is a practical solution for overcoming water scarcity, especially in arid and semiarid regions of the world. However, there are several potential environmental and health-related risks associated with this practice. One such risk stems from the fact that TWW irrigation may increase antibiotic resistance (AR) levels in soil bacteria, potentially contributing to the global propagation of clinical AR. Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents have been recognized as significant environmental AR reservoirs due to selective pressure generated by antibiotics and other compounds that are frequently detected in effluents. This review summarizes a myriad of recent studies that have assessed the impact of anthropogenic practices on AR in environmental bacterial communities, with specific emphasis on elucidating the potential effects of TWW irrigation on AR in the soil microbiome. Based on the current state of the art, we conclude that contradictory to freshwater environments where WWTP effluent influx tends to expand antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic-resistant genes levels, TWW irrigation does not seem to impact AR levels in the soil microbiome. Although this conclusion is a cause for cautious optimism regarding the future implementation of TWW irrigation, we conclude that further studies aimed at assessing the scope of horizontal gene transfer between effluent-associated ARB and soil bacteria need to be further conducted before ruling out the possible contribution of TWW irrigation to antibiotic-resistant reservoirs in irrigated soils.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joao Gatica
- Institute of Soil, Water and Environmental Sciences, Volcani Center, Agricultural Research Organization, Bet Dagan, Israel
- Department of Agroecology and Plant Health, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Eddie Cytryn
- Institute of Soil, Water and Environmental Sciences, Volcani Center, Agricultural Research Organization, Bet Dagan, Israel
- P.O. Box 6, Bet Dagan, 50250 Israel
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Sen D, Brown CJ, Top EM, Sullivan J. Inferring the evolutionary history of IncP-1 plasmids despite incongruence among backbone gene trees. Mol Biol Evol 2013; 30:154-66. [PMID: 22936717 PMCID: PMC3525142 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/mss210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasmids of the incompatibility group IncP-1 can transfer and replicate in many genera of the Proteobacteria. They are composed of backbone genes that encode a variety of essential functions and accessory genes that have implications for human health and environmental remediation. Although it is well understood that the accessory genes are transferred horizontally between plasmids, recent studies have also provided examples of recombination in the backbone genes of IncP-1 plasmids. As a consequence, phylogeny estimation based on backbone genes is expected to produce conflicting gene tree topologies. The main goal of this study was therefore to infer the evolutionary history of IncP-1 plasmids in the presence of both vertical and horizontal gene transfer. This was achieved by quantifying the incongruence among gene trees and attributing it to known causes such as 1) phylogenetic uncertainty, 2) coalescent stochasticity, and 3) horizontal inheritance. Topologies of gene trees exhibited more incongruence than could be attributed to phylogenetic uncertainty alone. Species-tree estimation using a Bayesian framework that takes coalescent stochasticity into account was well supported, but it differed slightly from the maximum-likelihood tree estimated by concatenation of backbone genes. After removal of the gene that demonstrated a signal of intergroup recombination, the concatenated tree was congruent with the species-tree estimate, which itself was robust to inclusion/exclusion of the recombinant gene. Thus, in spite of horizontal gene exchange both within and among IncP-1 subgroups, the backbone genome of these IncP-1 plasmids retains a detectable vertical evolutionary history.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Diya Sen
- Institute for Bioinformatics and Evolutionary Studies (IBEST), University of Idaho
- Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Graduate Program, University of Idaho
| | - Celeste J. Brown
- Institute for Bioinformatics and Evolutionary Studies (IBEST), University of Idaho
- Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Graduate Program, University of Idaho
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho
| | - Eva M. Top
- Institute for Bioinformatics and Evolutionary Studies (IBEST), University of Idaho
- Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Graduate Program, University of Idaho
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho
| | - Jack Sullivan
- Institute for Bioinformatics and Evolutionary Studies (IBEST), University of Idaho
- Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Graduate Program, University of Idaho
