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Multiomics analysis of the effects of manure-borne doxycycline combined with oversized fiber microplastics on pak choi growth and the risk of antibiotic resistance gene transmission
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Researchers studied how oversized fiber microplastics combined with the antibiotic doxycycline from manure affect pak choi growth and soil health. They found that the antibiotic had a more pronounced negative impact than the microplastics, but slender-fiber microplastics amplified the harmful effects on plant growth and altered soil metabolites. The study raises concerns about antibiotic resistance gene transmission through the combined presence of microplastics and antibiotics in agricultural soils.
In this study, oversized microplastics (OMPs) were intentionally introduced into soil containing manure-borne doxycycline (DOX). This strategic approach was used to systematically examine the effects of combined OMP and DOX pollution on the growth of pak choi, analyze alterations in soil environmental metabolites, and explore the potential migration of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). The results revealed a more pronounced impact of DOX than of OMPs. Slender-fiber OMPs (SF OMPs) had a more substantial influence on the growth of pak choi than did coarse-fiber OMPs (CF OMPs). Conversely, CF OMPs had a more significant effect on the migration of ARGs within the system. When DOX was combined with OMPs, the negative effects of DOX on pak choi growth were mitigated through the synthesis of indole through the adjustment of carbon metabolism and amino acid metabolism in pak choi roots. In this process, Pseudohongiellaceae and Xanthomonadaceae were key bacteria. During the migration of ARGs, the potential host bacterium Limnobacter should be considered. Additionally, the majority of potential host bacteria in the pak choi endophytic environment were associated with tetG. This study provides insights into the intricate interplay among DOX, OMPs, ARGs, plant growth, soil metabolism, and the microbiome.
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Multi-omics reveals manure-borne doxycycline and fragmented oversized microplastics co-disrupt pak choi growth and amplify antibiotic resistance in agroecosystems
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Using a multi-omics approach, researchers found that microplastics and the antibiotic doxycycline from livestock manure work together to stunt vegetable growth and spread antibiotic resistance genes in farm soil. The combined contamination reduced pak choi biomass by about 29% and significantly increased the spread of drug-resistant bacteria. This highlights how using manure as fertilizer on plastic-contaminated farmland could threaten both food production and the effectiveness of antibiotics.
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