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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Surface charge governs polystyrene nanoplastics' influence on conjugative transfer of antibiotic resistance genes
ClearCharged nanoplastics differentially affect the conjugative transfer of antibiotic resistance genes
Researchers found that nanoplastics influence the transfer of antibiotic resistance genes between bacteria, with surface charge and concentration driving opposing effects — reactive oxygen species promoted transfer while nanoplastic agglomeration inhibited it.
Size-dependent enhancement on conjugative transfer of antibiotic resistance genes by micro/nanoplastics
Polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics were found to enhance the conjugative transfer of antibiotic resistance genes between bacteria, with smaller nano-sized particles producing stronger effects than larger microplastics. The findings raise concern that plastic pollution may be actively accelerating the spread of antibiotic resistance in aquatic environments.
Surface-modified nanoplastics facilitate the dissemination and persistence of antibiotic resistance genes
Researchers investigated how differently surface-modified nanoplastics (amine-, carboxyl-, and unmodified polystyrene) affect antibiotic resistance gene (ARG) transformation in bacterial cells. Surface-modified nanoplastics, particularly amine-functionalized particles, significantly enhanced ARG transformation efficiency, suggesting that nanoplastic surface chemistry is a key driver of antibiotic resistance spread.
Roles of micro/nanoplastics in the spread of antimicrobial resistance through conjugative gene transfer
Researchers examined how polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics of varying sizes and concentrations affect the transfer of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes between gram-negative (E. coli) and gram-positive (Enterococcus faecalis) bacteria via conjugative gene transfer. The study found that micro- and nanoplastics enhanced AMR gene transfer rates in a size- and concentration-dependent manner, implicating plastic pollution as a vector for AMR dissemination.
Nanoplastics promote the dissemination of antibiotic resistance through conjugative gene transfer: implications from oxidative stress and gene expression
Sulfate-modified polystyrene nanoplastics were found to facilitate the conjugative transfer of antibiotic resistance genes between E. coli strains more effectively than larger particles, operating through SOS response induction, increased membrane permeability, and altered gene expression. The findings highlight nanoplastics as potential accelerators of antibiotic resistance spread in the environment.
The effects of small plastic particles on antibiotic resistance gene transfer revealed by single cell and community level analysis
Polystyrene particles of different sizes (0.2–20 µm) promoted conjugative transfer of antibiotic resistance genes between bacteria, with transfer frequencies up to 14× the blank control in sludge communities, and a non-linear size dependence with particles near bacterial cell size (2 µm) having minimal effect.
Insights into the interaction mechanism of ofloxacin and functionalized nano-polystyrene.
This study investigated how the antibiotic ofloxacin interacts with functionalized polystyrene nanoplastics, finding that surface charge and functional groups on the nanoplastics strongly influenced binding strength and mechanisms. The results improve understanding of how nanoplastics can act as carriers for antibiotics in the environment, potentially altering their fate and biological effects.
Nano- and Microplastics Aided by Extracellular Polymeric Substances Facilitate the Conjugative Transfer of Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Bacteria
Researchers found that nanoplastics and small microplastics significantly enhance the transfer of antibiotic resistance genes between bacteria by damaging cell membranes and stimulating extracellular polymeric substance production, raising concerns about plastic pollution driving antimicrobial resistance.
Size- and surface charge-dependent hormetic effects of microplastics on bacterial resistance and their interactive effects with quinolone antibiotic
This study found that polystyrene microplastics — even at low concentrations — can boost bacterial mutation rates and the frequency of antibiotic-resistance gene transfer between bacteria, with the strongest effects from positively charged, 0.1-micron particles. When microplastics and the antibiotic norfloxacin were present together, the combined risk of resistance development was greater than either alone. This raises concern that microplastic-contaminated environments may be accelerating the spread of antibiotic resistance, a major threat to human and animal health.
Unraveling the effect of micro/nanoplastics on the occurrence and horizontal transfer of environmental antibiotic resistance genes: Advances, mechanisms and future prospects
This review examines how micro- and nanoplastics promote the spread of antibiotic resistance genes in the environment. The tiny plastic particles create conditions that help bacteria exchange resistance genes more easily by generating oxidative stress, making cell membranes more permeable, and providing surfaces where resistant bacteria can form communities. This is a growing public health concern because antibiotic-resistant infections are increasingly difficult to treat.
Solid-liquid interface adsorption of antibiotic resistance plasmids induced by nanoplastics aggravates gene pollution in aquatic ecosystems
Researchers conducted adsorption experiments examining how polystyrene nanoplastics interact with antibiotic resistance plasmids in river and lake sediments, finding that nanoplastics enhanced physisorption of resistance genes through electrostatic force and intraparticle diffusion, with adsorption influenced by particle size, pH, dissolved organic carbon, and ionic strength.
A neglected risk of nanoplastics as revealed by the promoted transformation of plasmid‐borne ampicillin resistance gene by Escherichia coli
Researchers discovered that polystyrene nanoplastics can significantly promote the horizontal transfer of antibiotic resistance genes in bacteria, increasing transformation efficiency by 2.8 to 5.4 fold. The study found that nanoplastics induced oxidative stress, activated bacterial SOS responses, and increased cell membrane permeability, facilitating the uptake of resistance-carrying DNA, while larger microplastics had no such effect.
