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Environment International May 2023As the global concern over plastic pollution grows, efforts are underway to find environmentally friendly alternatives to traditional plastics. Bioplastics are being...
As the global concern over plastic pollution grows, efforts are underway to find environmentally friendly alternatives to traditional plastics. Bioplastics are being extensively researched and developed as a possible solution. This study compared the impact of two bioplastics, polylactic acid (PLA) and polyhydroxy butyrate (PHB), on the proliferation of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and mobile genetic elements (MGEs) during anaerobic digestion (AD). Both bioplastics (250-500 particles) could be degraded to a certain extent over 79 days, as indicated by higher methane production than the control without bioplastic particles. The PHB 500 reactor showed the highest methane yield along with the highest biodegradation efficiency (91 %) than other reactors amended with PHB and PLA particles. The highest ARG and MGE abundances were also observed in PLA 500, and the lowest ARG abundance was in PLA 250. Conversely, PHB reactors showed a relatively lower ARG abundance than the control. The correlation analysis suggested that most ARGs were positively correlated with PLA and negatively correlated with PHB (except for tetA, tetB, and tetX). Moreover, a correlation between MGEs and ARGs in PLA and PHB reactors was revealed by correlation analysis. These results show that AD responds differently to the different types/levels of bioplastics, which can ultimately influence the behavior of ARG proliferation. Thus, bioplastics may also pose a potential risk for spreading antibiotic resistance. These findings can be used as a basis for setting environmental standards for bioplastics and creating monitoring and control measures to prevent potential negative impacts on public health.
Topics: Anti-Bacterial Agents; Anaerobiosis; Polyesters; Drug Resistance, Microbial; Genes, Bacterial; Plastics; Methane; Cell Proliferation; Butyrates
PubMed: 37120980
DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2023.107938 -
Microbiology (Reading, England) Nov 2022With an increase in the number of isolates resistant to multiple antibiotics, infection control has become increasingly important to help combat the spread of... (Review)
Review
With an increase in the number of isolates resistant to multiple antibiotics, infection control has become increasingly important to help combat the spread of multi-drug-resistant pathogens. An important component of this is through the use of disinfectants and antiseptics (biocides). Antibiotic resistance has been well studied in bacteria, but little is known about potential biocide resistance genes and there have been few reported outbreaks in hospitals resulting from a breakdown in biocide effectiveness. Development of increased tolerance to biocides has been thought to be more difficult due to the mode of action of biocides which affect multiple cellular targets compared with antibiotics. Very few genes which contribute towards increased biocide tolerance have been identified. However, the majority of those that have are components or regulators of different efflux pumps or genes which modulate membrane function/modification. This review will examine the role of efflux in increased tolerance towards biocides, focusing on cationic biocides and heavy metals against Gram-negative bacteria. As many efflux pumps which are upregulated by biocide presence also contribute towards an antimicrobial resistance phenotype, the role of these efflux pumps in cross-resistance to both other biocides and antibiotics will be explored.
Topics: Disinfectants; Bacteria; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Biological Transport; Drug Resistance, Microbial; Drug Resistance, Bacterial; Microbial Sensitivity Tests
PubMed: 36748532
DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.001263 -
Environmental Pollution (Barking, Essex... Oct 2022Fish-related antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) have attracted attention for their potentially harmful effects on food safety and human health through the food chain...
Fish-related antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) have attracted attention for their potentially harmful effects on food safety and human health through the food chain transfer. However, the potential factors affecting these ARGs have not been fully explored. In this study, ARGs and bacterial communities in the fish gut, mucosal skin, and gill filaments in fish were comprehensively evaluated in four different mariculture systems formed by hybrid grouper (Epinephelus fuscoguttatus♀ × E. lanceolatus♂), Gracilaria bailinae, and Litopenaeus vannamei using different combinations. The results showed that 9 ARGs were detected in the gut and mucosal skin and 6 ARGs in the gill filaments. The detection rate of aphA1 was the highest, and the abundance was 1.91 × 10 - 6.30 × 10 copies per 16 S rRNA gene. Transposase gene (tnpA-04) was detected in all samples with the abundance of 3.57 × 10 - 3.59 × 10 copies per 16 S rRNA gene, and was strongly correlated with multiple ARGs (e.g., aphA1, tet(34), mphA-02). Proteobacteria, Deinococcus-Thermus, Firmicutes, and Bacteroidetes were the dominant phyla in the four mariculture systems, accounting for 65.1%-96.2% of the total bacterial community. Notably, the high relative abundance of Stenotrophomonas, a potential human pathogen, was elevated by 20.5% in the hybrid grouper gut in the monoculture system. In addition, variation partitioning analysis (VPA) showed that the difference in bacterial communities between mariculture systems was the main driving factor of ARGs distribution differences in hybrid groupers. This study provides a new comprehensive understanding of the characterization of fish-related ARGs contamination in different mariculture systems and facilitates the assessment of potential risks of ARGs and pathogen taxa to human health.
