Promotion effects and mechanisms of molybdenum disulfide on the propagation of antibiotic resistance genes in soil. - Related Documents




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849201.0000Promotion effects and mechanisms of molybdenum disulfide on the propagation of antibiotic resistance genes in soil. The rapid development of nanotechnology has aroused considerable attentions toward understanding the effects of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) on the propagation of antibiotic resistance. Molybdenum disulfide (MoS(2)) is an extensively used ENM and poses potential risks associated with environmental exposure; nevertheless, the role of MoS(2) toward antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) transfer remains largely unknown. Herein, it was discovered that MoS(2) nanosheets accelerated the horizontal transfer of RP4 plasmid across Escherichia coli in a dose-dependent manner (0.5-10 mg/L), with the maximum transfer frequency 2.07-fold higher than that of the control. Integration of physiological, transcriptomics, and metabolomics analyses demonstrated that SOS response in bacteria was activated by MoS(2) due to the elevation of oxidative damage, accompanied by cell membrane permeabilization. MoS(2) promoted bacterial adhesion and intercellular contact via stimulating the secretion of extracellular polysaccharides. The ATP levels were maximally increased by 305.7 % upon exposure to MoS(2), and the expression of plasmid transfer genes was up-regulated, contributing to the accelerated plasmid conjugation and increased ARG abundance in soil. Our findings highlight the roles of emerging ENMs (e.g., MoS(2)) in ARGs dissemination, which is significant for the safe applications and risk management of ENMs under the development scenarios of nanotechnology.202337062264
849110.9995Hormesis-like effects of black phosphorus nanosheets on the spread of multiple antibiotic resistance genes. The production scalability and increasing demand for black phosphorus nanosheets (BPNSs) inevitably lead to environmental leakage. Although BPNSs' ecotoxicological effects have been demonstrated, their indirect health risks, such as inducing increased resistance in pathogenic bacteria, are often overlooked. This study explores the influence of BPNSs on the horizontal gene transfer of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) facilitated by the RP4 plasmid, which carries multiple resistance genes. The results indicated that BPNSs exhibited concentration-dependent hormesis-like effects on bacterial conjugation gene transfer. Specifically, at sub-inhibitory concentrations (0.0001-1 mg/L), BPNSs promoted both intra- and intergeneric conjugative transfer, demonstrating an initial increase followed by a decline, with transfer rates rising by 1.5-3.1-fold and 1.5-3.3-fold, respectively. BPNSs were found to induce reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, increase malondialdehyde levels, and trigger the SOS response, enhancing plasmid uptake. Additionally, BPNSs increased membrane permeability by forming pores and upregulating outer membrane porins (OMPs) genes. At higher BPNSs concentrations (0.1-1 mg/L), conjugative frequency was inhibited due to the disruption of the cellular antioxidant system and changes in the adsorption process. These findings underscore the influence of BPNSs on the conjugative transfer of ARGs, complementing current knowledge of the biotoxicity and potential ecological risks associated with BPNSs.202539827804
677720.9995Unveiling the role of uranium in enhancing the transformation of antibiotic resistance genes. Transformation represents one of the most important pathways for the horizontal transfer of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), which enables competent bacteria to acquire extracellular ARGs from the surrounding environment. Both heavy metals and irradiation have been demonstrated to influence the bacterial transformation process. However, the impact of ubiquitously occurring radioactive heavy metals on the transformation of ARGs remains largely unknown. Here, we showed that a representative radioactive nuclide, uranium (U), at environmental concentrations (0.005-5 mg/L), improved the transformation frequency of resistant plasmid pUC19 into Escherichia coli by 0.10-0.85-fold in a concentration-dependent manner. The enhanced ARGs transformation ability under U stress was demonstrated to be associated with reactive oxygen species (ROS) overproduction, membrane damage, and up-regulation of genes related to DNA uptake and recombination. Membrane permeability and ROS production were the predominant direct and indirect factors affecting transformation ability, respectively. Our findings provide valuable insight into the underlying mechanisms of the impacts of U on the ARGs transformation process and highlight concerns about the exacerbated spread of ARGs in radioactive heavy metal-contaminated ecosystems, especially in areas with nuclear activity or accidents.202439208634
