Journal
ISME JOURNAL
Volume 14, Issue 8, Pages 2179-2196Publisher
SPRINGERNATURE
DOI: 10.1038/s41396-020-0679-2
Keywords
-
Categories
Funding
- Australian Research Council [FT170100196]
- UQ Foundation Research Excellence Awards
- China Scholarship Council
- Australian Research Council [FT170100196] Funding Source: Australian Research Council
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Antibiotic resistance is a serious global threat for public health. Considering the high abundance of cell-free DNA encoding antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in both clinical and environmental settings, natural transformation is an important horizontal gene transfer pathway to transmit antibiotic resistance. It is acknowledged that antibiotics are key drivers for disseminating antibiotic resistance, yet the contributions of non-antibiotic pharmaceuticals on transformation of ARGs are overlooked. In this study, we report that some commonly consumed non-antibiotic pharmaceuticals, at clinically and environmentally relevant concentrations, significantly facilitated the spread of antibiotic resistance through the uptake of exogenous ARGs. This included nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories, ibuprofen, naproxen, diclofenac, the lipid-lowering drug, gemfibrozil, and the beta-blocker propranolol. Based on the results of flow cytometry, whole-genome RNA sequencing and proteomic analysis, the enhanced transformation of ARGs was affiliated with promoted bacterial competence, enhanced stress levels, over-produced reactive oxygen species and increased cell membrane permeability. In addition, a mathematical model was proposed and calibrated to predict the dynamics of transformation during exposure to non-antibiotic pharmaceuticals. Given the high consumption of non-antibiotic pharmaceuticals, these findings reveal new concerns regarding antibiotic resistance dissemination exacerbated by non-antibiotic pharmaceuticals.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available