Decoding the trajectory of antibiotic resistance genes in saline and alkaline soils: Insights from different fertilization regimes. - Related Documents




#
Rank
Similarity
Title + Abs.
Year
PMID
012345
798201.0000Decoding the trajectory of antibiotic resistance genes in saline and alkaline soils: Insights from different fertilization regimes. The soil salinity and alkalinity play an important role in the occurrence and proliferation of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). Yet, little is known the underlying mechanism by which soil salinity and alkalinity affect antibiotic resistance evolution. Here we investigated the ARGs variation in soil salinity and alkalinity environments created by different fertilization, and explored the biological mechanisms that salinity and alkalinity alter the evolutionary paradigm of antibiotic resistance. The results showed the soil treated by organic fertilizer exhibited a low salinity, neutral level (TSD 239.20 μS/cm, pH 7.17). The ARG abundance in the OF treatment was the highest, keeping an average of 67.83 TPM. Beside the effect of direct input of organic fertilizer at the beginning, it was important to note that, ARGs abundance during planting showed significant correlations with pH and electric conductivity. We observed that changes in microbial survival strategies under different salinity and alkalinity conditions further affected ARG hosts abundance. Indoor experiments demonstrated that there was a survival trade-off between the growth of resistant bacteria and the evolution of antibiotic resistance in salinity and alkalinity environments. Meta-genomic and Meta-transcriptomic analysis consistently demonstrated bacterial antibiotic resistance was primarily associated with pyruvate, energy and lipid metabolic pathways. The functional gene related to salinity and alkalinity, like cysH, cysK, plsB and plsC showed negative correlations with MDR. Prokaryotic transcription assays validated these relations. This study well explains the prevalence of soil ARGs after different fertilization regimes and will give a deeper understanding for the effect of soil salinity and alkalinity on antibiotic resistance evolution.202539765202
752310.9997Transfer of antibiotic resistance genes from soil to wheat: Role of host bacteria, impact on seed-derived bacteria, and affecting factors. The transfer of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) from soils to plants is poorly understood, especially the role of host bacteria in soils and its impact on seed-derived bacteria. Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) was thus used to fill the gap by conducting pot experiments, with target ARGs and bacterial community analyzed. Results showed that the relative abundances of target ARGs gradually decreased during transfer of ARGs from the rhizosphere soil to root and shoot. Host bacteria in the rhizosphere soil were the primary source of ARGs in wheat. The 38, 21, and 19 potential host bacterial genera of target ARGs and intI1 in the rhizosphere soil, root, and shoot were identified, respectively, and they mainly belonged to phylum Proteobacteria. The abundance of ARGs carried by pathogenic Corynebacterium was reduced in sequence. During transfer of ARGs from the rhizosphere soil to root and shoot, some seed-derived bacteria and pathogenic Acinetobacter obtained ARGs through horizontal gene transfer and became potential host bacteria. Furthermore, total organic carbon, available nitrogen of the rhizosphere soil, water use efficiency, vapor pressure deficit, and superoxide dismutase of plants were identified as the key factors affecting potential host bacteria transfer in soils to wheat. This work provides important insights into transfer of ARGs and deepens our understanding of potential health risks of ARGs from soils to plants.202337741386
756120.9997Deciphering antibiotic resistome variations during nitrogen removal process transition under mixed antibiotics stress: Assembly process and driving factors. Antibiotic resistome, which encompasses all types of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in a given environment, has received increasing attention in research on different wastewater treatment processes. However, the variation in antibiotic resistome during the transition from the full nitrification-denitrification to the shortcut nitrification-denitrification process remains unclear. In this study, a total of 269 targeted gene subtypes were identified, along with 108 genes were consistently present in all samples. The introduction of mixed antibioticsrapidly increased the abundance of corresponding and non-corresponding ARGs, as well as that of mobile genetic elements.The variations in of the antibiotic resistome were primarily driven by dissolved oxygen and nitrite accumulation rate. Moreover, 34 bacterial genera were identified as potential ARG hosts, with most denitrifiers considered as potential antibiotic-resistant bacteria, including Branchymonas, Rhodobacter, and Thauera. This study provides a method for controlling antibiotic resistance by regulating the changes in environmental variables and bacterial communities.202339492537
