Dataset Information

Antibiotic resistance gene abundances correlate with metal and geochemical conditions in archived Scottish soils.

ABSTRACT: The vast majority of antibiotic resistant genes (ARG) acquired by human pathogens have originated from the natural environment. Therefore, understanding factors that influence intrinsic levels of ARG in the environment could be epidemiologically significant. The selection for metal resistance often promotes AR in exposed organisms; however, the relationship between metal levels in nature and the intrinsic presence of ARG has not been fully assessed. Here, we quantified, using qPCR, the abundance of eleven ARG and compared their levels with geochemical conditions in randomly selected soils from a Scottish archive. Many ARG positively correlated with soil copper levels, with approximately half being highly significant (p<0.05); whereas chromium, nickel, lead, and iron also significantly correlated with specific ARG. Results show that geochemical metal conditions innately influence the potential for AR in soil. We suggest soil geochemical data might be used to estimate baseline gene presence on local, regional and global scales within epidemiological risk studies related to AR transmission from the environment.

SUBMITTER: Knapp CW

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3212566 | biostudies-literature | 2011

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Antibiotic resistance gene abundances correlate with metal and geochemical conditions in archived Scottish soils.

Knapp Charles W CW McCluskey Seánín M SM Singh Brajesh K BK Campbell Colin D CD Hudson Gordon G Graham David W DW

PloS one 20111109 11

The vast majority of antibiotic resistant genes (ARG) acquired by human pathogens have originated from the natural environment. Therefore, understanding factors that influence intrinsic levels of ARG in the environment could be epidemiologically significant. The selection for metal resistance often promotes AR in exposed organisms; however, the relationship between metal levels in nature and the intrinsic presence of ARG has not been fully assessed. Here, we quantified, using qPCR, the abundance ...[more]

PMID: 22096547

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Project description:Anaerobic digestion is used for the treatment of animal manure by generating biogas. Heavy metals cause environmental pollutions and co-select for antimicrobial resistance. We evaluated the impact of mesophilic anaerobic digestion of cattle manure (CM), swine manure (SM) and poultry litter (PL) on the concentrations of seven tetracycline [tet(A), tet(B), tet(G), tet(M), tet(O), tet(Q), and tet(W)], macrolide [erm(B)], methicillin (mecA and mecC), copper (copB, pcoA, pcoD, and tcrB) and zinc (czrC) resistance genes, and three bacterial species (E. coli, Enterococcus spp. and Staphylococcus aureus). The total bacterial population and total abundance of the seven tet genes significantly increased in the three manure types after digestion. Concentration of tet(M) was strongly correlated with that of erm(B) and enterococci. As concentration of tetracyclines declined during anaerobic digestion, that of four tet genes (A, B, Q, and W) and 16S rRNA increased, that of tet(M) decreased, and that of tet(G) and tet(O) did not change. Concentrations of copB and pcoA did not change; while that of pcoD did not change in the PL, it increased in the SM and CM. While the concentration of enterococci remained unchanged in CM, it significantly increased in the PL and SM. Concentrations of tcrB significantly increased in the three manure types. While concentrations of S. aureus significantly increased in the CM and PL, that of SM was not affected. Concentrations of mecC significantly increased in all manure types after digestion; while mecA concentrations did not change in the SM, they significantly increased in CM and PL. While concentration of czrC remained low in the CM, it increased in the PL but declined in the SM. In conclusion, while mesophilic anaerobic digestion of animal manure decreased concentration of tetracyclines, it increased the concentrations of total bacteria, tet genes, E. coli, enterococci and S. aureus and methicillin resistance genes. It did not have any effect on concentrations of heavy metals; concentrations of heavy metal resistance genes either increased or remained unaffected depending on the animal species. This study showed the need for post-digestion treatments of animal manure to remove bacteria, antibiotic resistance genes, heavy metals and their resistance genes.

Dataset Information

Antibiotic resistance gene abundances correlate with metal and geochemical conditions in archived Scottish soils.

Publications

Antibiotic resistance gene abundances correlate with metal and geochemical conditions in archived Scottish soils.

Similar Datasets

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