Prevalence of multi-resistant plasmids in hospital inhalable particulate matter (PM) and its impact on horizontal gene transfer. (1st February 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Zhou, Zhen-Chao; Shuai, Xin-Yi; Lin, Ze-Jun; Liu, Yang; Zhu, Lin; Chen, Hong
• Is Part Of: Environmental pollution. Volume 270(2021)
• Publication Date: 2021-02-01
• Subjects: Inhalable particulate matters -- Antibiotic resistance genes -- Plasmids -- Horizontal gene transfer; Pollution -- Periodicals; Pollution -- Environmental aspects -- Periodicals; Environmental Pollution -- Periodicals; Pollution -- Périodiques; Pollution -- Aspect de l'environnement -- Périodiques; Pollution -- Effets physiologiques -- Périodiques; Pollution; Pollution -- Environmental aspects; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 363.73
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2020.116296
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0269-7491

Abstract

Abstract: Antibiotic resistance is exacerbated by the exchange of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) between microbes from diverse habitats. Plasmids are important ARGs mobile elements and are spread by horizontal gene transfer (HGT). In this study, we demonstrated the presence of multi-resistant plasmids from inhalable particulate matter (PM) and its effect on gene horizontal transfer. Three transferable multi-resistant plasmids were identified from PM in a hospital, using conjugative mating assays and nanopore sequencing. pTAir-3 contained 26 horizontal transfer elements and 10 ARGs. Importantly pTAir-5 harbored carbapenem resistance gene ( blaOXA ) which shows homology to plasmids from human and pig commensal bacteria, thus indicating that PM is a media for antibiotic resistant plasmid spread. In addition, 125 μg/mL PM2.5 and PM10 significantly increased the conjugative transfer rate by 110% and 30%, respectively, and augmented reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels. Underlying mechanisms were revealed by identifying the upregulated expressional levels of genes related to ROS, SOS, cell membranes, pilus generation, and transposition via genome-wide RNA sequencing. The study highlights the airborne spread of multi-resistant plasmids and the impact of inhalable PM on the horizontal transfer of antibiotic resistance. Graphical abstract: Image 1 Highlights: Inhalable particulate matter is a medium for multi-resistant plasmids spreading. PM2.5 and PM10 increased the conjugative transfer rate by 110% and 30%. Mechanisms of PM on conjugative transfer were ROS, SOS and cell membrane changes. Abstract : The findings provide new knowledge for studying the spread of resistant plasmids in the air and a new perspective for controlling ARGs spread in aerial environments.