693130.9997What role does organic fertilizer actually play in the fate of antibiotic resistome and pathogenic bacteria in planting soil? Organic fertilizer increase antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and bacterial pathogens have widely documented. However, how organic fertilizer is involved in changing soil ARGs and pathogenic bacteria after long-term (≥5 years) application remains unclear. Herein, the ARGs and pathogenic bacteria were compared in organic fertilized soils (AF) and non-fertilized soils (NF), and the contribution of input sources (organic fertilizer, irrigation water, air and background soil) on soil ARGs also was determined in this study. Results showed that the abundances of some ARGs, such as vanR and aac(6')-I in AF, were significantly higher than these of NF (p < 0.05). And a relatively higher abundance of potential pathogens, especially, Salmonella enterica and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, in AF was observed. This indicated that organic fertilizer application can maintain a high level of some soil ARGs and pathogenic bacteria for at least 5 years. Traceability analysis unearthed that organic fertilizer application mainly increased its own contribution to soil ARGs from 1.16% to 9.05%, as well reduced the contribution of background soil, suggesting that the increase in soil ARGs may be partly attributable to organic fertilizer inputs. Notably, organic fertilizer application did not significantly alter the contribution ratio of input sources to microorganisms, but there was a clear change in the composition of soil microorganisms, which meant that the effect of the input source on the microorganism may emanate from other factors, rather than direct inputs. Subsequent structural equation demonstrated that organic fertilizer application significantly enhanced the effect of environmental factors on ARGs, and also indirectly increased the influence of communities on ARGs. Collectively, under the long-term fertilization, the role of organic fertilizers on soil ARGs not just stems from its own input, and also dominates the influence of environmental factors on ARGs. This study elucidates main causes for the difference in ARGs in AF vs. NF and enlightens actual role of organic fertilizer in them.202235623127
856540.9997Deciphering the transfers of antibiotic resistance genes under antibiotic exposure conditions: Driven by functional modules and bacterial community. Antibiotics can exert selective pressures on sludge as well as affect the emergence and spread of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). However, the underlying mechanisms of ARGs transfers are still controversial and not fully understood in sludge system. In present study, two anaerobic sequence batch reactors (ASBR) were constructed to investigate the development of ARGs exposed to two sulfonamide antibiotics (SMs, sulfadiazine SDZ and sulfamethoxazole SMX) with increasing concentrations. The abundance of corresponding ARGs and total ARGs obviously increased with presence of SMs. Functional analyses indicated that oxidative stress response, signal transduction and type IV secretion systems were triggered by SMs, which would promote ARGs transfers. Network analysis revealed 18 genera were possible hosts of ARGs, and their abundances increased with SMs. Partial least-squares path modeling suggested functional modules directly influenced mobile genetic elements (MGEs) as well as the ARGs might be driven by both functional modules and bacteria community, while bacteria community composition played a more key role. Sludge with refractory antibiotics (SDZ) may stimulate the relevant functions and shift the microbial composition to a greater extent, causing more ARGs to emerge and spread. The mechanisms of ARGs transfers are revealed from the perspective of functional modules and bacterial community in sludge system for the first time, and it could provide beneficial directions, such as oxidative stress reduction, cellular communication control, bacterial composition directional regulation, for ARGs spread controlling in the future.202134563930
