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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
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Comparative microbial antibiotic resistome between urban and deep forest environments.
Yongchang Zheng1, Si Yu1, Guanqun Wang2
1Department of Liver Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100730, China.
Environmental Microbiology Reports
|March 22, 2021
Summary
Antibiotic resistance genes are widespread in both urban and natural soils. This study found numerous antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), especially multidrug resistance genes, in diverse environments, highlighting the global spread of antimicrobial resistance.
Area of Science:
- Environmental microbiology
- Genomics
- Antimicrobial resistance
Background:
- Antibiotic use paradoxically drives the emergence and spread of resistant microbes.
- Concerns exist regarding the inevitable resistance of environmental microbes to clinical antibiotics.
- Spread of resistance genes and multidrug-resistant phenotypes exacerbates this issue.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate microbiomes and resistomes in diverse soil environments.
- To compare antibiotic resistance gene (ARG) profiles in urban versus natural settings.
- To understand the dissemination of ARGs in modern environments.
Main Methods:
- Metagenomic analysis of 16 soil samples from Beijing and Yunnan.
- Illumina HiSeq sequencing for microbial diversity and ARG identification.
- Classification of identified ARGs into types.
Main Results:
- Identified 486 antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) across 30 types.
- Multidrug resistance genes were the most abundant ARG type found.
- Detailed comparison of resistomes from megacity and deep forest soils.
Conclusions:
- Soil microbiomes harbor a significant reservoir of ARGs.
- Urban and natural environments show comparable ARG prevalence, indicating widespread dissemination.
- Findings provide a reference for understanding ARG spread in diverse ecosystems.
