摘要
      污水处理厂是环境中抗生素抗性基因的主要热点之一。此前，我们证明，通过增加人为污染，抗生素耐药性在河流和湖泊的微生物群落中持续存在，独立于群落组成的变化。在这项研究中，我们重新分析了数据，以测试金属抗性基因（MRG）、质粒和整合素与抗生素抗性组持久性的关系。实验包括不同比例的河流或湖泊微生物群落和污水处理厂废水的重复共培养。收集短时间孵育（TF）之前（T0）和之后的样本，并通过鸟枪测序获得群落宏基因组数据。对数据进行处理以注释MRG、质粒和整合酶。整合酶在水生环境中随着污水的污染程度而稳定（特别是在一个地点），而MRG和质粒显示出随机轨迹。这些结果证实了整合子与人为污染之间的潜在相关性，以及intI1作为污染标志物的可靠性。只有在一个位点，MRG、质粒和ARGs是相关的，这突出了它们对ARGs在地表水中的持久性的部分贡献。
Abstract
Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are among the main hotspots of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in the environment. Previously, we demonstrated that, by increasing anthropogenic pollution, the antibiotic resistome persisted in the microbial community of rivers and lakes, independently by changes in community composition. In this study, we reanalysed the data to test for the relation of metal resistance genes (MRGs), plasmids, and integrons to the persistence of the antibiotic resistome. The experiment consisted in replicated co-cultures of riverine or lacustrine microbial communities and WWTP effluents in different proportions. Samples before (T0) and after a short period of incubation (TF) were collected and community metagenomic data were obtained by shotgun sequencing. The data were processed to annotate MRGs, plasmids, and integrases. The integrases stabilized in the aquatic environment following the degree of contamination with effluent water (in particular in one site), whereas MRGs and plasmids showed stochastic trajectories. These results confirm the potential correlation between integrons and anthropogenic pollution, and the reliability of intI1 as a pollution marker. Only in one site MRGs, plasmids, and ARGs were correlated, highlighting their partial contribution to the persistence of ARGs in surface waters.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0269749121023563