Metagenomic profiling and transfer dynamics of antibiotic resistance determinants in a full-scale granular sludge wastewater treatment plant

Calderón-Franco, David; Sarelse, Roel; Christou, Stella; Pronk, Mario; Loosdrecht, Mark C.M. van; Abeel, Thomas; Weissbrodt, David G.

doi:10.1016/j.watres.2022.118571

Cited by 40 publications

(22 citation statements)

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“…In contrast, a higher concentration (around 20%) of exDNA than iDNA has been detected in sediments in natural environments with nutrient scarcity (Mao et al, 2014). An increase (up to 2 log10 gene copies mL -1 ) of some ARGs (ermB and sul1) in the exDNA pool has been detected across a WWTP process, eventually discharged in the effluent (Calderón-Franco et al, 2022). The exDNA pool can therefore not be underestimated in AR surveillance in wastewater systems.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 93%

“…Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) should act as barriers to limit the spread of both, antibioticresistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), to the environment (Bürgmann et al, 2018;Calderón-Franco et al, 2022;Pallares-Vega et al, 2019). WWTP effluents, and wastewater catchment areas, are currently considered as one of the major release points of ARB and ARGs to the environment (Rizzo et al, 2013).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Moreover, a list of antibiotics that may promote ARG selection processes in WWTPs in the range of 0.008 to 64 µg L -1 has been reported . The relationship between the distribution of the sul1 and sul2 genes, two of the most targeted ARGs related with sulfonamide resistance in WWTPs (Calderón-Franco et al, 2022;Di Cesare et al, 2016;Pallares-Vega et al, 2021, and the presence of SMX has not been previously assessed. The concentration of certain ARGs in both the iDNA and exDNA fractions can increase during the wastewater treatment process, suggesting HGT events through the WWTP (Calderón-Franco et al, 2022;Hultman et al, 2018).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The relationship between the distribution of the sul1 and sul2 genes, two of the most targeted ARGs related with sulfonamide resistance in WWTPs (Calderón-Franco et al, 2022;Di Cesare et al, 2016;Pallares-Vega et al, 2021, and the presence of SMX has not been previously assessed. The concentration of certain ARGs in both the iDNA and exDNA fractions can increase during the wastewater treatment process, suggesting HGT events through the WWTP (Calderón-Franco et al, 2022;Hultman et al, 2018). It is important to identify which WWTP conditions induce a shift in the ARB hosts and possible ARB reservoirs in order to delineate measures to reduce the dissemination of AR in the environment (Rice et al, 2020).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Antibiotic resistance response to sulfamethoxazole from the intracellular and extracellular DNA fractions of activated sludge

Martínez-Quintela

Calderón-Franco

Loosdrecht

et al. 2022

Preprint

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In activated sludge, the antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) can be present either in the intracellular (iDNA) or extracellular DNA fraction (exDNA). Recent advances in the exDNA extraction methodology allow a better profiling of the pool of ARGs. However, little is known about how stress conditions modify the distribution of ARGs between both DNA fractions. Here, we performed two batch tests for analyzing the effects of two different stress conditions, namely nutrient starvation and high concentrations of sulfamethoxazole (1, 10 and 150 mg L-1) in activated sludge. We tracked by qPCR the resulting relative abundances of four target genes, namely the universal 16S rRNA gene, the class 1 integron-integrase gene intI1, and the sulfonamide resistance genes sul1 and sul2 in both the iDNA and exDNA fractions. In the exDNA pool, unlike starvation, which provoked a decrease of 1-2 log10 [copies] ng DNA-1 in the concentration of sul1 and intI1, the presence of sulfamethoxazole did not influence the abundances of sul1 and sul2. However, high concentrations of sulfamethoxazole (150 mg L- 1) selected for microorganisms harboring sul1 and, more remarkably, sul2 genes in their iDNA during their exponential growth phase. The abundances of intI1 and sul1 were positively correlated in the exDNA fraction (r>0.7), whereas no significant correlation (p<0.05) between the abundance of these two genes was found in the iDNA fraction of the sludge. High SMX concentrations influenced the abundance of ARGs in the iDNA; their abundance in the exDNA was influenced by nutrient limitations. Further studies should consider the profiling of exDNA fractions because of the relationship between ARGs and mobile genetic elements. Besides, the surveillance of antimicrobial resistance is encouraged in wastewater treatment plants facing high antibiotic concentrations.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 93%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Antibiotic resistance response to sulfamethoxazole from the intracellular and extracellular DNA fractions of activated sludge

Martínez-Quintela

Calderón-Franco

Loosdrecht

et al. 2022

Preprint

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“…In contrast to wastewater environments (Calderón-Franco et al, 2022;Miłobedzka et al, 2022;Pallares-Vega et al, 2019), few studies focus on the fate and removal of ARGs and ARB in DWTPs. Biofilms are known reservoirs of ARB and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) (Balcázar et al, 2015).…”

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confidence: 99%

Microbiome, resistome and mobilome of chlorine-free drinking water treatment systems

Calderón-Franco

Corbera-Rubio

Cuesta-Sanz

et al. 2022

Preprint

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Drinking water treatment plants (DWTPs) are designed to remove physical, chemical, and biological contaminants. However, until recently, the role of DWTPs in minimizing the cycling of antibiotic resistance determinants has got limited attention. In particular, the risk of selecting antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) is largely overlooked in chlorine-free DWTPs where biological processes are applied. Here, we combined high-throughput quantitative PCR and metagenomics to analyze the abundance and dynamics of microbial communities, antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), and mobile genetic elements (MGEs) across the treatment trains of two chlorine-free DWTPs involving dune-based and reservoir-based systems. The microbial diversity of the water being treated increased after all biological unit operations, namely rapid and slow sand filtration (SSF), and granular activated carbon filtration. Both DWTPs reduced the concentration of ARGs and MGEs in the water by about 2.5 log gene copies per mL, despite their relative increase in the disinfection sub-units (SSF in dune-based and UV treatment in reservoir-based DWTPs). The total microbial concentration was also reduced (2.5 log units), and none of the DWTPs were enriched for antibiotic resistant bacteria. Our findings highlight the effectiveness of chlorine-free DWTPs in supplying safe drinking water while reducing the concentration of antibiotic resistance determinants. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that monitors the presence and dynamics of antibiotic resistance determinants in chlorine-free DWTPs.

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General Introduction and Economic Analysis

Weissbrodt

2024

Engineering Granular Microbiomes

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Metagenomic profiling and transfer dynamics of antibiotic resistance determinants in a full-scale granular sludge wastewater treatment plant

Cited by 40 publications

References 71 publications

Antibiotic resistance response to sulfamethoxazole from the intracellular and extracellular DNA fractions of activated sludge

Antibiotic resistance response to sulfamethoxazole from the intracellular and extracellular DNA fractions of activated sludge

Microbiome, resistome and mobilome of chlorine-free drinking water treatment systems

General Introduction and Economic Analysis

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