移动遗传元件( MGEs )是抗生素抗性基因( ARGs )跨环境传播的关键因子。在此，我们使用宏基因组学来比较在城市污水处理厂( UWWTP )上游( n = 6 )和下游( n = 6 )采集的样本之间的河流抗性(收集所有ARGs )和迁移体(例如整合酶、转座子、整合子整合酶和插入序列公共区域“ISCR”元件)。与上游基因组相比，下游基因组中ARGs的丰度以及MGEs的标记物(尤其是整合子整合酶和ISCR元件)显著增加。伴随着这些变化的是与众所周知的包括人和动物病原体的家族相关的细菌的16S rRNA基因特征的伴随流行。研究结果表明，长期排放处理后的废水严重影响河流的抵抗能力，不仅会影响ARGs的丰度和多样性，而且还会通过丰富多种MGEs中的河流移动体而影响ARGs的潜在扩散。

Mobile genetic elements (MGEs) are key agents in the spread of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) across environments. Here we used metagenomics to compare the river resistome (collection of all ARGs) and mobilome (e.g., integrases, transposases, integron integrases and insertion sequence common region “ISCR” elements) between samples collected upstream (n = 6) and downstream (n = 6) of an urban wastewater treatment plant (UWWTP). In comparison to upstream metagenomes, downstream metagenomes showed a drastic increase in the abundance of ARGs, as well as markers of MGEs, particularly integron integrases and ISCR elements. These changes were accompanied by a concomitant prevalence of 16S rRNA gene signatures of bacteria affiliated to families encompassing well-known human and animal pathogens. Our results confirm that chronic discharges of treated wastewater severely impact the river resistome affecting not only the abundance and diversity of ARGs but also their potential spread by enriching the river mobilome in a wide variety of MGEs.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0269749117339349