850630.9994Extracellular Polymeric Substances Acting as a Permeable Barrier Hinder the Lateral Transfer of Antibiotic Resistance Genes. Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in bacteria are emerging contaminants as their proliferation in the environment poses significant threats to human health. It is well recognized that extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) can protect microorganisms against stress or damage from exogenous contaminants. However, it is not clear whether EPS could affect the lateral transfer of ARGs into bacteria, which is one of the major processes for the dissemination of ARGs. This study investigated the lateral transfer of ARGs carried by plasmids (pUC19, pHSG298, and pHSG396) into competent Escherichia coli cells with and without EPS. Transformant numbers and transformation efficiency for E. coli without EPS were up to 29 times of those with EPS at pH 7.0 in an aqueous system. The EPS removal further increased cell permeability in addition to the enhanced cell permeability by Ca(2+), which could be responsible for the enhanced lateral transfer of ARGs. The fluorescence quenching experiments showed that EPS could strongly bind to plasmid DNA in the presence of Ca(2+) and the binding strength (LogK (A) = 10.65-15.80 L mol(-1)) between EPS and plasmids was positively correlated with the enhancement percentage of transformation efficiency resulting from the EPS removal. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses and model computation further showed that Ca(2+) could electrostatically bind with EPS mainly through the carboxyl group, hydroxyl group, and RC-O-CR in glucoside, thus bridging the plasmid and EPS. As a result, the binding of plasmids with EPS hindered the lateral transfer of plasmid-borne ARGs. This study improved our understanding on the function of EPS in controlling the fate and transport of ARGs on the molecular and cellular scales.201931057498
852640.9994Size-dependent enhancement on conjugative transfer of antibiotic resistance genes by micro/nanoplastics. Recently micro/nanoplastics (MNPs) have raised intensive concerns due to their possible enhancement effect on the dissemination of antibiotic genes. Unfortunately, data is still lacking to verify the effect. In the study, the influence of polystyrene MNPs on the conjugative gene transfer was studied by using E. coli DH5ɑ with RP4 plasmid as the donor bacteria and E. coli K12 MG1655 as the recipient bacteria. We found that influence of MNPs on gene transfer was size-dependent. Small MNPs (10 nm in radius) caused an increase and then a decrease in gene transfer efficiency with their concentration increasing. Moderate-sized MNPs (50 nm in radius) caused an increase in gene transfer efficiency. Large MNPs (500 nm in radius) had almost no influence on gene transfer. The gene transfer could be further enhanced by optimizing mating time and mating ratio. Scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS) production did not affect the cell membrane permeability, indicating that the increase in cell membrane permeability was not related to ROS production. The mechanism of the enhanced gene transfer efficiency was attributed to a combined effect of the increased ROS production and the increased cell membrane permeability, which ultimately regulated the expression of corresponding genes.202235278945
677650.9994Natural sphalerite nanoparticles can accelerate horizontal transfer of plasmid-mediated antibiotic-resistance genes. Minerals and microorganisms are integral parts of natural environments, and they inevitably interact. Antibiotic-resistance genes (ARGs) significantly threaten modern healthcare. However, the effects of natural minerals on ARG propagation in aquatic systems are not fully understood. The present work studied the effects of natural sphalerite (NS) nanoparticles on the horizontal transfer of ARGs from Escherichia coli DH5α (CTX) (donor) to E. coli C600 (Sm) (recipient), and from E. coli DH5α (MCR) (donor) to E. coli C600 (Sm), and their underlying mechanisms. NS particles (0.5-50 mg L(-1)) induced an NS-concentration-dependent increase in conjugative transfer frequency. The underlying mechanisms associated with the facilitated ARG transfer included the production of intracellular reactive oxygen species, the SOS response, changes in bacterial cell morphology, and alteration of mRNA levels of bacterial cell membrane protein-related genes and genes associated with conjugative ARG transfer. The information herein offers new mechanistic understanding of risks of bacterial resistance resulting from NS.202031999971