752450.9996Insights into the interactions of plant-associated bacteria and their role in the transfer of antibiotic resistance genes from soil to plant. This study discussed the role of plant-associated microbiome in regulating ARG transfer in soil-plant systems. Results showed that target ARGs in plants were mainly derived from rhizosphere soil. Cooperative interactions among bacteria in rhizosphere soil, plant-roots, plant-shoots, and soil-roots-shoots systems occurred during ARG transfer. The number of modules and keystone taxa identified as positively correlated with ARG transfer in rhizosphere soil, roots, and shoots was 3 and 49, 3 and 41, 2 and 5, respectively. Among these modules, module 3 in roots was significantly positively correlated with module 3 in rhizosphere soils and module 2 in shoots, indicating that module 3 in roots played central hub roles in ARG transfer from rhizosphere soil to roost and shoots. This may be because module 3 in roots increased cell motility and xenobiotics biodegradation and metabolism. These keystone taxa mainly belonged to Proteobacteria that can carry ARGs to transfer in soil-plant systems, especially Clostridium-sensu_stricito and Pseudomonas in rhizosphere soil carried ARGs into the shoot. Additionally, they promoted ARG transfer by increasing plant biomass, net photosynthetic rate and water use efficiency. The findings helped reveal the mechanism of plant-associated bacterial interactions and provided understanding for potential risks of ARG transfer from soil to plants.202439305593
692960.9996Root exudates regulate soil antibiotic resistance genes via rhizosphere microbes under long-term fertilization. Organic fertilizer application promotes the prevalence of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), yet the factors driving temporal differences in ARG abundance under long-term organic fertilizer application remain unclear. This study investigated the temporal dynamics of ARG diversity and abundance in both bulk and rhizosphere soils over 17 years (2003-2019), and explored microbial evolution strategies, ARG hosts succession and the influence of root exudates on ARGs regulation. The results showed that the ARGs abundance in rhizosphere soil was lower than that in bulk soil under long-term fertilization, and ARGs abundance exhibited a decrease and then remained stable in rhizosphere soil over time. There was a strong association between host bacteria and dominant ARGs (p < 0.05). Structural equations demonstrated that bacterial community had a most pronounced influence on ARGs (p < 0.05), and metabolites exhibited an important mediation effect on bacterial community (p < 0.05), thereby impacting ARGs. The metabolome analysis evidenced that significant correlations were found between defensive root exudates and most ARGs abundance (p < 0.05), like, luteolin-7-glucoside was negatively correlated with tetA(58). These findings provide deeper insights into the dynamics of soil ARGs under long-term fertilization, and identify critical factors that influence ARGs colonization in soils, providing support for controlling the spread of ARGs in agriculture soils.202539700687
762770.9996Fish skin mucosal surface becomes a barrier of antibiotic resistance genes under apramycin exposure. Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) are a kind of emerging environmental contamination, and are commonly found in antibiotic application situations, attracting wide attention. Fish skin mucosal surface (SMS), as the contact interface between fish and water, is the first line of defense against external pollutant invasion. Antibiotics are widely used in aquaculture, and SMS may be exposed to antibiotics. However, what happens to SMS when antibiotics are applied, and whether ARGs are enriched in SMS are not clear. In this study, Zebrafish (Danio rerio) were exposed to antibiotic and antibiotic resistant bacteria in the laboratory to simulate the aquaculture situation, and the effects of SMS on the spread of ARGs were explored. The results showed that SMS maintained the stability of the bacterial abundance and diversity under apramycin (APR) and bacterial exposure effectively. Until 11 days after stopping APR exposure, the abundance of ARGs in SMS (mean value was 3.32 × 10(-3) copies/16S rRNA copies) still did not recover to the initial stage before exposure, which means that enriched ARGs in SMS were persistently remained. Moreover, non-specific immunity played an important role in resisting infection of external contamination. Besides, among antioxidant proteins, superoxide dismutase showed the highest activity. Consequently, it showed that SMS became a barrier of antibiotic resistance genes under APR exposure, and ARGs in SMS were difficult to remove once colonized. This study provided a reference for understanding the transmission, enrichment process, and ecological impact of antibiotics and ARGs in aquatic environments.202438615788
