Microplastic pollution increases gene exchange in aquatic ecosystems
Publikation: Beitrag in Fachzeitschrift › Forschungsartikel › Beigetragen › Begutachtung
Beitragende
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
Originalsprache | Englisch |
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Seiten (von - bis) | 253-261 |
Seitenumfang | 9 |
Fachzeitschrift | Environmental pollution |
Jahrgang | 237 |
Publikationsstatus | Veröffentlicht - Juni 2018 |
Peer-Review-Status | Ja |
Extern publiziert | Ja |
Externe IDs
PubMed | 29494919 |
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ORCID | /0000-0002-4169-6548/work/142247361 |
Schlagworte
Ziele für nachhaltige Entwicklung
ASJC Scopus Sachgebiete
Schlagwörter
- Antibiotic resistance, Aquatic ecosystems, Biofilm, Horizontal gene transfer, Microplastics