852460.9994Tebuconazole exacerbates co-occurrence and horizontal transfer of antibiotic resistance genes. As one of the most widely used pesticides in the global fungicide market, tebuconazole has become heavily embedded in soil along with antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). However, it remains unclear whether the selective pressure produced by tebuconazole affects ARGs and their horizontal transfer. In this experiment, we simulated a tebuconazole-contaminated soil ecosystem and observed changes in the abundance of ARGs and mobile genetic element (MGEs) due to tebuconazole exposure. We also established a plasmid RP4-mediated conjugative transfer system to investigate in depth the impact of tebuconazole on the horizontal transfer of ARGs and its mechanism of action. The results showed that under tebuconazole treatment at concentrations ranging from 0 to 10 mg/L, there was a gradual increase in the frequency of plasmid conjugative transfer, peaking at 10 mg/L which was 7.93 times higher than that of the control group, significantly promoting horizontal transfer of ARGs. Further analysis revealed that the conjugative transfer system under tebuconazole stress exhibited strong ability to form biofilm, and the conjugative transfer frequency ratio of biofilm to planktonic bacteria varied with the growth cycle of biofilm. Additionally, scanning electron microscopy and flow cytometry demonstrated increased cell membrane permeability in both donor and recipient bacteria under tebuconazole stress, accompanied by upregulation of ompA gene expression controlling cell membrane permeability. Furthermore, enzyme activity assays indicated significant increases in CAT, SOD activity, and GSH content in recipient bacteria under tebuconazole stress. Moreover, expression levels of transmembrane transporter gene trfAp as well as genes involved in oxidative stress and SOS response were found to be correlated with the frequency of plasmid conjugative transfer.202439277355
851370.9994Chlorine disinfection facilitates natural transformation through ROS-mediated oxidative stress. The bacterial infection that involves antimicrobial resistance is a rising global threat to public health. Chlorine-based water disinfection processes can inactivate antibiotic resistant bacteria. However, at the same time, these processes may cause the release of antibiotic resistance genes into the water as free DNA, and consequently increase the risk to disseminate antibiotic resistance via natural transformation. Presently, little is known about the contribution of residual chlorine affecting the transformation of extracellular antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). This study investigates whether chloramine and free chlorine promote the transformation of ARGs and how this may occur. We reveal that both chloramine and free chlorine, at practically relevant concentrations, significantly stimulated the transformation of plasmid-encoded ARGs by the recipient Acinetobacter baylyi ADP1, by up to a 10-fold increase. The underlying mechanisms underpinning the increased transformations were revealed. Disinfectant exposure induced a series of cell responses, including increased levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), bacterial membrane damage, ROS-mediated DNA damage, and increased stress response. These effects thus culminated in the enhanced transformation of ARGs. This promoted transformation was observed when exposing disinfectant-pretreated A. baylyi to free plasmid. In contrast, after pretreating free plasmid with disinfectants, the transformation of ARGs decreased due to the damage of plasmid integrity. These findings provide important insight on the roles of disinfectants affecting the horizontal transfer of ARGs, which could be crucial in the management of antibiotic resistance in our water systems.202133941886
