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Stress-induced enrichment of Pseudomonas sp. stimulates the adaptive response of Auxenochlorella pyrenoidosa and antibiotic-resistant proliferation
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Co-culturing the microalga Auxenochlorella pyrenoidosa with bacteria under polylactic acid microplastic and antibiotic stress revealed that PLA microplastics promoted algal growth while selectively enriching antibiotic-resistant Pseudomonas bacteria, with horizontal gene transfer playing a lesser role than niche-based selective pressure in spreading antibiotic resistance genes. This demonstrates that microplastics can act as selective pressure hotspots for antibiotic resistance proliferation in aquatic microbial communities, with implications for environmental health beyond the plastics themselves.
Abstract Background The phycosphere is an important ecological niche for bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). However, whether and how the interaction between microalgae and bacteria changed, and its further effect on the transmission of ARGs under pollutant stress remains enigmatic. Here, Auxenochlorella pyrenoidosa was co-cultured with bacteria screened from lake water to explore the algal–bacteria interaction and ARGs’ transmission in the presence of florfenicol (FF) and polylactic acid microplastics (PLA MPs). Results Our study demonstrated that the growth and metabolism of A. pyrenoidosa were promoted under FF treatment or co-treatment with PLA MPs, validated by phenotypic, transcriptome, and metabolome analyses. In contrast, the abundance of phycospheric bacteria was decreased as a result of niche competition. Nonetheless, the transmission of ARGs in the phycosphere was promoted due to the enrichment of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, especially Pseudomonas, rather than horizontal gene transfer. The algal-bacteria co-culture experiment further suggested that vitamin B6 secreted by Pseudomonas sp. likely contributes to underpinning A. pyrenoidosa’ survival under FF and PLA MPs stress. Conclusions These findings underscore the dynamic interplay and co-evolution between algae and bacteria under pollutant exposure, and reveal a potential mechanism of vitamin B6-mediated mutualism. This study provides new insights into the assembly of phycospheric bacterial communities and the adaptive strategies of microalgae in contaminated aquatic environments. Video Abstract
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Stress-induced enrichment of Pseudomonas sp. stimulates the adaptive response of Auxenochlorella pyrenoidosa and antibiotic-resistant proliferation
AI summary Read the abstract
Polylactic acid microplastics combined with the antibiotic florfenicol were shown to promote growth of the microalga Auxenochlorella pyrenoidosa while enriching antibiotic-resistant Pseudomonas in the phycosphere, with vitamin B6 secreted by Pseudomonas mediating mutualistic support for algal survival under stress. These findings reveal a new mechanism by which biodegradable microplastics drive the co-selection and spread of antibiotic resistance in aquatic environments, compounding the ecological risks of plastic pollution.
Stress-induced enrichment of Pseudomonas sp. stimulates the adaptive response of Auxenochlorella pyrenoidosa and antibiotic-resistant proliferation.
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers co-cultured the microalga Auxenochlorella pyrenoidosa with bacteria in the presence of the antibiotic florfenicol and polylactic acid microplastics, finding that pollutant stress enriched antibiotic-resistant Pseudomonas in the algal phycosphere and that Pseudomonas-secreted vitamin B6 supported algal survival under stress.
Nanoplastics amplify ARG colonization and Alter microbial communities in the phycosphere of Chlorella pyrenoidosa under antibiotic stress
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Researchers studied how nanoplastics combined with antibiotics affect the bacterial communities surrounding the green alga Chlorella pyrenoidosa and the spread of antibiotic resistance genes. They found that while nanoplastics alone had minimal effects on algal growth, the combination with antibiotics significantly increased toxicity and amplified the abundance of antibiotic resistance genes. The findings suggest that nanoplastic pollution in waterways may worsen the spread of antibiotic resistance, which has implications for both ecosystem and human health.
Microplastic and antibiotic proliferated the colonization of specific bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes in the phycosphere of Chlorella pyrenoidosa
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Researchers found that microplastics and antibiotics in the phycosphere of Chlorella pyrenoidosa promoted colonization by specific bacteria and proliferation of antibiotic resistance genes, revealing algal microenvironments as hotspots for resistance spread.
Multiple stressors enhance Microcystis dominance and modulate phycospheric antibiotic resistome in aquatic mesocosm
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Mesocosm experiments found that combined exposure to antibiotics, microplastics, and warming temperatures enhanced the dominance of the cyanobacterium Microcystis and increased antibiotic resistance gene abundance in the phycosphere, suggesting multiple stressors compound harmful algal bloom risks.
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