Topics: Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Bacteria; Bacteroidetes; Drug Resistance, Microbial; Genes, Bacterial; Humans
PubMed: 35973451
DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.119934 -
Environment International Mar 2022Pathogenic bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in bioaerosols are major threats to human health. In this study, the microbial community structure and ARG...
Pathogenic bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in bioaerosols are major threats to human health. In this study, the microbial community structure and ARG distribution characteristics of airborne bacteria in total suspended particulates (TSP) and PM were investigated under different air quality levels in Xinxiang, Central China. The results revealed that with the deterioration of air quality, the concentrations of airborne bacteria in both TSP and PM decreased; however, the relative amounts of pathogenic bacteria increased. The predominant genera in pathogenic bacteria of Bacillus, Sphingomonas, Corynebacterium, Rhodococcus, and Staphylococcus were identified in both TSP and PM. Although the airborne bacteria concentrations and absolute abundances of ARGs in TSP were higher than those in PM under identical air quality conditions, the bacterial community structure and relative amounts of pathogenic bacteria were similar. In addition, the relationship between environmental factors of ions, metal elements, and meteorological parameters and the community structures of airborne bacteria and pathogenic bacteria were also analyzed. The effects of soluble ions and metal elements on several dominant genera of total bacteria and pathogenic bacteria differed, probably due to the strong tolerance of pathogenic bacteria to harsh atmospheric environments Different subtypes of ARGs showed various distribution characteristics with variations in air quality. The deterioration of air quality can inhibit the dissemination of ARGs, as the minimum values of all ARGs and class 1 integrase intI1 were observed under Severely Polluted conditions. This study provides a comprehensive understanding of the effect of air pollution levels on the airborne bacteria community composition and ARG distribution.
Topics: Air Microbiology; Air Pollution; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Bacteria; Drug Resistance, Microbial; Environmental Monitoring; Genes, Bacterial; Humans
PubMed: 35180669
DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2022.107127 -
MSphere Sep 2020Insertion sequences (ISs) are abundant mobile genetic elements on bacterial genomes, responsible for mobilization of many genes, including antibiotic resistance genes...
Insertion sequences (ISs) are abundant mobile genetic elements on bacterial genomes, responsible for mobilization of many genes, including antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). As ARGs often occur in similar genetic contexts, understanding which ISs tend to be associated with known ARGs could be a first step toward discovering novel ARGs through predictive or experimental strategies. This could be valuable, as early identification of ARGs in pathogens could facilitate surveillance, confinement actions, molecular diagnostics, and drug development. Here, we present a comprehensive analysis of the association of specific ISs with known ARGs. A large collection of bacterial genomes was used to characterize the immediate context of 2,437 known ARGs and 3,768 ISs. While many ARGs were consistently found close to specific ISs, the contexts around all ISs were more variable. Nevertheless, a subset of individual ISs, as well as tentative composite transposons, showed significant associations with ARGs. These included, e.g., insertion sequences classified as IS, Tn, IS, and IS that were not only strongly associated with diverse ARGs but also highly abundant in pathogens. Therefore, we conclude that the context of this subset of ISs and tentative composite transposons would be particularly valuable to discover novel ARGs through modeling or empirical approaches. A set of 1,891 metagenomes were analyzed to identify environments where those ISs commonly associated with ARGs were particularly abundant. The associations found in metagenomes were similar to those found in genomes. The emergence and spread of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) among pathogens threaten the prevention and treatment of bacterial infections as well as our food production chains. Early knowledge about mobile ARGs that are present in pathogens or that have the potential to become clinically relevant could help mitigate potential negative consequences. Recently, exploring integron gene cassettes was shown to be successful for identifying novel mobilized ARGs, some of which were already circulating in pathogens. Still, only a subset of ARGs is mobilized by integrons, and the contexts of other mobile genetic elements associated with ARGs remain unexplored. This includes insertion sequences (ISs) responsible for the mobilization of many ARGs. Our analyses identified ISs, species, and environments where ARG-IS relationships are particularly strong. This could be a first step to guide the discovery of novel ARGs, while also providing insights into mechanisms involved in the mobilization and transfer of ARGs.