678280.9994Ubiquitous nanocolloids suppress the conjugative transfer of plasmid-mediated antibiotic resistance in aqueous environment. Nanocolloids (Nc) are widespread in natural water environment, whereas the potential effects of Nc on dissemination of antibiotic resistance remain largely unknown. In this study, Nc collected from the Yellow River in Henan province was tested for its ability to influence the conjugative transfer of resistant plasmid in aqueous environment. The results revealed that the conjugative transfer of RP4 plasmid between Escherichia coli was down-regulated by 52%-91% upon exposure to 1-10 mg/L Nc and the reduction became constant when the dose became higher (20-200 mg/L). Despite the exposure of Nc activated the anti-oxidation and SOS response in bacteria through up-regulating genes involved in glutathione biosynthesis and DNA recombination, the inhibition on the synthesis and secretion of extracellular polysaccharide induced the prevention of cell-cell contact, leading to the reduction of plasmid transfer. This was evidenced by the decreased bacterial adhesion and lowered levels of genes and metabolites relevant to transmembrane transport and D-glucose phosphorylation, as clarified in phenotypic, transcriptomics and metabolomics analysis of E. coli. The significant down-regulation of glycolysis/gluconeogenesis and TCA cycle was associated with the shortage of ATP induced by Nc. The up-regulation of global regulatory genes (korA and trbA) and the reduction of plasmid genes (trfAp, trbBp, and traG) expression also contributed to the suppressed conjugation of RP4 plasmid. The obtained findings remind that the role of ubiquitous colloidal particles is nonnegligible when practically and comprehensively assessing the risk of antibiotic resistance in the environment.202438801878
852390.9994Tebuconazole promotes spread of a multidrug-resistant plasmid into soil bacteria to form new resistant bacterial strains. The development of antibiotic resistance threatens human and environmental health. Non-antibiotic stressors, including fungicides, may contribute to the spread of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). We determined the promoting effects of tebuconazole on ARG dissemination using a donor, Escherichia coli MG1655, containing a multidrug-resistant fluorescent plasmid (RP4) and a recipient (E. coli HB101). The donor was then incorporated into the soil to test whether tebuconazole could accelerate the spread of RP4 into indigenous bacteria. Tebuconazole promoted the transfer of the RP4 plasmid from the donor into the recipient via overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS), enhancement of cell membrane permeability and regulation of related genes. The dissemination of the RP4 plasmid from the donor to soil bacteria was significantly enhanced by tebuconazole. RP4 plasmid could be propagated into more genera of bacteria in tebuconazole-contaminated soil as the exposure time increased. These findings demonstrate that the fungicide tebuconazole promotes the spread of the RP4 plasmid into indigenous soil bacteria, revealing the potential risk of tebuconazole residues enhancing the dissemination of ARGs in soil environments.202438615769
8510100.9994Phthalates Promote Dissemination of Antibiotic Resistance Genes: An Overlooked Environmental Risk. Plastics-microorganism interactions have aroused growing environmental and ecological concerns. However, previous studies concentrated mainly on the direct interactions and paid little attention to the ecotoxicology effects of phthalates (PAEs), a common plastic additive that is continuously released and accumulates in the environment. Here, we provide insights into the impacts of PAEs on the dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) among environmental microorganisms. Dimethyl phthalate (DMP, a model PAE) at environmentally relevant concentrations (2-50 μg/L) significantly boosted the plasmid-mediated conjugation transfer of ARGs among intrageneric, intergeneric, and wastewater microbiota by up to 3.82, 4.96, and 4.77 times, respectively. The experimental and molecular dynamics simulation results unveil a strong interaction between the DMP molecules and phosphatidylcholine bilayer of the cell membrane, which lowers the membrane lipid fluidity and increases the membrane permeability to favor transfer of ARGs. In addition, the increased reactive oxygen species generation and conjugation-associated gene overexpression under DMP stress also contribute to the increased gene transfer. This study provides fundamental knowledge of the PAE-bacteria interactions to broaden our understanding of the environmental and ecological risks of plastics, especially in niches with colonized microbes, and to guide the control of ARG environmental spreading.202337083356
