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Updated: Sep 11, 2025

Quantification of Plasmid-Mediated Antibiotic Resistance in an Experimental Evolution Approach
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Quantification of Plasmid-Mediated Antibiotic Resistance in an Experimental Evolution Approach

Published on: December 14, 2019

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Reshaping the antibiotic resistance genes in plastisphere upon deposition in sediment-water interface: Dynamic

Yufang Chen1, Shiqi Liu1, Tian Ouyang1

  • 1State Key Laboratory of Water Cycle and Water Security, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China; College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China.

Journal of Hazardous Materials
|August 14, 2025
PubMed

Insights

Microplastics (MPs) create unique habitats for microbes, influencing antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). The sediment-water interface (SWI) significantly alters ARG abundance and transfer in MP-associated microbial communities.

Area of Science:

  • Environmental Microbiology
  • Environmental Chemistry
  • Ecotoxicology

Background:

  • Microplastics (MPs) create unique microbial habitats, known as the plastisphere, which can enrich antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs).
  • The behavior and evolution of ARGs within the plastisphere during MP transport, especially at the sediment-water interface (SWI), are not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the dynamic changes and underlying mechanisms of ARGs in plastisphere communities as MPs move across the SWI.
  • To compare the ARG dynamics in biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA) and non-biodegradable polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastispheres.

Main Methods:

  • Comparative analysis of ARG abundance and diversity in PLA and PET plastispheres in deep water and at the SWI.
  • Assessment of microbial community structure, interactions, and horizontal gene transfer potential.
  • Investigation of functional responses, including oxidative stress and metabolic pathways.

Main Results:

  • In deep water, PLA plastispheres showed higher ARG abundance than PET.
  • At the SWI, PET plastispheres exhibited a significant increase in ARGs (45.71-65.10%), while PLA plastispheres showed a decrease (52.15-53.25%).
  • Plastispheres at the SWI had higher species richness, diversity, and more complex microbial interactions, with distinct impacts on horizontal gene transfer for PET and PLA.

Conclusions:

  • The SWI plays a critical role in regulating ARG propagation within traveling plastispheres.
  • Mechanisms such as oxidative stress response, cell membrane permeability, and energy metabolism are involved in controlling ARG proliferation.
  • MP type (biodegradable vs. non-biodegradable) significantly influences ARG dynamics during sedimentation.
Keywords:
ARGs propagationDepositionFunction geneMicroplastic biofilmSediment-water interface

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