698580.9996Elevated CO(2) Increased Antibiotic Resistomes in Seed Endophytes: Evidence from a Free-Air CO(2) Enrichment (FACE) Experiment. Climate warming affects antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in soil and the plant microbiome, including seed endophytes. Seeds act as vectors for ARG dissemination in the soil-plant system, but the impact of elevated CO(2) on seed resistomes remains poorly understood. Here, a free-air CO(2) enrichment system was used to examine the impact of elevated CO(2) on seed-associated ARGs and seed endophytic bacteria and fungi. Results indicated that elevated CO(2) levels significantly increased the relative abundance of seed ARGs and mobile genetic elements (MGEs), especially those related to beta-lactam resistance and MGEs. Increased CO(2) levels also influenced the composition of seed bacterial and fungal communities and the complexity of bacteria-fungi interactions. Fungi were more sensitive to changes in the CO(2) level than bacteria, with deterministic processes playing a greater role in fungal community assembly. Co-occurrence network analysis revealed a stronger correlation between fungi and ARGs compared to bacteria. The structure equation model (SEM) showed that elevated CO(2) directly influenced seed resistomes by altering bacterial composition and indirectly through bacteria-fungi interactions. Together, our work offers new insights into the effects of elevated CO(2) on antibiotic resistomes in the seed endosphere, highlighting their increased dissemination potential within soil-plant systems and the associated health risks in a changing environment.202439680930
793990.9996Metagenomic insights into the distribution, mobility, and hosts of extracellular antibiotic resistance genes in activated sludge under starvation stress. Extracellular antibiotic resistance genes (eARGs) are important emerging environmental pollutants in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Nutritional substrate deficiency (i.e., starvation) frequently occurs in WWTPs owing to annual maintenance, water quality fluctuation, and sludge storage; and it can greatly alter the antibiotic resistance and extracellular DNA content of bacteria. However, the fate and corresponding transmission risk of eARGs in activated sludge under starvation stress remain largely unknown. Herein, we used metagenomic sequencing to explore the effects of starvation scenarios (carbon, nitrogen, and/or phosphorus deficiency) and environmental conditions (alternating anaerobic-aerobic, anaerobic, anoxic, and aerobic) on the distribution, mobility, and hosts of eARGs in activated sludge. The results showed that 30 days of starvation reduced the absolute abundances of eARGs by 40.9%-88.2%, but high-risk dual and multidrug resistance genes persisted. Starvation, particularly the simultaneous lack of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus under aerobic conditions, effectively alleviated eARGs by reducing the abundance of extracellular mobile genetic elements (eMGEs). Starvation also altered the profile of bacterial hosts of eARGs and the bacterial community composition, the latter of which had an indirect positive effect on eARGs via changing eMGEs. Our findings shed light on the response patterns and mechanisms of eARGs in activated sludge under starvation conditions and highlight starvation as a potential strategy to mitigate the risk of previously neglected eARGs in WWTPs.202337060877
8562100.9996Nitrogen and phosphorus limitations promoted bacterial nitrate metabolism and propagation of antibiotic resistome in the phycosphere of Auxenochlorella pyrenoidosa. Despite that nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) play critical roles in the lifecycle of microalgae, how N and P further affect the distribution of bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in the phycosphere is still poorly understood. In this study, the effects of N and P on the distribution of ARGs in the phycosphere of Auxenochlorella pyrenoidosa were investigated. Results showed that the growth and chlorophyll synthesis of microalgae were inhibited when N or P was limited, regardless of the N/P ratios, but the extracellular polymeric substances content and nitrate assimilation efficiency were enhanced in contrast. Metagenomic sequencing revealed that N or P limitation resulted in the recruitment of specific bacteria that highly contribute to the nitrate metabolism in the phycosphere. Besides, N or P limitation promoted the propagation of phycosphere ARGs, primarily through horizontal gene transfer mediated by mobile genetic elements. The enrichment of specific bacteria induced by changes in the algal physiology also contributed to the ARGs proliferation under nutrient limitation. Our results demonstrated that the reduction of algal cells caused by nutrient limitation could promote the propagation of ARGs, which provides new insights into the occurrence and spread of ARGs in the phycosphere.202438367442
