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Isolation and Identification of Waterborne Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria and Molecular Characterization of their Antibiotic Resistance Genes
Published on: March 3, 2023
Antimicrobial Chemicals Are Associated with Elevated Antibiotic Resistance Genes in the Indoor Dust Microbiome
Erica M Hartmann, Roxana Hickey, Tiffany Hsu1,2
1Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health , Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States.
Abstract:
Antibiotic resistance is increasingly widespread, largely due to human influence. Here, we explore the relationship between antibiotic resistance genes and the antimicrobial chemicals triclosan, triclocarban, and methyl-, ethyl-, propyl-, and butylparaben in the dust microbiome. Dust samples from a mixed-use athletic and educational facility were subjected to microbial and chemical analyses using a combination of 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing, shotgun metagenome sequencing, and liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. The dust resistome was characterized by identifying antibiotic resistance genes annotated in the Comprehensive Antibiotic Resistance Database (CARD) from the metagenomes of each sample using the Short, Better Representative Extract Data set (ShortBRED). The three most highly abundant antibiotic resistance genes were tet(W), blaSRT-1, and erm(B). The complete dust resistome was then compared against the measured concentrations of antimicrobial chemicals, which for triclosan ranged from 0.5 to 1970 ng/g dust. We observed six significant positive associations between the concentration of an antimicrobial chemical and the relative abundance of an antibiotic resistance gene, including one between the ubiquitous antimicrobial triclosan and erm(X), a 23S rRNA methyltransferase implicated in resistance to several antibiotics. This study is the first to look for an association between antibiotic resistance genes and antimicrobial chemicals in dust.
Insights
This study investigated antibiotic resistance genes and antimicrobial chemicals in dust. Researchers found significant associations between certain chemicals, like triclosan, and specific resistance genes, highlighting a potential environmental link to antibiotic resistance.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Microbiology
- Toxicology
Background:
- Antibiotic resistance is a growing global health concern, driven by various factors including human activities.
- Antimicrobial chemicals are widely used in consumer products and can enter the environment.
- The presence and impact of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in indoor dust microbiomes are not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the relationship between ARGs and specific antimicrobial chemicals in indoor dust.
- To characterize the dust resistome and quantify antimicrobial chemical concentrations.
- To identify potential associations between chemical exposure and ARG abundance in dust.
Main Methods:
- Dust samples were collected from a mixed-use athletic and educational facility.
- Microbial analysis involved 16S rRNA amplicon and shotgun metagenome sequencing.
- Chemical analysis used liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS).
- Antibiotic resistance genes were identified using the Comprehensive Antibiotic Resistance Database (CARD) and ShortBRED.
Main Results:
- The dust resistome was characterized, with tet(W), blaSRT-1, and erm(B) being the most abundant ARGs.
- Concentrations of triclosan, triclocarban, and parabens were quantified in the dust samples.
- Six significant positive associations were found between antimicrobial chemical concentrations and ARG relative abundance.
- A notable association was observed between triclosan and the erm(X) gene, which confers antibiotic resistance.
Conclusions:
- This research provides the first evidence of an association between ARGs and antimicrobial chemicals in indoor dust.
- The findings suggest that indoor environments may serve as reservoirs for ARGs linked to common antimicrobial compounds.
- Further research is warranted to understand the implications of these associations for public health and environmental antibiotic resistance.
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