Antibiotic resistance genes link to nitrogen removal potential via co-hosting preference for denitrification genes in...

Estuaries are important sinks for antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and hotspots of nitrogen cycling. However, the interactions between nitrogen cycling functional genes (NCGs) and ARGs in estuaries remain poorly understood. This study employed metagenomic sequencing to explore potential interactions between nitrogen, ARGs, and microbial-mediated nitrogen cycling processes in estuarine waters. Results showed beta-lactam was the predominant subtype of ARGs (407 species), and sul1 exhibited the highest relative abundance (4.11 %). Nitrogen was the important factor driving spatiotemporal variation of ARGs, promoting their proliferation and dispersal by enhancing microbial growth and reproduction. Network analysis revealed wide and complex correlations between ARGs and NCGs. Nitrate-reducing bacteria were the main hosts of ARGs, and the greatest number of potential hosts were those involved in assimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (17.44 %), dissimilatory nitrate reduction to nitrite (16.59 %), and denitrification (15.71 %). Compared with dissimilatory nitrite reduction to ammonium genes, ARGs prefer to form co-hosting relationships with denitrification genes, indicating that ARGs had a stronger effect on the nitrogen removal potential than on the nitrogen retention potential. This study highlights the complex interactions between ARGs and nitrogen cycling processes in subtropical estuaries, and will provide a scientific base for couple management strategies of nitrogen and antibiotic pollution.