7509110.9996Assessing biofilm formation and resistance of vibrio parahaemolyticus on UV-aged microplastics in aquatic environments. UV degradation of marine microplastics (MPs) could increase their vector potential for pathogenic bacteria and threaten human health. However, little is known about how the degree of UV aging affects interactions between MPs and pathogens and how various types of MPs differ in their impact on seafood safety. This study investigated five types of UV-aged MPs and their impact on Vibrio parahaemolyticus, a seafood pathogen. MPs exposed to UV for 60 days showed similar physicochemical changes such as surface cracking and hydrophobicity reduction. Regardless of the type, longer UV exposure of MPs resulted in more biofilm formation on the surface under the same conditions. V. parahaemolyticus types that formed biofilms on the MP surface showed 1.4- to 5.0-fold upregulation of virulence-related genes compared to those that did not form biofilms, independently of UV exposure. However, longer UV exposure increased resistance of V. parahaemolyticus on MPs to chlorine, heat, and human gastrointestinal environment. This study implies that the more UV degradation occurs on MPs, the more microbial biofilm formation is induced, which can significantly increase virulence and environmental resistance of bacteria regardless of the type of MP.202438422694
6930120.9996Effect of fertilizer type on antibiotic resistance genes by reshaping the bacterial community and soil properties. Conventional and bio-organic fertilizers play an important role in maintaining soil health and promoting crop growth. However, the effect of organic fertilizers on the prevalence of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in the vegetable cropping system has been largely overlooked. In this study, we investigated the impacts of soil properties and biotic factors on ARG profiles by analyzing ARG and bacterial communities in vegetable copping soils with a long-term history of manure and bio-organic fertilizer application. The ARG abundance in the soil was significantly increased by 116% with manure application compared to synthetic NPK fertilizer application. This finding was corroborated by our meta-analysis that the longer the duration of manure application, the greater the response of increased soil ARG abundance. However, bio-organic fertilizers containing Trichoderma spp. Significantly reduced ARG contamination by 31% compared to manure application. About half of the ARG variation was explained by changes in bacterial abundance and structure, followed by soil properties. The mitigation of ARG by Trichoderma spp. Is achieved by altering the structure of the bacterial community and weakening the close association between bacteria and ARG prevalence. Taken together, these findings shed light on the contribution of bio-organic fertilizers in mitigating ARG contamination in agricultural soils, which can help manage the ecological risk posed by ARG inputs associated with manure application.202337343633
7559130.9996Fate of antibiotic resistance genes and resistant bacteria under various operating temperatures of sludge anaerobic digestion. This study investigates the impact of varying temperatures on reducing antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) during anaerobic digestion (AD) of mixed raw sludge in wastewater treatment plants. Employing three different operating temperatures, i.e., 37, 55, and 65 °C, the research aims to identify how these conditions affect the diminution of resistant genes. The results, based on quantitative PCR analysis and metagenomic sequencing, show that higher temperatures significantly enhance the reduction of ARGs, with the most substantial decreases observed at 65 °C. This temperature-dependent reduction correlates with changes in the microbial community structure, where specific bacterial genera like Alicycliphilus, Macellibacteroides, Dokdonella, Ahniella, Thauera, and Zoogloea associated with ARGs exhibit decreased abundance at elevated temperatures. The study infers that AD at higher temperatures could be a more effective strategy in mitigating the spread of antibiotic resistance in the environment, suggesting a pivotal role of operational temperature in optimizing wastewater treatment processes for ARGs attenuation. The findings highlight the need for further research to refine AD protocols, aiming to minimize the environmental impact of antibiotic resistance dissemination.202540662898