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Negreanu Y, Pasternak Z, Jurkevitch E, Cytryn E. Impact of treated wastewater irrigation on antibiotic resistance in agricultural soils. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2012; 46:4800-4808. [PMID: 22494147 DOI: 10.1021/es204665b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Antibiotic resistance (AR) is a global phenomenon with severe epidemiological ramifications. Anthropogenically impacted natural aquatic and terrestrial environments can serve as reservoirs of antibiotic resistance genes (ARG), which can be horizontally transferred to human-associated bacteria through water and food webs, and thus contribute to AR proliferation. Treated-wastewater (TWW) irrigation is becoming increasingly prevalent in arid regions of the world, due to growing demand and decline in freshwater supplies. The release of residual antibiotic compounds, AR bacteria, and ARGs from wastewater effluent may result in proliferation of AR in irrigated soil microcosms. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of TWW-irrigation on soil AR bacterial and ARG reservoirs. Tetracycline, erythromycin, sulfonamide, and ciprofloxacin resistance in soil was assessed using standard culture-based isolation methods and culture-independent molecular analysis using quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR). High levels of bacterial antibiotic resistance were detected in both freshwater- and TWW-irrigated soils. Nonetheless, in most of the soils analyzed, AR bacteria and ARG levels in TWW-irrigated soils were on the whole identical (or sometimes even lower) than in the freshwater-irrigated soils, indicating that the high number of resistant bacteria that enter the soils from the TWW are not able to compete or survive in the soil environment and that they do not significantly contribute ARG to soil bacteria. This strongly suggests that the impact of the TWW-associated bacteria on the soil microbiome is on the whole negligible, and that the high levels of AR bacteria and ARGs in both the freshwater- and the TWW-irrigated soils are indicative of native AR associated with the natural soil microbiome.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yael Negreanu
- Institute of Soil, Water and Environmental Sciences, The Volcani Center, Agricultural Research Organization, POB 6, Bet Dagan, 50250, Israel
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
25
|
Eikmeyer F, Hadiati A, Szczepanowski R, Wibberg D, Schneiker-Bekel S, Rogers LM, Brown CJ, Top EM, Pühler A, Schlüter A. The complete genome sequences of four new IncN plasmids from wastewater treatment plant effluent provide new insights into IncN plasmid diversity and evolution. Plasmid 2012; 68:13-24. [PMID: 22326849 DOI: 10.1016/j.plasmid.2012.01.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2011] [Revised: 11/16/2011] [Accepted: 01/20/2012] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
The dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes among bacteria often occurs by means of plasmids. Wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) were previously recognized as hot spots for the horizontal transfer of genetic material. One of the plasmid groups that is often associated with drug resistance is the incompatibility group IncN. The aim of this study was to gain insights into the diversity and evolutionary history of IncN plasmids by determining and comparing the complete genome sequences of the four novel multi-drug resistance plasmids pRSB201, pRSB203, pRSB205 and pRSB206 that were exogenously isolated from the final effluent of a municipal WWTP. Their sizes range between 42,875 bp and 56,488 bp and they share a common set of backbone modules that encode plasmid replication initiation, conjugative transfer, and plasmid maintenance and control. All plasmids are transferable at high rates between Escherichia coli strains, but did not show a broad host range. Different genes conferring resistances to ampicillin, streptomycin, spectinomycin, sulfonamides, tetracycline and trimethoprim were identified in accessory modules inserted in these plasmids. Comparative analysis of the four WWTP IncN plasmids and IncN plasmids deposited in the NCBI database enabled the definition of a core set of backbone genes for this group. Moreover, this approach revealed a close phylogenetic relationship between the IncN plasmids isolated from environmental and clinical samples. Phylogenetic analysis also suggests the existence of host-specific IncN plasmid subgroups. In conclusion, IncN plasmids likely contribute to the dissemination of resistance determinants between environmental bacteria and clinical strains. This is of particular importance since multi-drug resistance IncN plasmids have been previously identified in members of the Enterobacteriaceae that cause severe infections in humans.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Felix Eikmeyer
- Institute for Genome Research and Systems Biology, Center for Biotechnology, Bielefeld University, D-33594 Bielefeld, Germany
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
26
|
Asfahl KL, Savin MC. Dead-end hollow-fiber ultrafiltration for concentration and enumeration of Escherichia coli and broad-host-range plasmid DNA from wastewater. J Microbiol Methods 2012; 88:430-2. [PMID: 22251424 DOI: 10.1016/j.mimet.2012.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2011] [Revised: 01/04/2012] [Accepted: 01/04/2012] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
Broad-host-range plasmids can facilitate dissemination of antibiotic resistance determinants among diverse bacterial populations. We evaluated hollow-fiber ultrafiltration for increases in detection efficiency of broad-host-range plasmids and Escherichia coli DNA in wastewater. Ultrafiltration followed by PCR showed limited increases in DNA detection and quantification in effluent compared with membrane filtration alone.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kyle L Asfahl
- Department of Crop, Soil, and Environmental Sciences, 115 Plant Science Building, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas 72701, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
27
|
L. Asfahl K, C. Savin M. Destruction of <i>Escherichia coli</i> and Broad-Host-Range Plasmid DNA in Treated Wastewater by Dissolved Ozone Disinfection under Laboratory and Field Conditions. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012. [DOI: 10.4236/aim.2012.21001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
|