Topics: Anti-Bacterial Agents; Bacteria; Drug Resistance, Microbial; Genome, Bacterial; Metagenome; Mutagenesis, Insertional
PubMed: 32878926
DOI: 10.1128/mSphere.00418-20 -
Australian Dental Journal Mar 2020Antibiotic resistance presents a daunting challenge to health professionals worldwide and has the potential to create major problems for modern health care, resulting in... (Review)
Review
Antibiotic resistance presents a daunting challenge to health professionals worldwide and has the potential to create major problems for modern health care, resulting in more medical expenditure, extended hospital stays and increased morbidity and mortality. Advanced genome sequencing technologies present a complex picture of resistance, extending our understanding beyond the pharmacotherapeutic interface between pathogens and antibiotics. This review discusses the global scope and scale of antibiotic resistance and contextualizes it for the dental practitioner, emphasizing the role we must play in limiting the progression of resistance through antibiotic stewardship and disease prevention.
Topics: Anti-Bacterial Agents; Antimicrobial Stewardship; Dentistry; Dentists; Drug Resistance, Microbial; Humans; Professional Role
PubMed: 31613388
DOI: 10.1111/adj.12727 -
Euro Surveillance : Bulletin Europeen... Jun 2023BackgroundInternational organisations are calling for One Health approaches to tackle antimicrobial resistance. In France, getting an overview of the current... (Review)
Review
Towards One Health surveillance of antibiotic resistance: characterisation and mapping of existing programmes in humans, animals, food and the environment in France, 2021.
BackgroundInternational organisations are calling for One Health approaches to tackle antimicrobial resistance. In France, getting an overview of the current surveillance system and its level of integration is difficult due to the diversity of surveillance programmes.AimThis study aimed to map and describe all French surveillance programmes for antibiotic resistance (ABR), antibiotic use (ABU) and antibiotic residues, in humans, animals, food and the environment, in 2021. Another objective was to identify integration points, gaps and overlaps in the system.MethodsWe reviewed the literature for surveillance programmes and their descriptions. To further characterise programmes found, semi-directed interviews were conducted with their coordinators.ResultsIn total 48 programmes in the human (n = 35), animal (n = 12), food (n = 3) and/or the environment (n = 1) sectors were identified; 35 programmes focused on ABR, 14 on ABU and two on antibiotic residues. Two programmes were cross-sectoral. Among the 35 ABR programmes, 23 collected bacterial isolates. Bacteria most targeted were (n = 17 programmes), (n = 13), and (n = 12). Extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing was monitored by most ABR programmes (15 of 35) in humans, animals and food, and is a good candidate for integrated analyses. ABU indicators were highly variable. Areas poorly covered were the environmental sector, overseas territories, antibiotic-resistant-bacterial colonisation in humans and ABU in companion animals.ConclusionThe French surveillance system appears extensive but has gaps and is highly fragmented. We believe our mapping will interest policymakers and surveillance stakeholders. Our methodology may inspire other countries considering One Health surveillance of ABR.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Drug Resistance, Bacterial; Drug Resistance, Microbial; Escherichia coli; France; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; One Health
PubMed: 37261729
DOI: 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2023.28.22.2200804 -
The ISME Journal Jun 2023The rise of β-lactam resistance among pathogenic bacteria, due to the horizontal transfer of plasmid-encoded β-lactamases, is a current global health crisis....
The rise of β-lactam resistance among pathogenic bacteria, due to the horizontal transfer of plasmid-encoded β-lactamases, is a current global health crisis. Importantly, β-lactam hydrolyzation by β-lactamases, not only protects the producing cells but also sensitive neighboring cells cooperatively. Yet, how such cooperative traits affect plasmid transmission and maintenance is currently poorly understood. Here we experimentally show that KPC-2 β-lactamase expression and extracellular activity were higher when encoded on plasmids compared with the chromosome, resulting in the elevated rescue of sensitive non-producers. This facilitated efficient plasmid transfer to the rescued non-producers and expanded the potential plasmid recipient pool and the probability of plasmid transfer to new genotypes. Social conversion of non-producers by conjugation was efficient yet not absolute. Non-cooperative plasmids, not encoding KPC-2, were moderately more competitive than cooperative plasmids when β-lactam antibiotics were absent. However, in the presence of a β-lactam antibiotic, strains with non-cooperative plasmids were efficiently outcompeted. Moreover, plasmid-free non-producers were more competitive than non-producers imposed with the metabolic burden of a plasmid. Our results suggest that cooperative antibiotic resistance especially promotes the fitness of replicons that transfer horizontally such as conjugative plasmids.