8512110.9993Dissolved oxygen facilitates efficiency of chlorine disinfection for antibiotic resistance. Controlling the dissemination of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) is a global concern. While commonly used chlorine disinfectants can damage or even kill ARB, dissolved oxygen (DO) may affect the formation of reactive chlorine species. This leads to the hypothesis that DO may play roles in mediating the effectiveness of chlorine disinfection for antibiotic resistance. To this end, this study investigated the impacts of DO on the efficiency of chlorine disinfection for antibiotic resistance. The results revealed that DO could increase the inactivation efficiency of ARB under chloramine and free chlorine exposure at practically relevant concentrations. Reactive species induced by DO, including H(2)O(2), O(2)(-), and OH, inactivated ARB strains by triggering oxidative stress response and cell membrane damage. In addition, the removal efficiency of extracellular ARGs (i.e. tetA and bla(TEM)) was enhanced with increasing dosage of free chlorine or chloramine under aerobic conditions. DO facilitated the fragmentation of plasmids, contributing to the degradation of extracellular ARGs under exposure to chlorine disinfectants. The findings suggested that DO facilitates disinfection efficiency for antibiotic resistance in water treatment systems.202438750753
8509120.9993Protozoa-enhanced conjugation frequency alters the dissemination of soil antibiotic resistance. Protozoa, as primary predators of soil bacteria, represent an overlooked natural driver in the dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). However, the effects of protozoan predation on ARGs dissemination at the community level, along with the underlying mechanisms, remain unclear. Here we used fluorescence-activated cell sorting, qPCR, combined with metagenomics and reverse transcription quantitative PCR, to unveil how protozoa (Colpoda steinii and Acanthamoeba castellanii) influence the plasmid-mediated transfer of ARGs to soil microbial communities. Protozoan predation reduced the absolute abundance of plasmids but promoted the expression of conjugation-associated genes, leading to a 5-fold and 4.5-fold increase in conjugation frequency in the presence of C. steinii and A. castellanii, respectively. Excessive oxidative stress, increased membrane permeability, and the provoked SOS response closely associated with the increased conjugative transfer. Protozoan predation also altered the plasmid host range and selected for specific transconjugant taxa along with ARGs and virulence factors carried by transconjugant communities. This study underscores the role of protozoa in the plasmid-mediated conjugative transfer of ARGs, providing new insights into microbial mechanisms that drive the dissemination of environmental antibiotic resistance.202539869787
7911130.9993Biochar induced inhibitory effects on intracellular and extracellular antibiotic resistance genes in anaerobic digestion of swine manure. Distribution of intracellular (iARGs) and extracellular ARGs (eARGs) in manure anaerobic digestion (AD) process coupled with two types of biochar (BC and BP) were investigated. And the effects of biochar on the conjugation transfer of ARGs were explored by deciphering the interaction of biochar with bacterial stress responses, physiological metabolism and antibiotic resistances. Results showed that AD process could effectively remove all the detected eARGs with efficiency of 47.4-98.2%. The modified biochar (BP) with larger specific surface area (SSA) was propitious to decrease the absolute copy number of extracellular resistance genes. AD process could effectively remove iARGs by inhibiting the growth of host bacteria. The results of structural equation models (SEM) indicated that biochar put indirect influences on the fate of ARGs (λ = -0.23, P > 0.05). Analysis on oxidative stress levels, antioxidant capacity, DNA damage-induced response (SOS) response and energy generation process demonstrated that biochar induced the oxidative stress response of microorganisms and enhanced the antioxidant capacity of bacteria. The elevated antioxidant capacity negatively affected SOS response, amplified cell membrane damage and further weakened the energy generation process, resulted in the inhibition of horizontal transfer of ARGs.202235609652
6778140.9993Bisphenol S Promotes the Transfer of Antibiotic Resistance Genes via Transformation. The antibiotic resistance crisis has seriously jeopardized public health and human safety. As one of the ways of horizontal transfer, transformation enables bacteria to acquire exogenous genes naturally. Bisphenol compounds are now widely used in plastics, food, and beverage packaging, and have become a new environmental pollutant. However, their potential relationship with the spread of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in the environment remains largely unexplored. In this study, we aimed to assess whether the ubiquitous bisphenol S (BPS) could promote the transformation of plasmid-borne ARGs. Using plasmid pUC19 carrying the ampicillin resistance gene as an extracellular ARG and model microorganism E. coli DH5α as the recipient, we