Microplastic pollution increases gene exchange in aquatic ecosystems

Publikation: Beitrag in FachzeitschriftForschungsartikelBeigetragenBegutachtung

Beitragende

  • Maria Arias-Andres - , Leibniz-Institut für Gewässerökologiefischerei, Universität Potsdam, National University of Costa Rica (Autor:in)
  • Uli Klümper - , European Centre for Environment and Human Health, University of Exeter (Autor:in)
  • Keilor Rojas-Jimenez - , Leibniz-Institut für Gewässerökologiefischerei, Latin American University of Science and Technology (ULACIT) (Autor:in)
  • Hans Peter Grossart - , Leibniz-Institut für Gewässerökologiefischerei, Universität Potsdam, Freie Universität (FU) Berlin (Autor:in)

Abstract

Pollution by microplastics in aquatic ecosystems is accumulating at an unprecedented scale, emerging as a new surface for biofilm formation and gene exchange. In this study, we determined the permissiveness of aquatic bacteria towards a model antibiotic resistance plasmid, comparing communities that form biofilms on microplastics vs. those that are free-living. We used an exogenous and red-fluorescent E. coli donor strain to introduce the green-fluorescent broad-host-range plasmid pKJK5 which encodes for trimethoprim resistance. We demonstrate an increased frequency of plasmid transfer in bacteria associated with microplastics compared to bacteria that are free-living or in natural aggregates. Moreover, comparison of communities grown on polycarbonate filters showed that increased gene exchange occurs in a broad range of phylogenetically-diverse bacteria. Our results indicate horizontal gene transfer in this habitat could distinctly affect the ecology of aquatic microbial communities on a global scale. The spread of antibiotic resistance through microplastics could also have profound consequences for the evolution of aquatic bacteria and poses a neglected hazard for human health. Increased horizontal gene transfer via microplastic particles.

Details

OriginalspracheEnglisch
Seiten (von - bis)253-261
Seitenumfang9
FachzeitschriftEnvironmental pollution
Jahrgang237
PublikationsstatusVeröffentlicht - Juni 2018
Peer-Review-StatusJa
Extern publiziertJa

Externe IDs

PubMed 29494919
ORCID /0000-0002-4169-6548/work/142247361

Schlagworte

Schlagwörter

  • Antibiotic resistance, Aquatic ecosystems, Biofilm, Horizontal gene transfer, Microplastics