Insights into DNA Structures during Antibiotic-Resistance Gene Elimination by Mesoporous Plasma

Abstract

The prevalence of various antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic-resistance genes (ARGs) is becoming a global environmental problem. Removal of multiple resistant Escherichia coli strains, carrying a gentamicin resistance gene (aac(3)-II), an amoxicillin-resistance gene (blaTEM-1), tetracycline-resistance genes (tetC and tetW), and integron gene intI1, was investigated using a mesoporous plasma. The experimental results showed that the elimination efficiencies of integron intI1, aac(3)-II, blaTEM-1, tetW, and tetC reached 5.46, 5.71, 5.19, 2.88, and 2.28 log within 10 min of plasma oxidation, respectively. These elimination performances were positively related to the plasma intensity, duration time, and airflow rate. The cell membrane structures were significantly destroyed by the plasma oxidation, accompanied by leakage of ARG-containing DNA. Most of the ARG-containing DNA (more than 96%) was effectively damaged and decomposed to cytosine, guanine, adenine, and thymine. The present research revealed the removal behaviors of ARGs by plasma oxidation and provided an alternative to eliminate ARGs in an aqueous system.

Degradation of Bacterial Antibiotic Resistance Genes during Exposure to Non-Thermal Atmospheric Pressure Plasma

“…Plasma is a reactive cocktail of various reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, such as hydrogen peroxides, hydroxyl radicals, ozone, nitric oxide, UV photons, and charged particles such as electrons and ions, which are responsible for the inactivation of microorganisms [ 26 ]. Several pilot-scale studies focusing on the decontamination capacities of plasmas have been carried out with samples from municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) [ 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 ]. A large and growing body of literature reports the effective inactivation capacity of NTAPP for a wide range of microorganisms.…”

Elimination and Redistribution of Intracellular and Extracellular Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Water and Wastewater Disinfection Processes: A Review

“…The discovery of antibiotics is one of the most important milestones in the history of medicine . However, with extensive usages of antibiotics, the prevalence and dissemination of antibiotic resistance in the aquatic environment have been substantially enhanced. − Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in water may threaten human health via direct infection with antibiotic resistant pathogens or transmission of aquatic ARGs to human pathogens. − …”