established a transformation system. Transformation assays revealed that environmentally relevant concentrations of BPS (0.1-10 μg/mL) markedly enhanced the transformation frequency of plasmid-borne ARGs into E. coli DH5α up to 2.02-fold. Fluorescent probes and transcript-level analyses suggest that BPS stimulated increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, activated the SOS response, induced membrane damage, and increased membrane fluidity, which weakened the barrier for plasmid transfer, allowing foreign DNA to be more easily absorbed. Moreover, BPS stimulates ATP supply by activating the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, which promotes flagellar motility and expands the search for foreign DNA. Overall, these findings provide important insight into the role of bisphenol compounds in facilitating the horizontal spread of ARGs and emphasize the need to monitor the residues of these environmental contaminants.202439337307
8601150.9993Herbicide promotes the conjugative transfer of multi-resistance genes by facilitating cellular contact and plasmid transfer. The global dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), especially via plasmid-mediated horizontal transfer, is becoming a pervasive health threat. While our previous study found that herbicides can accelerate the horizontal gene transfer (HGT) of ARGs in soil bacteria, the underlying mechanisms by which herbicides promote the HGT of ARGs across and within bacterial genera are still unclear. Here, the underlying mechanism associated with herbicide-promoted HGT was analyzed by detecting intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, extracellular polymeric substance composition, cell membrane integrity and proton motive force combined with genome-wide RNA sequencing. Exposure to herbicides induced a series of the above bacterial responses to promote HGT except for the ROS response, including compact cell-to-cell contact by enhancing pilus-encoded gene expression and decreasing cell surface charge, increasing cell membrane permeability, and enhancing the proton motive force, providing additional power for DNA uptake. This study provides a mechanistic understanding of the risk of bacterial resistance spread promoted by herbicides, which elucidates a new perspective on nonantibiotic agrochemical acceleration of the HGT of ARGs.202234969463
8557160.9993Efficient inactivation of antibiotic resistant bacteria by iron-modified biochar and persulfate system: Potential for controlling antimicrobial resistance spread and mechanism insights. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a critical global health threat, further intensified by the widespread dissemination of plasmid-encoded antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), which poses a significant challenge to the "One Health" concept. Persulfate-based advanced oxidation processes (PS-AOPs) have emerged as effective disinfection methods, capable of degrading antibiotics, inactivating bacteria, and eliminating ARGs, whereas their efficacy towards blocking ARGs horizontal transfer remains elusive. This work constructed a series of Fe-modified soybean straw biochar (FeSSB) as persulfate (PS) activators through Fe-modification and temperature regulation. Among the tested systems, FeSSB800/PS achieved complete inactivation of antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB) with a 7.04-log reduction within 60 min, outperforming others. FeSSB800, featuring the highest exposed-Fe(II) sites, most CO groups, and lowest charge transfer resistance, obtaining optimal PS activation and reactive species generation, which caused irreversible damage to ARB cells and significantly inhibited the transformation and conjugation efficiency of plasmid RP4. The inhibition mechanism is driven by the aggressive action of free radicals, which injure cell envelopes, induce oxidative stress, disrupt ATP synthesis, and alter intercellular adhesion. These findings underscore the potential of PS-AOPs as a promising strategy to mitigate AMR by simultaneously inactivating ARB and impeding ARGs dissemination.202540203758