7034140.9996Meta-analysis reveals the processes and conditions of using biochar to control antibiotic resistance genes in soil. Soil is a significant reservoir of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and an important habitat for pathogens associated with many clinical infections and plant disease outbreaks. Although scientists have found that biochar can reduce ARGs in soil, the understanding of how biochar removes soil ARGs and the influencing factors remains limited. Here, a meta-analysis of 65 published studies was conducted to illuminate the mechanisms through which biochar remediates ARG-contaminated soils. In biochar-amended soil, the antibiotic content significantly decreased by 24.1 %, while the abundances of mobile genetic elements and ARG host bacteria declined by 23.5 % and 12.1 %, respectively. The reduced antibiotic content, suppressed mobile genetic elements, and altered bacterial community structure collectively led to a 41.8 % reduction in soil ARG abundance. In addition, wood-derived biochar pyrolyzed at 300-500 °C exhibited a substantial advantage in the remediation of ARGs. Furthermore, biochar application decreased the abundance of ARGs in alkaline and neutral soil more markedly than that in acidic soil. The results of this research confirmed the positive mitigating effect of biochar on ARGs in soil, providing valuable insights for the prevention and control of ARG pollution.202540359860
7042150.9996Response of antibiotic resistance genes abundance by graphene oxide during the anaerobic digestion of swine manure with copper pollution. The pollution of various environments with antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) is an urgent problem that needs to be addressed, especially in heavy metal-polluted environments. This study investigated the responses of ARGs and mobile genetic elements (MGEs) to the addition of graphene oxide (GO) to swine manure containing a high concentration copper during anaerobic digestion. The total copy numbers of ARGs and MGEs were significantly enhanced by the pressure due to Cu. GO significantly decreased the ARG and MGE copy numbers, where the low GO concentration performed better than the high GO concentration. Network analysis showed that most of the ARGs and MGEs co-occurred and they shared the same major potential host bacteria. The contributions of different factors to ARG abundances were assessed by redundancy analysis and MGEs had the most important effect on the fate of ARGs. Thus, GO may reduce the abundance of ARGs mainly by removing MGEs.201930445329
7486160.9996Body size: A hidden trait of the organisms that influences the distribution of antibiotic resistance genes in soil. Body size is a key life-history trait of organisms, which has important ecological functions. However, the relationship between soil antibiotic resistance gene (ARG) distribution and organisms' body size has not been systematically reported so far. Herein, the impact of organic fertilizer on the soil ARGs and organisms (bacteria, fungi, and nematode) at the aggregate level was analyzed. The results showed that the smaller the soil aggregate size, the greater the abundance of ARGs, and the larger the body size of bacteria and nematodes. Further analysis revealed significant positive correlations of ARG abundance with the body sizes of bacteria, fungi, and nematodes, respectively. Additionally, the structural equation model demonstrated that changes in soil fertility mainly regulate the ARG abundance by affecting bacterial body size. The random forest model revealed that total phosphorus was the primary soil fertility factor influencing the body size of organisms. Therefore, these findings proposed that excessive application of phosphate fertilizers could increase the risk of soil ARG transmission by increasing the body size of soil organisms. This study highlights the significance of organisms' body size in determining the distribution of soil ARGs and proposes a new disadvantage of excessive fertilization from the perspective of ARGs.202438696961
