Monsoon affects the distribution of antibiotic resistome in Tibetan glaciers

Guannan Mao; Mukan Ji; Nianzhi Jiao; Jianqiang Su; Zhihao Zhang; Keshao Liu; Yuying Chen; Yongqin Liu

doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2022.120809

Monsoon affects the distribution of antibiotic resistome in Tibetan glaciers

Environ Pollut. 2023 Jan 15:317:120809. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.120809. Epub 2022 Dec 2.

Authors

Guannan Mao¹, Mukan Ji², Nianzhi Jiao³, Jianqiang Su⁴, Zhihao Zhang⁵, Keshao Liu¹, Yuying Chen⁵, Yongqin Liu⁶

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Environment and Resources (TPESER), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
² Center for the Pan-third Pole Environment, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China.
³ Carbon Neutral Innovation Research Center, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China.
⁴ Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen, 361021, China.
⁵ State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Environment and Resources (TPESER), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
⁶ State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Environment and Resources (TPESER), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China; Center for the Pan-third Pole Environment, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China. Electronic address: yqliu@itpcas.ac.cn.

PMID: 36470452
DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.120809

Abstract

Antibiotic-resistance gene (ARG) is a biological pollutant and is globally distributed due to increased anthropogenic activities. ARGs in the cryosphere have received increased attention due to global warming, and ARGs in glaciers are predicted to be released into downstream ecosystems during glacier melting. In this study, ARG distribution and influential factors were investigated in 85 samples from 21 Tibetan glaciers, covering snow, ice, and cryoconite habitats. The results revealed ARGs against 29 antibiotics in Tibetan glaciers, dominated by tetracycline, bacitracin, macrolide, and fluoroquinolone resistance. ARGs in snow exhibited biogeographic patterns influenced by atmospheric circulation. Specifically, monsoon-dominated glaciers exhibited a significantly higher abundance of ARGs than the westerly-dominated glaciers, which could be associated with higher antibiotic usage in the Indian subcontinent. Of the 3241 metagenome-assembled genomes obtained, 36.8% of which were identified as ARG hosts and 33.8% were multidrug-resistant. In addition, 90 ARGs were linked to mobile genetic elements (MGEs). 90.9% and 9.1% of MGEs were identified as plasmid and phage in 45 MAGs carrying both ARGs and MGEs. Our study suggests a greater risk of ARGs being released from the monsoon-dominated glaciers, which were the glaciers that melt at high rates and thus need to be carefully monitored.

Keywords: Antibiotic resistance genes; Mobile genetic elements; Monsoon and westerly; Potential risk; Tibetan glaciers.

MeSH terms

Anti-Bacterial Agents* / pharmacology
Ecosystem
Genes, Bacterial
Ice Cover*
Tibet

Substances

Anti-Bacterial Agents