8604170.9993Reactive chlorine species inhibiting interspecies spread of antibiotic resistance via disrupting donor - Recipient cells and regulating plasmid conjugation genes. Current drinking water treatment plant (DWTP) disinfection technologies face limitations, allowing plasmid-mediated antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) transfer to occur among viable but nonculturable (VBNC) bacteria, heightening the risk of antibiotic-resistant infections. While UV/Chlorine has been adopted to curb ARGs abundance, its impacts on the interspecies transfer of ARG-carrying plasmids remain hardly explored. This study investigated how reactive chlorine species (RCS) in the UV/Chlorine system inhibited the transfer of antibiotic resistance from antibiotic-resistant Escherichia coli (AR E. coli) to Bacillus subtilis (B.S) by inactivating both donor and recipient strains and regulating plasmid conjugation genes. RCS reduced plasmid transfer frequencies by 2.1-log and 3.2-log compared to UV or chlorine alone. By impairing (•)OH scavenging ability, it led to ROS accumulation in AR E. coli, disrupting cellular energy metabolism and DNA repair, ultimately causing DNA degradation and membrane damage, resulting in AR E. coli inactivation rather than entering the VBNC state. Additionally, RCS induced structural and intracellular disruption in B.S, compromising its capacity for plasmid uptake and stable maintenance. Finally, RCS inhibited plasmid horizontal transfer while enhancing vertical transfer, with its damage to outer membrane proteins further restricting interspecies plasmid conjugation transfer. This study provides novel insights for DWTPs to better control ARGs interspecies transfer and improve drinking water safety.202540505407
8495180.9993Effects of voltage and tetracycline on horizontal transfer of ARGs in microbial electrolysis cells. The abuse of antibiotics leads to the production of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). Microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) have been widely applicated in the field of degrading antibiotics. ARGs were increased via horizontal transfer in single and two-chamber MECs. As one of the critical parameters in MECs, voltage has a particular impact on the ARGs transfer via horizontal transfer. However, there have been few studies of ARGs transfer under the exposure of antibiotics and voltage in MECs. In this study, five concentrations of tetracycline (0, 1, 5, 10, 20 mg/L) were selected to explore the conjugative transfer frequency of plasmid-encoded the ARGs from the donor (E. coli RP4) to receptor (E. coli HB101) in MECs, two voltages (1.5 and 2.0 V) were used to explore the conjugative transfer frequency of ARGs in MECs, then, the transfer of ARGs in MECs under the co-effect of tetracycline and voltage was explored. The results showed that the conjugative transfer frequency of ARGs was significantly increased with the increase of tetracycline concentration and voltage, respectively (p < 0.05). Under the pressure of tetracycline and voltage, the conjugative transfer frequency of ARGs is significantly enhanced with the co-effect of tetracycline and voltage (p < 0.05). The oxidative response induced by electrical stimulation promotes the overproduction of reactive oxygen species and the enhancement of cell membrane permeability of donor and recipient bacteria in MECs. These findings provide insights for studying the spread of ARGs in MECs.202435980276
8511190.9993The combination of polystyrene microplastics and di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate promotes the conjugative transfer of antibiotic resistance genes between bacteria. Plastic pollution has become a common phenomenon. The process of plastic degradation is accompanied by the release of microplastics and plasticizers. However, the coexistence of microplastics and plasticizers on the transfer of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) has not been reported until now. Here, polystyrene (PS) microplastics and plasticizer di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) were used for combined treatment experiment and their effects and mechanisms on the transfer of ARGs between bacteria were explored. By increasing cell membrane permeability and the expression of correlated genes, the combined treatment group showed promoting effects on the transfer of ARGs than that of control, with the highest promoting effects observed at 1 mg/L PS and 0.1 mg/L DEHP, which was 3.0 times higher in ARGs transfer rate than that of control. It was found that PS and DEHP treatment alone also led to a higher conjugative transfer frequency, and the frequency of the combined treatment was lower than that of the corresponding single treatment group. This indicated that the effects of DEHP and microplastics on ARGs transfer might be antagonistic. Transcriptome analysis indicated that the transfer of ARGs affects bacterial ion binding, oxidative stress, and energy metabolism processes, while the expression of genes related to cell membrane permeability, DNA repair, bacterial drug resistance, and quorum sensing also increase. This study may provide new insights for explaining the combined effects of various pollutants in the environment on the spread of ARGs.202539799916