摘要
      本研究使用韩国破冰船R/V Araon（总巡航距离：14942公里）调查了从西太平洋（36°N）到南大洋（74°S）的横断面上抗生素抗性基因（ARGs）的丰度和多样性以及细菌群落的组成。ARGs和细菌的相对丰度分别通过定量PCR和下一代测序进行评估。西太平洋ARGs的绝对丰度为3.0×106±1.6×106拷贝/mL，塔斯曼海（37°S）的一个站记录的最高值为7.8×106拷贝/mL。南大洋的ARGs绝对丰度比西太平洋低1.8倍，向南极洲的Terra Nova湾略微增加（0.7倍），这可能是由于自然陆地来源或人类活动造成的。β-内酰胺和四环素抗性基因在所有样本中占主导地位（88–99%），表明它们可能是海洋中的关键ARG。相关性和网络分析表明，拟杆菌门、蓝细菌门、Margulisbacteria和变形菌门与ARG呈正相关，表明这些细菌最有可能是ARG携带者。这项研究强调了ARG在公海系统中的纬度分布，并提供了有助于在全球范围内监测新出现的污染物的见解。
Abstract
This study investigated the abundance and diversity of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and the composition of bacterial communities along a transect covering the western Pacific Ocean (36°N) to the Southern Ocean (74°S) using the Korean icebreaker R/V Araon (total cruise distance: 14,942 km). The relative abundances of ARGs and bacteria were assessed with quantitative PCR and next generation sequencing, respectively. The absolute abundance of ARGs was 3.0 × 106 ± 1.6 × 106 copies/mL in the western Pacific Ocean, with the highest value (7.8 × 106 copies/mL) recorded at a station in the Tasman Sea (37°S). The absolute abundance of ARGs in the Southern Ocean was 1.8-fold lower than that in the western Pacific Ocean, and slightly increased (0.7–fold) toward Terra Nova Bay in Antarctica, possibly resulting from natural terrestrial sources or human activity. β-Lactam and tetracycline resistance genes were dominant in all samples (88–99%), indicating that they are likely the key ARGs in the ocean. Correlation and network analysis showed that Bdellovibrionota, Bacteroidetes, Cyanobacteria, Margulisbacteria, and Proteobacteria were positively correlated with ARGs, suggesting that these bacteria are the most likely ARG carriers. This study highlights the latitudinal profile of ARG distribution in the open ocean system and provides insights that will help in monitoring emerging pollutants on a global scale.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969722004521