We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Decoding the microplastic Micro-interface: a complex Web of gene transfer and pathogenic threats in wastewater
Summary
Researchers used metagenomics to study how microplastic surfaces in wastewater treatment systems serve as hotspots for antibiotic resistance genes and pathogenic bacteria. They found that microplastic micro-interfaces supported more robust microbial networks and facilitated horizontal gene transfer of resistance and virulence genes more actively than surrounding environments. The study suggests that microplastics in wastewater may accelerate the spread of antibiotic resistance and increase pathogenicity risks.
The microplastic micro-interface (MPMI) in the municipal wastewater treatment system (MWTS) provides a new ecological niche for the microbiome (MGs) and potential pathogens (PPHs), facilitating both vertical and horizontal gene transfer (HGT) of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and virulence factor genes (VFGs). However, the distribution patterns and gene transfer events of PPHs, ARGs, and VFGs in MPMI remain unknown. This study examined three representative MPMIs (PET-MPMI, PE-MPMI, and PP-MPMI) colonized in the transverse gradient of MWTS using metagenomics. MGs, PPHs, ARGs, VFGs, and MGEs varied significantly across transverse gradients and horizontal interfaces. In MPMI, MGs/PPHs exhibited better connectivity and robustness (closeness centrality 19.51/21.45 and betweenness centricity 19.66/14.07), ARG hosts (mostly Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica) demonstrated greater contig diversity and richness (6.44-7.36%), and adhesive VFGs provided superior competitive advantages. Additionally, MPMI shows a more complex and persistent coexistence pattern of MGs, ARGs, and VFGs (54.30-57.25%), increasing pathogenicity risk. MPMI accelerates the HGT of ARGs mediated by MGEs at the horizontal interface and transverse gradients through PPHs, with MGs, PPHs, MGEs, and VFGs directly influencing the alterations in ARGs within MPMI. This study developed a conceptual framework to understand MPMI gene co-occurrence and transfer across transverse gradients and interfaces, as well as the health risks of MPMI from ARG and VFG metastasis mediated by PPHs.
Sign in to start a discussion.
More Papers Like This
From Interface to Cell: The Complex Interaction and Transfer Process Coupling Mechanism between Microplastics and Antibiotic Resistance Genes
Researchers examined how microplastic surfaces act as vectors for spreading antibiotic resistance genes in wastewater treatment systems. The study found that aged microplastics of PET, PE, and PP promoted bacterial adhesion, enhanced horizontal gene transfer, and triggered overproduction of reactive oxygen species, ultimately amplifying the spread of antimicrobial resistance through multiple molecular mechanisms.
Microplastics exhibit accumulation and horizontal transfer of antibiotic resistance genes
Researchers investigated whether microplastics in wastewater treatment plants can accumulate and spread antibiotic resistance genes. They found that bacteria growing on microplastic surfaces in treatment tanks harbored antibiotic resistance genes and transferred them at higher rates than bacteria in the surrounding water. This suggests microplastics in wastewater systems may serve as hotspots for spreading antibiotic resistance, posing potential risks to both ecosystems and human health.
Unraveling the role of microplastics in antibiotic resistance: Insights from long-read metagenomics on ARG mobility and host dynamics
Researchers used long-read metagenomics to investigate how microplastics serve as vectors for antibiotic resistance genes in aquatic environments. They found that plasmid-encoded resistance genes varied significantly between microplastic biofilms and surrounding water, highlighting horizontal gene transfer as a key mechanism for resistance gene enrichment on plastic surfaces. The study identified specific bacterial taxa driving this enrichment and revealed that enhanced cell adhesion and transporter activity on microplastics facilitate the spread of antibiotic resistance.
Comprehensive profiling and risk assessment of antibiotic resistomes in surface water and plastisphere by integrated shotgun metagenomics
Researchers used shotgun metagenomics to compare antibiotic resistance genes in surface water versus the biofilms that form on microplastic surfaces, known as the plastisphere. They found that microplastics harbored distinct microbial communities with different antibiotic resistance profiles compared to surrounding water. The study raises concerns that microplastics may serve as vehicles for spreading antibiotic resistance in aquatic environments.
Microplastics as hubs enriching antibiotic-resistant bacteria and pathogens in municipal activated sludge
Researchers demonstrated that microplastics in municipal wastewater treatment plants act as "hubs," selectively concentrating antibiotic-resistant bacteria and pathogens in their surface biofilms, with antibiotic-resistance genes enriched up to 4.5-fold compared to sand particles — raising concerns about microplastics spreading drug-resistant microbes into the environment.