Microplastics promote conjugative transfer of antibiotic resistance genes via membrane protein interactions: Highlighting oxidative stress and energy supply
Researchers investigated how polyethylene, polystyrene, and polypropylene microplastics affect the transfer of antibiotic resistance genes between bacteria. Polyethylene at 5 mg/L showed the strongest effect, increasing conjugative gene transfer nearly 9-fold compared to controls, driven by enhanced cell contact, increased energy supply, and membrane interactions that lower barriers to plasmid transfer.
Synergistic effects of micro/nanoplastics and Cu(II) on horizontal transfer of antibiotic resistance genes: New insight targeting on cell surface properties
Researchers studied how micro- and nanoplastics combined with copper ions affect the horizontal transfer of antibiotic resistance genes between bacteria. They found that nanoplastics amplified copper's effect on gene transfer, increasing conjugative transfer frequency by 4.4-fold, while microplastics actually mitigated the effect by reducing copper's bioavailability. The study reveals that particle size plays a critical role in determining whether plastics promote or inhibit the spread of antibiotic resistance.
Impact of aging of primary and secondary polystyrene nanoplastics on the transmission of antibiotic resistance genes in anaerobic digestion
Researchers studied how aged and non-aged nanoplastics from both manufactured and environmentally degraded polystyrene affect the spread of antibiotic resistance genes during sewage sludge treatment. They found that higher concentrations of nanoplastics inhibited the treatment process and increased the abundance of antibiotic resistance genes, with environmentally degraded particles having a stronger effect due to their altered surface properties. The study raises concerns that nanoplastic pollution in sewage systems may be contributing to the spread of antibiotic resistance.
The combination of polystyrene microplastics and di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate promotes the conjugative transfer of antibiotic resistance genes between bacteria
Combined exposure to polystyrene microplastics and the plasticizer DEHP increased conjugative transfer of antibiotic resistance genes between bacteria by increasing cell membrane permeability and upregulating related gene expression, suggesting that combined plastic pollution could accelerate the spread of antibiotic resistance in the environment.
Multi‐omics insights into surface charge effects to decode the interplay of nanoplastics and bacterial antibiotic resistance
Researchers discovered that nanoplastics with a positive surface charge help bacteria become more resistant to antibiotics by turning on stress-defense genes and promoting the spread of resistance genes between bacteria. In contrast, negatively charged nanoplastics had the opposite effect, disrupting bacterial communities in ways that could reduce resistance. This finding is important for human health because it suggests that the type of nanoplastic pollution in the environment could influence how quickly antibiotic-resistant superbugs develop and spread.
Plasmid engineering reveals size-dependent effects of plastic particles on horizontal gene transfer via transformation in Escherichia coli: Critical roles of plasmid size and plastic particle-bacteria spatial configuration
Researchers used plasmid engineering to show that polystyrene particle size has significant size-dependent effects on horizontal gene transfer rates in Escherichia coli, with nanoplastics (20-80 nm) and microplastics (2000-20000 nm) differentially influencing the dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes via transformation.
Interfacial Interactions between Escherichia coli and Polystyrene Nanoplastics: a Physicochemical Perspective
When nanoplastic particles encounter bacteria in the environment, the nature of that interaction affects how plastics move through ecosystems and whether they carry pathogens. This study examined how polystyrene nanoparticles (both plain and amine-modified) interact with E. coli at a physicochemical level, finding that attachment depended strongly on particle surface charge, pH, and concentration. The amine-modified particles bound more readily to bacterial surfaces and altered bacterial membranes, suggesting that surface chemistry—which changes as plastics weather in the environment—substantially influences the ecological behavior of nanoplastics and their potential to ferry microorganisms to new locations.
Photoaged nanoplastics with multienzyme-like activities significantly shape the horizontal transfer of antibiotic resistance genes
Researchers found that UV-aged polystyrene nanoplastics develop enzyme-like activity that generates reactive oxygen species, enabling them to suppress horizontal gene transfer of antibiotic resistance genes at higher concentrations by degrading plasmid DNA and damaging bacterial membranes — a paradoxical finding where pollution aging may inhibit antibiotic resistance spread under some conditions.
Charge-specific impacts of polystyrene nanoplastics on acidogenesis and biofilm adaptation in Ethanoligenens harbinense
Positively and negatively charged polystyrene nanoplastics had different effects on acidobacteria (a major group of soil bacteria), with charge-specific impacts on community composition and activity. The findings indicate that the surface chemistry of nanoplastics, not just their size, determines ecological impact.
Micro- and nanoplastics facilitate the propagation of antimicrobial resistance in mixed microbial consortia
Researchers examined how micro- and nanoplastics affect the spread of antimicrobial resistance in mixed microbial communities. The study found that nanoplastics were particularly potent at amplifying resistance gene mobility and horizontal gene transfer by elevating reactive oxygen species, damaging cell membranes, and activating stress responses that upregulate conjugation and DNA exchange mechanisms.
How microplastics and nanoplastics shape antibiotic resistance?
This review examines how micro- and nanoplastics act as vectors for antibiotic resistance genes, facilitating their spread through environmental and biological systems by creating selective pressure and hosting microbial communities that exchange resistance determinants.
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.