Topics: Gene Transfer, Horizontal; Drug Resistance, Microbial; Plasmids; beta-Lactamases; Genotype; Conjugation, Genetic; Chromosomes, Bacterial; beta-Lactams; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Bacteria
PubMed: 36949153
DOI: 10.1038/s41396-023-01393-1 -
Microbial Genomics May 2024The interaction between a host and its microbiome is an area of intense study. For the human host, it is known that the various body-site-associated microbiomes impact... (Review)
Review
The interaction between a host and its microbiome is an area of intense study. For the human host, it is known that the various body-site-associated microbiomes impact heavily on health and disease states. For instance, the oral microbiome is a source of various pathogens and potential antibiotic resistance gene pools. The effect of historical changes to the human host and environment to the associated microbiome, however, has been less well explored. In this review, we characterize several historical and prehistoric events which are considered to have impacted the oral environment and therefore the bacterial communities residing within it. The link between evolutionary changes to the oral microbiota and the significant societal and behavioural changes occurring during the pre-Neolithic, Agricultural Revolution, Industrial Revolution and Antibiotic Era is outlined. While previous studies suggest the functional profile of these communities may have shifted over the centuries, there is currently a gap in knowledge that needs to be filled. Biomolecular archaeological evidence of innate antimicrobial resistance within the oral microbiome shows an increase in the abundance of antimicrobial resistance genes since the advent and widespread use of antibiotics in the modern era. Nevertheless, a lack of research into the prevalence and evolution of antimicrobial resistance within the oral microbiome throughout history hinders our ability to combat antimicrobial resistance in the modern era.
Topics: Humans; Microbiota; Mouth; Anti-Bacterial Agents; History, Ancient; Diet; Bacteria; Drug Resistance, Microbial; Drug Resistance, Bacterial; History, Medieval; History, 17th Century; History, 18th Century; History, 16th Century
PubMed: 38739117
DOI: 10.1099/mgen.0.001251 -
Clinical Microbiology and Infection :... Dec 2022The intestinal microbiome provides a reservoir for antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). The neonatal microbiome is more susceptible to disturbance from external factors... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
The intestinal microbiome provides a reservoir for antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). The neonatal microbiome is more susceptible to disturbance from external factors than the established microbiome in later life.
OBJECTIVES
In this review, we systematically summarize studies which investigated the intestinal resistome in neonates.
DATA SOURCES
MEDLINE and Embase databases were searched.
STUDY ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
We included original studies which investigated ARGs in stool or rectal swabs in neonates using molecular diagnostics.
METHODS OF DATA SYNTHESIS
Two authors independently extracted data, which were summarized in tables.
RESULTS
Our search identified 2701 studies, of which 23 (22 cohorts) were included. The studies show that the neonatal intestine harbours a high abundance and variety of ARGs, even in the absence of direct antibiotic exposure. The most commonly found ARGs confer resistance to aminoglycosides, β-lactams, macrolides, tetracyclines, or multidrug resistance. There is evidence that ARGs can be transferred from mothers to neonates. Interestingly, however, compared to mothers, neonates are reported to have a higher abundance of ARGs. One likely reason for this is the bacterial phylogenetic composition with a high abundance of Gammaproteobacteria in neonatal stool. Factors that have been associated with a higher abundance of ARGs are intrapartum and neonatal antibiotic use. Breastfeeding and neonatal probiotic use have been associated with a lower abundance of ARGs. Antibiotics during pregnancy, delivery mode, or sex are reported to have little effect. However, this might be because studies were underpowered and because it is difficult to account for effect modifiers.
CONCLUSIONS
The neonatal intestine seems to have a lower colonization resistance, which could make it easier for antibiotic-resistant populations to establish themselves. Future studies will help in the development of evidence-based interventions to modulate the abundance of ARGs in neonates, for example, by the use of pre- and probiotics and bacteriophages.
Topics: Infant, Newborn; Pregnancy; Female; Humans; Phylogeny; Drug Resistance, Microbial; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Bacteria; Intestines
PubMed: 35868586
DOI: 10.1016/j.cmi.2022.07.014