Distribution and co-occurrence patterns of antibiotic resistance genes in black soils in Northeast China

Jianmei Wang; Qianru Zhang; Haiyan Chu; Yu Shi; Qing Wang

doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.115640

Distribution and co-occurrence patterns of antibiotic resistance genes in black soils in Northeast China

J Environ Manage. 2022 Oct 1:319:115640. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.115640. Epub 2022 Jul 6.

Authors

Jianmei Wang¹, Qianru Zhang², Haiyan Chu³, Yu Shi⁴, Qing Wang⁵

Affiliations

¹ Key Laboratory of Nonpoint Source Pollution Control, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 100081, PR China; Key Laboratory of Pollution Ecology and Environmental Engineering, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, 110016, PR China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, PR China.
² Key Laboratory of Nonpoint Source Pollution Control, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 100081, PR China. Electronic address: zhangqianru@caas.cn.
³ State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 210008, PR China.
⁴ State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Adaptation and Improvement, School of Life Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng, 475004, PR China.
⁵ Hebei Key Laboratory of Air Pollution Cause and Impact (Preparatory), College of Energy and Environmental Engineering, Hebei University of Engineering, Handan, 056038, PR China.

PMID: 35809539
DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.115640

Abstract

Black soils (Mollisols) are among the most important soil resources for crop production and food security. In China, they are mainly distributed in the northeastern region. To investigate soil antibiotic resistance distribution patterns and monitor soil quality, we randomly chose nine corn fields in Northeast China and analyzed the antibiotic resistance gene (ARG) distribution and co-occurrence patterns on the basis of high-throughput approaches and network analyses. High genetic diversity (136 unique genes) and low ARG abundances (10^-5-10^-2 copies/16S rRNA gene copy) were detected, with relatively few interactions among ARGs. Type I integron genes were prevalent in the soil and were positively correlated with ARGs, which may increase the risk of ARG transmission. Most ARGs were strongly associated with microorganisms. Moreover, several ARGs were significantly correlated with antibiotics, nutrients, and metal elements. The generation and dissemination of ARGs, which were most likely mediated by mobile genetic elements (MGEs) and bacteria, were affected by environmental conditions. These results provide insights into the widespread co-occurrence patterns in soil resistomes.

Keywords: Antibiotic resistance genes; Black soil; Co-occurrence; Network analysis.

MeSH terms

Anti-Bacterial Agents* / pharmacology
China
Drug Resistance, Microbial / genetics
Genes, Bacterial
RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / genetics
Soil Microbiology
Soil*

Substances

Anti-Bacterial Agents
RNA, Ribosomal, 16S
Soil