Persistence of host-associated Bacteroidales gene markers and their quantitative detection in an urban and agricultural mixed prairie watershed

Tambalo, Dinah D.; Frémaux, B.; Boa, Tyler; Yost, Christopher K.

doi:10.1016/j.watres.2012.02.048

Cited by 73 publications

(56 citation statements)

References 58 publications

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“…The mean concentrations of the BacHum-UCD in human feces were approximately two orders of magnitude lower than raw wastewater. Two to four orders of magnitude variations were reported on the concentrations of the HF183 and BacH markers [35,44,74]. In general, the concentration of the HF183, BacHum-UCD, Human-Bac1, and B. thetaiotaomicron α-1-6-mannanase in secondary wastewater was one to two orders of magnitude lower than raw sewage, which is expected in sewage treatment processes.…”

Section: Human Feces and Wastewatermentioning

confidence: 96%

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Current Status of Marker Genes of Bacteroides and Related Taxa for Identifying Sewage Pollution in Environmental Waters

Ahmed

Hughes

Harwood

2016

Water

107

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Abstract:Microbial source tracking (MST) endeavors to determine sources of fecal pollution in environmental waters by capitalizing on the association of certain microorganisms with the gastrointestinal tract and feces of specific animal groups. Several decades of research have shown that bacteria belonging to the gut-associated order Bacteroidales, and particularly the genus Bacteroides, tend to co-evolve with the host, and are, therefore, particularly suitable candidates for MST applications. This review summarizes the current research on MST methods that employ genes belonging to Bacteroidales/Bacteroides as tracers or "markers" of sewage pollution, including known advantages and deficiencies of the many polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based methods that have been published since 2000. Host specificity is a paramount criterion for confidence that detection of a marker is a true indicator of the target host. Host sensitivity, or the prevalence of the marker in feces/waste from the target host, is necessary for confidence that absence of the marker is indicative of the absence of the pollution source. Each of these parameters can vary widely depending on the type of waste assessed and the geographic location. Differential decay characteristics of bacterial targets and their associated DNA contribute to challenges in interpreting MST results in the context of human health risks. The HF183 marker, derived from the 16S rRNA gene of Bacteroides dorei and closely related taxa, has been used for almost two decades in MST studies, and is well characterized regarding host sensitivity and specificity, and in prevalence and concentration in sewage in many countries. Other markers such as HumM2 and HumM3 show promise, but require further performance testing to demonstrate their widespread utility. An important limitation of the one-marker-one-assay approach commonly used for MST is that given the complexities of microbial persistence in environmental waters, and the methodological challenges of quantitative PCR (qPCR) in such samples, the absence of a given marker does not ensure the absence of fecal pollution in the source water. Approaches under development, such as microarray and community analysis, have the potential to improve MST practices, thereby increasing our ability to protect human and ecosystem health.

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Section: Human Feces and Wastewatermentioning

confidence: 96%

“…The host specificity values of BacH and BacHum-UCD markers were also evaluated by several studies [51,73,74]. The overall host specificity value (88.7%) of BacH was lower than that of HF183 (Supplementary Table S15).…”

Section: Host Specificitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Current Status of Marker Genes of Bacteroides and Related Taxa for Identifying Sewage Pollution in Environmental Waters

Ahmed

Hughes

Harwood

2016

Water

107

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…For example, the bacterial marker cowM3 could not be detected in 144 fecal samples from 16 nontarget host groups in the United States (18). A follow-up study also reported the absolute host specificity of cowM3 in Canada (20). Among the 320 fecal samples tested from 15 nontarget host groups, none was positive for cowM3.…”

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confidence: 99%

Evaluation of Bovine Feces-Associated Microbial Source Tracking Markers and Their Correlations with Fecal Indicators and Zoonotic Pathogens in a Brisbane, Australia, Reservoir

