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Nanomechanics of Drug-target Interactions and Antibacterial Resistance Detection
Published on: October 25, 2013
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Exposure to vancomycin causes a shift in the microbial community structure without affecting nitrate reduction rates
Anniet M Laverman1, Thibaut Cazier, Chen Yan
1Université Rennes 1, CNRS EcoBio UMR6553, Rennes, France, anniet.laverman@univ-rennes1.fr.
Environmental Science and Pollution Research International
|February 10, 2015
Summary
Vancomycin (VA) did not affect nitrate reduction in wastewater sediments. However, vancomycin exposure altered bacterial and denitrifying microbial communities, indicating selection for resistant populations.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Microbiology
- Ecotoxicology
Background:
- Antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes are widespread environmental contaminants.
- Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are potential hotspots for antibiotic resistance gene dissemination.
- Vancomycin (VA) is an antibiotic frequently detected in hospital wastewater.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of vancomycin (VA) on denitrifying bacteria in river sediments from a WWTP.
- To assess the effects of environmentally relevant VA concentrations on nitrate reduction rates.
- To analyze changes in sedimentary microbial community structure in response to VA exposure.
Main Methods:
- Continuous exposure of river sediments to varying VA concentrations in flow-through reactors.
- Monitoring of nitrate reduction rates under denitrifying conditions (anoxia with nitrate addition).
- Analysis of bacterial (16S rDNA) and denitrifying (nosZ) community structures using PCR-DGGE.
Main Results:
- Vancomycin (VA) had no significant effect on sedimentary nitrate reduction rates at environmental concentrations.
- A notable shift in bacterial and denitrifying community structures was observed upon VA exposure.
- Polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE) revealed changes in microbial populations.
Conclusions:
- Vancomycin exposure in WWTP sediments selects for non-susceptible bacterial populations.
- Environmental concentrations of VA can alter microbial community structure without impacting overall denitrification rates.
- This study highlights the ecological impact of antibiotics on microbial communities in aquatic environments.
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