Metagenomics reveals that temperature predicts a small proportion of antibiotic resistomes and mobile genetic elements in polluted water. (15th January 2023)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Yang, Jiawei; Yu, Qiaoling; Su, Wanghong; Wang, Sijie; Wang, Xiaochen; Han, Qian; Li, Huan
• Is Part Of: Environmental pollution. Volume 317(2023)
• Publication Date: 2023-01-15
• Subjects: Metagenomics -- Resistome -- Temperature -- Carcass decomposition -- ARGs; 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.2022.120793
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0269-7491

Abstract

Abstract: Climate warming multiplies the threat of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) to public health, but whether temperature may predict antibiotic resistomes in water environment remain unknown. Here, by metagenomic sequencing, we investigated the changes of resistome at five different temperature gradients (23, 26, 29, 32, and 35 °C) in polluted water by animal cadaver. Thirty ARG types including 668 subtypes were observed in our samples. Temperature significantly influenced ARG profiles and showed a negative correlation with ARG diversity. The ARG assembly process was dominated by a deterministic process (63.32%–95.08%) but showed a peak pattern with temperature. Notably, temperature may predict approximately 21% of ARGs and 36% of mobile genetic elements (MGEs), while most other ARGs or MGEs were insensitive to temperature. Three types (carbapenem, dicyclomycin, and diaminopyrimidine antibiotic) and 63 subtypes of ARGs that positively correlated with temperature were identified in the polluted water. Notably, we screened 21 subtypes of high-risk ARGs ( bacA, mdtA, tetM, etc.) and 22 opportunistic pathogens ( Aeromonas, Clostridium, Bacteroides, etc.) and found their positive co-occurrence with temperature, implying these potential biological or genetic pollutants may probably go up under global warming. Our study reveals the predictability of temperature on antibiotic resistance genes, providing a suitable approach to track the fate and spread of ARGs in water environment under climate warming. Graphical abstract: Image 1 Highlights: Temperature may predict approximately 21% of ARGs and 36% of MGEs. Temperature had a negative correlation with ARG diversity. The ARG assembly process was dominated by deterministic processes. High-risk ARGs related to cadaver decay pose potential risks to public health. Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria were the main hosts of ARGs after carcass decay.