Metagenomics analysis reveals potential pathways and drivers of piglet gut phage-mediated transfer of ARGs

Abstract

The growing prevalence of antibiotic-resistant pathogens has led to a better understanding of the underlying processes that lead to this expansion. Intensive pig farms are considered one of the hotspots for antibiotic resistance gene (ARG) transmission. Phages, as important mobile carriers of ARGs, are widespread in the animal intestine. However, our understanding of phage-associated ARGs in the pig intestine and their underlying drivers is limited. Here, metagenomic sequencing and analysis of viral DNA and total DNA of different intestinal (ileum, cecum and feces) contents in healthy piglets and piglets with diarrhea were separately conducted. We found that phages in piglet ceca are the main repository for ARGs and mobile genetic element (MGE) genes. Phage-associated MGEs are important factors affecting the maintenance and transfer of ARGs. Interestingly, the colocalization of ARGs and MGE genes in piglet gut phages does not appear to be randomly selected but rather related to a specific phage host (Streptococcus). In addition, in the feces of piglets with diarrhea, the abundance of phages carrying ARGs and MGE genes was significantly increased, as was the diversity of polyvalent phages (phages with broad host ranges), which would facilitate the transfection and wider distribution of ARGs in the bacterial community. Moreover, the predicted host spectrum of polyvalent phages in diarrheal feces tended to be potential enteropathogenic genera, which greatly increased the risk of enteropathogens acquiring ARGs. Notably, we also found ARG-homologous genes in the sequences of piglet intestinal mimiviruses, suggesting that the piglet intestinal mimiviruses are a potential repository of ARGs. In conclusion, this study greatly expands our knowledge of the piglet gut microbiome, revealing the underlying mechanisms of maintenance and dissemination of piglet gut ARGs and providing a reference for the prevention and control of ARG pollution in animal husbandry.

Keywords: Antibiotic resistance gene; Diarrhea; Intestinal phage; Mobile genetic element; Phage–bacterium interactions; Piglet.