Ahmed

Sritharan

Palmer

et al. 2013

Appl Environ Microbiol

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cThis study was aimed at evaluating the host specificity and host sensitivity of two bovine feces-associated bacterial (BacCow-UCD and cowM3) and one viral [bovine adenovirus (B-AVs)] microbial source tracking (MST) markers by screening 130 fecal and wastewater samples from 10 target and nontarget host groups in southeast Queensland, Australia. In addition, 36 water samples were collected from a reservoir and tested for the occurrence of all three bovine feces-associated markers along with fecal indicator bacteria (FIB), Campylobacter spp., Escherichia coli O157, and Salmonella spp. The overall host specificity values of the BacCow-UCD, cowM3, and B-AVs markers to differentiate between bovine and other nontarget host groups were 0.66, 0.88, and 1.00, respectively (maximum value of 1.00). The overall host sensitivity values of these markers, however, in composite bovine wastewater and individual bovine fecal DNA samples were 0.93, 0.90, and 0.60, respectively (maximum value of 1.00).Among the 36 water samples tested, 56%, 22%, and 6% samples were PCR positive for the BacCow-UCD, cowM3, and B-AVs markers, respectively. Among the 36 samples tested, 50% and 14% samples were PCR positive for the Campylobacter 16S rRNA and E. coli O157 rfbE genes, respectively. Based on the results, we recommend that multiple bovine feces-associated markers be used if possible for bovine fecal pollution tracking. Nonetheless, the presence of the multiple bovine feces-associated markers along with the presence of potential zoonotic pathogens indicates bovine fecal pollution in the reservoir water samples. Further research is required to understand the decay rates of these markers in relation to FIB and zoonotic pathogens.

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“…While these tools have potential utility for such assessments, they are different in their limits of detection, source discrimination power, spatial and temporal stability, persistence in different environmental matrices, and what they express biophysically in water samples; and as such, results from one method may not necessarily be coherent with those of another method (5,17,18). Under some circumstances, however, coherency, or a lack of it, can reveal what biomarkers are appropriate for the use at hand, and MST coherence with the occurrence of other fecal indicator organisms and pathogens can be viewed as an important factor for helping to identify mitigation measures that will reduce public health risks (19)(20)(21)59). …”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Coherence among Different Microbial Source Tracking Markers in a Small Agricultural Stream with or without Livestock Exclusion Practices

Wilkes

Brassard

Edge

et al. 2013

Appl Environ Microbiol

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h Over 1,400 water samples were collected biweekly over 6 years from an intermittent stream protected and unprotected from pasturing cattle. The samples were monitored for host-specific Bacteroidales markers, Cryptosporidium species/genotypes, viruses and coliphages associated with humans or animals, and bacterial zoonotic pathogens. Ruminant Bacteroidales markers did not increase within the restricted cattle access reach of the stream, whereas the ruminant Bacteroidales marker increased significantly in the unrestricted cattle access reach. Human Bacteroidales markers significantly increased downstream of homes where septic issues were documented. Wildlife Bacteroidales markers were detected downstream of the cattle exclusion practice where stream and riparian habitat was protected, but detections decreased after the unrestricted pasture, where the stream and riparian zone was unprotected from livestock. Detection of a large number of human viruses was shown to increase downstream of homes, and similar trends were observed for the human Bacteroidales marker. There was considerable interplay among biomarkers with stream flow, season, and the cattle exclusion practices. There were no to very weak associations with Bacteroidales markers and bacterial, viral, and parasitic pathogens. Overall, discrete sample-by-sample coherence among the different microbial source tracking markers that expressed a similar microbial source was minimal, but spatial trends were physically meaningful in terms of land use (e.g., beneficial management practice) effects on sources of fecal pollution. Microbial source tracking (MST) can help reveal the sources of fecal contamination in water resources (1-5). There are a suite of MST tools that have been used in this capacity (6); some of these include the antimicrobial resistance patterns of target bacteria (7, 8), bacterial markers (9), such as Bacteroidales markers (2), host specificity associated with parasitic organisms like Cryptosporidium (10, 11), mitochondrial DNA methods (12, 13), and virus host specificity (14-16). There is potential for these tools to help identify how different land uses can impact the sources of fecal pollution in open-surface-water systems like agricultural watersheds, systems typically prone to variable inputs of human, livestock, and wildlife feces. While these tools have potential utility for such assessments, they are different in their limits of detection, source discrimination power, spatial and temporal stability, persistence in different environmental matrices, and what they express biophysically in water samples; and as such, results from one method may not necessarily be coherent with those of another method (5,17,18). Under some circumstances, however, coherency, or a lack of it, can reveal what biomarkers are appropriate for the use at hand, and MST coherence with the occurrence of other fecal indicator organisms and pathogens can be viewed as an important factor for helping to identify mitigation measures that will reduce public health risks (19)...

show abstract

Persistence of host-associated Bacteroidales gene markers and their quantitative detection in an urban and agricultural mixed prairie watershed

Cited by 73 publications

References 58 publications

Current Status of Marker Genes of Bacteroides and Related Taxa for Identifying Sewage Pollution in Environmental Waters

Current Status of Marker Genes of Bacteroides and Related Taxa for Identifying Sewage Pollution in Environmental Waters

Evaluation of Bovine Feces-Associated Microbial Source Tracking Markers and Their Correlations with Fecal Indicators and Zoonotic Pathogens in a Brisbane, Australia, Reservoir

Coherence among Different Microbial Source Tracking Markers in a Small Agricultural Stream with or without Livestock Exclusion Practices

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