Recent advances in exploring the heavy metal(loid) resistant microbiome

Xiuli Hao; Jiaojiao Zhu; Christopher Rensing; Ying Liu; Shenghan Gao; Wenli Chen; Qiaoyun Huang; Yu-Rong Liu

doi:10.1016/j.csbj.2020.12.006

Recent advances in exploring the heavy metal(loid) resistant microbiome

Comput Struct Biotechnol J. 2020 Dec 14:19:94-109. doi: 10.1016/j.csbj.2020.12.006. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Xiuli Hao^{1

2

3}, Jiaojiao Zhu^{1

2}, Christopher Rensing⁴, Ying Liu^{1

2}, Shenghan Gao^{1

2}, Wenli Chen¹, Qiaoyun Huang^{1

2

3}, Yu-Rong Liu^{1

2

3}

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China.
² College of Resources and Environment, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China.
³ Hubei Key Laboratory of Soil Environment and Pollution Remediation, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China.
⁴ Institute of Environmental Microbiology, College of Resources and Environment, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, China.

Abstract

Heavy metal(loid)s exert selective pressure on microbial communities and evolution of metal resistance determinants. Despite increasing knowledge concerning the impact of metal pollution on microbial community and ecological function, it is still a challenge to identify a consistent pattern of microbial community composition along gradients of elevated metal(loid)s in natural environments. Further, our current knowledge of the microbial metal resistome at the community level has been lagging behind compared to the state-of-the-art genetic profiling of bacterial metal resistance mechanisms in a pure culture system. This review provides an overview of the core metal resistant microbiome, development of metal resistance strategies, and potential factors driving the diversity and distribution of metal resistance determinants in natural environments. The impacts of biotic factors regulating the bacterial metal resistome are highlighted. We finally discuss the advances in multiple technologies, research challenges, and future directions to better understand the interface of the environmental microbiome with the metal resistome. This review aims to highlight the diversity and wide distribution of heavy metal(loid)s and their corresponding resistance determinants, helping to better understand the resistance strategy at the community level.

Keywords: Arsenic; Biotic selection; Copper and silver; Distribution pattern; Heavy metal(loid) resistant microbiota; Mercury; Metal resistome; Zinc, lead and cadmium.

Publication types

Review