摘要

       细菌致病性和抗生素耐药性是环境安全和公共卫生关注的问题。越来越多的证据表明，污水处理厂 (WWTP) 是病原体和抗生素抗性基因 (ARG) 的重要汇和来源。毒力基因（编码毒力因子）是细菌致病潜力的良好指标。为了全面了解污水处理厂的细菌致病潜力和抗生素耐药性，使用 GeoChip 4.2 对覆盖中国大部分纬度地区的 19 个污水处理厂的细菌毒力基因和 ARGs 进行了调查。共检测到1610个基因，涵盖13个毒力因子，1903个基因分别属于11个ARG家族。细菌毒力基因在中国各地表现出显着的纬度生物多样性梯度和距离衰减关系的空间分布格局。此外，毒力基因倾向于与 ARG 共存，如它们的强正相关所示。此外，确定了塑造整体毒力基因结构的关键环境因素。本研究概述了中国现有污水处理厂毒力基因和ARGs的发生、组成和分布，揭示了塑造其结构的空间格局和重要环境变量，为进一步研究污水处理厂细菌毒力因子和抗生素耐药性提供了基础。

       Bacterial pathogenicity and antibiotic resistance are of concern for environmental safety and public health. Accumulating evidence suggests that wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are as an important sink and source of pathogens and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). Virulence genes (encoding virulence factors) are good indicators for bacterial pathogenic potentials. To achieve a comprehensive understanding of bacterial pathogenic potentials and antibiotic resistance in WWTPs, bacterial virulence genes and ARGs in 19 WWTPs covering a majority of latitudinal zones of China were surveyed by using GeoChip 4.2. A total of 1610 genes covering 13 virulence factors and 1903 genes belonging to 11 ARG families were detected respectively. The bacterial virulence genes exhibited significant spatial distribution patterns of a latitudinal biodiversity gradient and a distance-decay relationship across China. Moreover, virulence genes tended to coexist with ARGs as shown by their strongly positive associations. In addition, key environmental factors shaping the overall virulence gene structure were identified. This study profiles the occurrence, composition and distribution of virulence genes and ARGs in current WWTPs in China, and uncovers spatial patterns and important environmental variables shaping their structure, which may provide the basis for further studies of bacterial virulence factors and antibiotic resistance in WWTPs.

https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0167422