ABSTRACT: Metagenomic insights on microbial contaminants and horizontal gene transfer of antibiotic resistance genes in aerobic and anaerobic membrane bioreactor
Project description: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.
Project description:In this study we focus on two Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains with varying production of heterologous α-amylase and we compare the metabolic fluxes and transcriptional regulation at aerobic and anaerobic conditions, in particular with the objective to identify the final electron acceptor for protein folding. We found that anaerobic conditions showed high amount of amylase productions when comparing to aerobic conditions and the genome-scale transcriptional analysis suggested that genes related to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), lipid synthesis and stress responses were generally up-regulated at anaerobic conditions. Moreover, we proposed a model for the electron transfer from ER to the final electron acceptor, fumarate under anaerobic conditions.
Project description:Plasmid fitness is directed by two orthogonal processes—vertical transfer through cell division and horizontal transfer through conjugation. When considered individually, improvements in either mode of transfer can promote how well a plasmid spreads and persists. Together, however, the metabolic cost of conjugation could create a tradeoff that constrains plasmid evolution. Here we present evidence for the presence, consequences, and molecular basis of a conjugation-growth tradeoff across 40 plasmids derived from clinical E. coli pathogens. We discover that most plasmids operate below a conjugation efficiency threshold for major growth effects, indicating strong natural selection for vertical transfer. Below this threshold, E. coli demonstrates a remarkable growth tolerance to over four orders of magnitude change in conjugation efficiency. This tolerance fades as nutrients become scarce and horizontal transfer attracts a greater share of host resources. Our results provide insight into evolutionary constraints directing plasmid fitness and strategies to combat the spread of antibiotic resistance.
Project description:In this study we focus on two Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains with varying production of heterologous M-NM-1-amylase and we compare the metabolic fluxes and transcriptional regulation at aerobic and anaerobic conditions, in particular with the objective to identify the final electron acceptor for protein folding. We found that anaerobic conditions showed high amount of amylase productions when comparing to aerobic conditions and the genome-scale transcriptional analysis suggested that genes related to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), lipid synthesis and stress responses were generally up-regulated at anaerobic conditions. Moreover, we proposed a model for the electron transfer from ER to the final electron acceptor, fumarate under anaerobic conditions. Three Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains with varied amylase productions were selected at early glucose phase in batch fermentations for RNA extraction and hybridization on Affymetrix microarrays. Biological triplicates were applied, and strains with empty plasmid (no amylase productions) were used as control strain.
Project description:Transcriptional expression of MG1655 and UTI89 harvested from various time points during aerobic or anaerobic growth in Luria-Bertani medium Keywords: time course analyses (aerobic and anaerobic)