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Detection of Horizontal Gene Transfer Mediated by Natural Conjugative Plasmids in E. coli
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Detection of Horizontal Gene Transfer Mediated by Natural Conjugative Plasmids in E. coli

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Microelectrolysis facilitated the plasmid-mediated horizontal transfer of antibiotic resistance genes at the

Sizhou Liang1, Weiguo Zhang2, Philip Semaha3

  • 1School of the Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China; China Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory at Yangtze River Plain for Agricultural Environment, Institute of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing 210014, China.

Journal of Environmental Sciences (China)
|July 2, 2025
PubMed

Insights

Microelectrolysis, used to reduce antibiotics in wastewater, surprisingly accelerates the spread of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) via bacterial conjugation. This increases health risks by enabling microbes to acquire resistance.

Area of Science:

  • Environmental microbiology
  • Wastewater treatment technologies
  • Antimicrobial resistance

Background:

  • Plasmid-mediated antibiotic resistance is a growing global health concern.
  • Conjugation is a key mechanism for the spread of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs).
  • Microelectrolysis is explored for wastewater antibiotic reduction but its effect on ARG transfer is unknown.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the impact of microelectrolysis on the conjugative transfer of ARGs.
  • To understand the mechanisms driving any observed changes in ARG transfer.
  • To assess the implications for microbial communities and public health.

Main Methods:

  • Microelectrolysis treatment of bacterial cultures and wastewater samples.
  • Quantification of plasmid transfer frequency.
  • Analysis of microbial community composition and structure.
  • Measurement of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and membrane integrity.
  • Gene expression analysis related to conjugation.

Main Results:

  • Microelectrolysis significantly accelerates the conjugative transfer of ARG-harboring plasmids.
  • This acceleration was observed at both laboratory and microbial community scales.
  • Electrolytic stimulation increased mating-competent cells, ROS generation, and membrane damage.
  • Key conjugation-related genes showed upregulated expression under microelectrolysis.
  • Intestinal microorganisms demonstrated increased susceptibility to acquiring antibiotic resistance.

Conclusions:

  • Microelectrolysis enhances ARG dissemination through bacterial conjugation.
  • This process poses risks to animal and human health due to increased antibiotic resistance acquisition.
  • Wastewater treatment strategies using microelectrolysis require careful consideration of ARG transfer dynamics.
Keywords:
Antibiotic resistanceHorizontal gene transferMicroelectrolysisPlasmidWastewater

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