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Updated: Jun 23, 2025
Isolation and Identification of Waterborne Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria and Molecular Characterization of their Antibiotic Resistance Genes
Published on: March 3, 2023
Genomic and Transcriptomic Analyses Reveal Multiple Strategies for Vibrio parahaemolyticus to Tolerate Sub-Lethal
Lianzhi Yang1,2, Pan Yu1,2, Juanjuan Wang1,2
1Key Laboratory of Quality and Safety Risk Assessment for Aquatic Products on Storage and Preservation (Shanghai), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China, Shanghai 201306, China.
Abstract:
Vibrio parahaemolyticus can cause acute gastroenteritis, wound infections, and septicemia in humans. The overuse of antibiotics in aquaculture may lead to a high incidence of the multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogen. Nevertheless, the genome evolution of V. parahaemolyticus in aquatic animals and the mechanism of its antibiotic tolerance remain to be further deciphered. Here, we investigated the molecular basis of the antibiotic tolerance of V. parahaemolyticus isolates (n = 3) originated from shellfish and crustaceans using comparative genomic and transcriptomic analyses. The genome sequences of the V. parahaemolyticus isolates were determined (5.0-5.3 Mb), and they contained 4709-5610 predicted protein-encoding genes, of which 823-1099 genes were of unknown functions. Comparative genomic analyses revealed a number of mobile genetic elements (MGEs, n = 69), antibiotic resistance-related genes (n = 7-9), and heavy metal tolerance-related genes (n = 2-4). The V. parahaemolyticus isolates were resistant to sub-lethal concentrations (sub-LCs) of ampicillin (AMP, 512 μg/mL), kanamycin (KAN, 64 μg/mL), and streptomycin (STR, 16 μg/mL) (p < 0.05). Comparative transcriptomic analyses revealed that there were significantly altered metabolic pathways elicited by the sub-LCs of the antibiotics (p < 0.05), suggesting the existence of multiple strategies for antibiotic tolerance in V. parahaemolyticus. The results of this study enriched the V. parahaemolyticus genome database and should be useful for controlling the MDR pathogen worldwide.
Insights
Multidrug-resistant Vibrio parahaemolyticus exhibits antibiotic tolerance through altered metabolic pathways. This study deciphers its genome evolution and resistance mechanisms, aiding global control efforts.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Genomics
- Aquatic Pathogen Research
Background:
- Vibrio parahaemolyticus is a significant human pathogen causing gastroenteritis, wound infections, and septicemia.
- Antibiotic overuse in aquaculture contributes to the rise of multidrug-resistant (MDR) V. parahaemolyticus.
- Understanding the genomic evolution and antibiotic tolerance mechanisms of V. parahaemolyticus in aquatic environments is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the molecular basis of antibiotic tolerance in V. parahaemolyticus isolates from shellfish and crustaceans.
- To analyze the genome and transcriptome of V. parahaemolyticus to identify genes and pathways involved in antibiotic resistance.
- To contribute to the V. parahaemolyticus genome database for better control of MDR strains.
Main Methods:
- Comparative genomic and transcriptomic analyses of three V. parahaemolyticus isolates.
- Whole genome sequencing to determine genome size and gene content.
- Analysis of mobile genetic elements, antibiotic resistance genes, and heavy metal tolerance genes.
- Exposure of isolates to sub-lethal concentrations (sub-LCs) of ampicillin, kanamycin, and streptomycin.
- Transcriptomic analysis to identify differentially expressed genes and metabolic pathways.
Main Results:
- V. parahaemolyticus isolates showed resistance to ampicillin, kanamycin, and streptomycin at sub-LCs.
- Genomic analysis revealed the presence of mobile genetic elements, antibiotic resistance genes (7-9), and heavy metal tolerance genes (2-4).
- Transcriptomic analysis identified significantly altered metabolic pathways in response to sub-lethal antibiotic concentrations, indicating multiple tolerance strategies.
Conclusions:
- V. parahaemolyticus employs diverse molecular strategies to tolerate antibiotics, including metabolic pathway alterations.
- The study enhances the V. parahaemolyticus genome database with new genomic and transcriptomic information.
- Findings provide valuable insights for developing strategies to control MDR V. parahaemolyticus in aquaculture and public health.
