Tetracycline Induces the Formation of Biofilm of Bacteria from Different Phases of Wastewater Treatment

Abstract

The study monitored the effect of tetracycline on bacterial biofilm formation and compared biofilm formation by resistant bacterial strains in different phases of the wastewater treatment process in wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). The crystal violet staining method was used to evaluate the biofilm formation. Biofilm-related bacterial properties were characterized by hydrophobicity, autoaggregation and motility tests. The relative abundance of tetracycline resistance genes (tetW, tetM, tetO, tetA and tetB) in wastewaters were subsequently quantified using qPCR. The results show that the isolates from the nitrification tank produce biofilm with up to 10 times greater intensity relative to the isolates from the sedimentation tank. In isolates of Aeromonas sp. from the nitrification tank, increased biofilm production in the occurrence of tetracycline from a concentration of 0.03125 µg/mL was observed. The tetW gene showed the highest relative abundance out of all the tested genes. From the sampling points, its abundance was the highest in the sedimentation tank of the WWTP. Based on these results, it can be assumed that resistant bacteria are able to form a biofilm and sub-inhibitory tetracycline concentrations induce biofilm formation. WWTPs thus represent a reservoir of antibiotic resistance genes and contribute to the spread of resistance in the natural environment.

Antimicrobial Susceptibility Profile and Whole-Genome Analysis of a Strong Biofilm-Forming Bacillus Sp. B87 Strain Isolated from Food

“…In strains of Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, sub-inhibitory concentrations of tetracycline and cephradine induce biofilm formation and increase the transfer rate of the pB10 plasmid among the biofilm biomass at higher rates compared with no antimicrobial treatment [54]. The findings from the current study were congruent with a previous report [55] that resistant bacteria could form biofilms. Tetracycline-resistant Bacillus sp.…”

Resistant Genes and Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria in Wastewater: A Study of Their Transfer to the Water Reservoir in the Czech Republic

“…MIC values for tetracycline were mostly in the range of 0.25-8.0 µg/mL, while for 33% of isolates from S_A and 10% of isolates from D_B, MIC values of >16 µg/mL were confirmed (Figure 5). These values agree with certain studies [51,52]. However, compared to other studies, our MIC values are somewhat lower.…”

“…MIC values for tetracycline were mostly in the r 0.25-8.0 μg/mL, while for 33% of isolates from S_A and 10% of isolates from D_ values of >16 μg/mL were confirmed (Figure 5). These values agree with certain [51,52]. However, compared to other studies, our MIC values are somewhat low example, Svobodová et al ( 2018) discovered the presence of eight bacterial strai Czech wastewater showing MICs for tetracycline >100 mg/mL [27].…”

Metatranscriptomic analysis of wastewater sites reveals a high abundance of antimicrobial resistance genes from hospital wastewater

“…The copyright holder for this preprint this version posted February 5, 2024. ; https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.02.03.24302270 doi: medRxiv preprint aph( 6)-ld, and aph('3')-lb, could be linked to prolonged clinical use of sulfonamides and aminoglycosides both within and outside clinical settings. Multiple studies have also reported the most abundant ARG gene identified, tet(G), from hospital wastewater together with other tetracycline genes, attributing this difference to the overuse or misuse of antibiotics [31,32]. These core antibiotics could be used to monitor the spread of ARGs across different sites before they are released into the environment.…”