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Updated: Jun 3, 2025
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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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Metatranscriptomic Analysis Reveals Actively Expressed Antimicrobial-Resistant Genes and Their Hosts in Hospital
Yusuke Ota1, Fei Chen1, Isaac Prah1
1Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Science Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8510, Japan.
Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland)
|January 8, 2025
Summary
Hospital wastewater harbors antimicrobial resistance genes, primarily on plasmids, posing a global health threat. This study identifies key genes and bacteria in wastewater for effective antimicrobial resistance surveillance.
Area of Science:
- Environmental microbiology
- Genomics and transcriptomics
- Public health
Background:
- Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a significant global health and economic challenge.
- Hospital wastewater is a reservoir for antimicrobial-resistant organisms and resistance genes.
- Understanding AMR dynamics in hospital wastewater is crucial for effective monitoring and control.
Purpose of the Study:
- To elucidate the dynamics of antimicrobial resistance in hospital wastewater using integrated metagenomic and metatranscriptomic analyses.
- To identify actively expressed antimicrobial resistance genes and associated bacteria.
- To investigate the role of plasmids in the dissemination of antimicrobial resistance.
Main Methods:
- Integrated metagenomic and metatranscriptomic sequencing of hospital wastewater.
- Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) for drug detection.
- Bioinformatic analysis of assembled genomes and plasmids.
- Isolation and phenotypic characterization of resistant bacteria.
Main Results:
- Multidrug resistance genes were prevalent on both chromosomal and plasmid DNA, with plasmids showing higher expression (mRNA/DNA ratio).
- Specific drugs (ampicillin, sulbactam, levofloxacin, sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim) were detected, potentially driving resistance.
- Serratia nevei MAG14 exhibited high expression of AMR genes, and a related multidrug-resistant Serratia sp. was isolated.
- Plasmid-borne genes were actively expressed, indicating their significant role in AMR dissemination.
Conclusions:
- Hospital wastewater harbors actively expressed antimicrobial resistance genes, particularly on plasmids.
- Serratia nevei and related species are key players in hospital wastewater AMR.
- Integrated omics approaches provide comprehensive insights into AMR dynamics.
- Findings highlight critical targets for antimicrobial resistance surveillance in hospital wastewater to safeguard public and environmental health.
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