Infectious phage particles packaging antibiotic resistance genes found in meat products and chicken feces

Abstract

Bacteriophages can package part of their host’s genetic material, including antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), contributing to a rapid dissemination of resistances among bacteria. Phage particles containing ARGs were evaluated in meat, pork, beef and chicken minced meat, and ham and mortadella, purchased in local retailer. Ten ARGs (blaTEM, blaCTX-M-1, blaCTX-M-9, blaOXA-48, blaVIM, qnrA, qnrS, mecA, armA and sul1) were analyzed by qPCR in the phage DNA fraction. The genes were quantified, before and after propagation experiments in Escherichia coli, to evaluate the ability of ARG-carrying phage particles to infect and propagate in a bacterial host. According to microbiological parameters, all samples were acceptable for consumption. ARGs were detected in most of the samples after particle propagation indicating that at least part of the isolated phage particles were infectious, being sul1the most abundant ARG in all the matrices followed by β-lactamase genes. ARGs were also found in the phage DNA fraction of thirty-seven archive chicken cecal samples, confirming chicken fecal microbiota as an important ARG reservoir and the plausible origin of the particles found in meat. Phages are vehicles for gene transmission in meat that should not be underestimated as a risk factor in the global crisis of antibiotic resistance.

Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Phage Particles from Antarctic and Mediterranean Seawater Ecosystems

“…As in previous studies [ 23 , 24 ], filtered and concentrated phage suspensions were treated with chloroform (1:10 ( v / v )) to rule out the possible presence of vesicles containing DNA, vigorously vortexed for 5 min and centrifuged at 16,000× g for 5 min. The aqueous phase was incubated with DNase I (100 units/mL) to eliminate any free DNA in the samples outside the phage particles.…”

“…To confirm that only the ARGs from the phage particles were evaluated, several controls were performed as previously described [ 24 ]. Briefly, an aliquot of each sample after DNase treatment and before desencapsidation was included in the qPCR in parallel with the DNA sample to confirm the absence of each ARG.…”

“…Phage particles carrying ARGs have been reported in different biomes, including sludge, soil, wastewater [ 10 , 11 , 15 , 17 , 18 ], marine viromes [ 19 ], and human and animal biomes [ 20 , 21 , 22 ]. Recent studies have reported the presence of ARG-carrying phage particles in vegetables and meat products classed as suitable for consumption, confirming that they can end up in food, and suggesting that their presence in feces is due to the fecal-oral route [ 23 , 24 ].…”

Diversity of carbapenem-resistantAcinetobacter baumanniiand bacteriophage-mediated spread of the Oxa23 carbapenemase

“…However, in isolates belonging to CC PAS 1 in our study the most commonly identified mobile element carrying oxa23 was a bacteriophage phiOXA. Reports of the carriage of antibiotic resistance genes in prophages have become more common in recent years (75)(76)(77), but it is thought that this is generally a rare occurrence (78).…”

Antimicrobial resistance in enteric bacteria: current state and next-generation solutions

“… 91 There is controversial evidence of phage transduction of resistance in vivo and, additionally, multiple lines of evidence indicating that phages from multiple environments are circulating ARGs. 91 – 93 Compelling and recent in vivo studies involving head-to-head competition of two E. coli strains in a mouse gut demonstrated that phage-mediated genetic exchange is responsible for adaptation of an invading E. coli species, underlining the likelihood of phage transduction as a mechanism of AMR spread. 94 The proportion of mobilized AMR due to phage transduction in human enteric disease remains an open question.…”