7563170.9996Polystyrene microplastics alleviate the effects of sulfamethazine on soil microbial communities at different CO(2) concentrations. Microplastics were reported to adsorb antibiotics and may modify their effects on soil systems. But there has been little research investigating how microplastics may affect the toxicities of antibiotics to microbes under future climate conditions. Here, we used a free-air CO(2) enrichment system to investigate the responses of soil microbes to sulfamethazine (SMZ, 1 mg kg(-1)) in the presence of polystyrene microplastics (PS, 5 mg kg(-1)) at different CO(2) concentrations (ambient at 380 ppm and elevated at 580 ppm). SMZ alone decreased bacterial diversity, negatively affected the bacterial structure and inter-relationships, and enriched the sulfonamide-resistance genes (sul1 and sul2) and class 1 integron (intl1). PS, at both CO(2) conditions, showed little effect on soil bacteria but markedly alleviated SMZ's adverse effects on bacterial diversity, composition and structure, and inhibited sul1 transmission by decreasing the intl1 abundance. Elevated CO(2) had limited modification in SMZ's disadvantages to microbial communities but markedly decreased the sul1 and sul2 abundance. Results indicated that increasing CO(2) concentration or the presence of PS affected the responses of soil microbes to SMZ, providing new insights into the risk prediction of antibiotics under future climate conditions.202133592488
8563180.9996Overlooked role of extracellular polymeric substances in antibiotic-resistance gene transfer within microalgae-bacteria system. Controlling the spread of antibiotic-resistance genes (ARGs) under antibiotic stress has become an increasingly urgent issue. Microalgae possess the capability to remove antibiotics while concurrently inhibiting ARGs. Microalgae-bacteria systems can produce significant quantities of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). However, the roles of EPS in the spread of ARGs have not been sufficiently explored, resulting in an insufficient understanding of the contribution of each EPS component and a lack of analysis on the complex interactions between EPS and ARGs. This study systematically explored the overlooked role of EPS in the transmission of ARGs within microalgae-bacteria systems. The current results showed that the potential of the microalgae-bacteria system for treating antibiotic wastewater. The tightly bound-EPS (TB-EPS) can acquire the higher absolute abundances of ARGs compared with the loosely bound-EPS (LB-EPS). The correlation coefficient between polysaccharides and TB-EPS ARGs was higher than that between polysaccharides and LB-EPS ARGs. The gene patterns of LB-EPS closely clustered with those of TB-EPS, while intracellular ARG gene patterns differed from both TB-EPS and LB-EPS. Metagenomic analyses indicated that the relative abundances of sul1 and sul2 were considerably higher at the beginning stage compared to the end stage. The abundance of Achromobacter, increased by the end stage, aligning with its potential to produce exopolysaccharide. Additionally, the absolute abundance of genes encoding exopolysaccharides (nagB and galE) and conjugative transfer transcription regulator (traF), increased over time. These findings enhanced our comprehension of the significance of EPS on the fate of ARGs in microalgae-bacteria systems during the treatment of antibiotic-contaminated wastewater.202539879767
7029190.9996Filamentous bacteria-induced sludge bulking can alter antibiotic resistance gene profiles and increase potential risks in wastewater treatment systems. Sludge bulking caused by filamentous bacteria is a prevalent issue in wastewater treatment systems. While previous studies have primarily concentrated on controlling sludge bulking, the biological risks associated with it have been overlooked. This study demonstrates that excessive growth of filamentous bacteria during sludge bulking can significantly increase the abundance of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in activated sludge. Through metagenomic analysis, we identified specific ARGs carried by filamentous bacteria, such as Sphaerotilus and Thiothrix, which are responsible for bulking. Additionally, by examining over 1,000 filamentous bacterial genomes, we discovered a diverse array of ARGs across different filamentous bacteria derived from wastewater treatment systems. Our findings indicate that 74.84% of the filamentous bacteria harbor at least one ARG, with the occurrence frequency of ARGs in these bacteria being approximately 1.5 times higher than that in the overall bacterial population in activated sludge. Furthermore, genomic and metagenomic analyses have shown that the ARGs in filamentous bacteria are closely linked to mobile genetic elements and are frequently found in potentially pathogenic bacteria, highlighting potential risks posed by these filamentous bacteria. These insights enhance our understanding of ARGs in activated sludge and underscore the importance of risk management in wastewater treatment systems.202439094405