scholarly journals A Roadmap of The Human Body Resistome

Author(s):  
Lucia Maestre-Carballa ◽  
Vicente Navarro ◽  
Manuel Martinez-Garcia

Abstract BackgroundIn response to the global antibiotic resistance crisis, efforts have been focused on gaining a better understanding of resistomes (sets of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs)) and the dispersion of ARGs in nature. A comprehensive metagenomic characterization of the human body resistome is paramount for laying the foundation to develop a better strategy to address this health concern. Here, we study the resistomes of 771 samples from five major body parts of healthy subjects from the Human Microbiome Project (HMP). In line with the One Health concept (WHO), we also investigated the presence of ARGs from the HMP in 272 pristine environments. ResultsOf all the detected HMP genes/proteins (9.17E+07), 40,816 were ARGs showing high interindividual and inter-body-site abundance variability. Nares had the highest ARG abundance (2.18±2.64 ARGs/Mb; ≈5.5 ARG per bacterial genome), while the gut (0.34±0.34 ARGs/Mb; ≈1.3 ARG per bacterial genome), which also showed the highest richness of different ARG types, had the lowest abundance. Fluroquinolone resistance genes were the most abundant antibiotic resistance gene family, followed by MLS or tetracycline resistance genes, depending on the body site. From all the detected ARGs, we found 366 different ARG types, with parC R (fluoroquinolone resistance) being the most abundant in the oral cavity, mprF (peptide antibiotic resistance) in the skin and nares, and tetQ (tetracycline resistance) in the gut and vagina. Most of the ARGs belonged to common bacterial commensals, and many of them were also multidrug resistance genes and were more abundant in the nares and vagina. The total number of ARGs from the HMP data (n=34) detected in pristine environments (266 samples) was negligible, and most of them (73%) were classified as housekeeping genes in autochthonous bacteria having known mutations conferring antibiotic resistance (natural reservoirs). A significant fraction of ARGs (24%) in pristine environments were actually from exogenous contaminants. The detection of identical HMP ARGs in autochthonous bacteria was extremely infrequent (3%). Conclusions Our results comprehensively reveal the resistomes from all body parts and HMP samples that can serve as a baseline for comparison for long-term survey and monitoring of human resistome variations. Finally, our data provide hope, since the spread of common ARGs from the HMP data to pristine environments thus far remains very unlikely.

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kwan Tze-wan

AbstractIn the Shuowen, one of the earliest comprehensive character dictionaries of ancient China, when discussing where the Chinese characters derive their structural components, Xu Shen proposed the dual constitutive principle of “adopting proximally from the human body, and distally from things around.” This dual emphasis of “body” and “things around” corresponds largely to the phenomenological issues of body or corporeality on the one hand, and lifeworld on the other. If we borrow Heidegger’s definition of Dasein as Being-in-the world, we can easily arrive at a reformulation of Xu Shen’s constitutive principle of the Chinese script as one that concerns “bodily Dasein.” By looking into various examples of script tokens we can further elaborate on how the Chinese make use not only of the body in general but various body parts, and how they differentiate their life world into material nature, living things, and a multifaceted world of equipment in forming a core basis of Chinese characters/components, upon which further symbolic manipulation such as “indication”, “phonetic borrowing”, semantic combination, and “annotative derivation”, etc. can be based. Finally, examples will be cited to show how in the Chinese scripts the human body (and its parts) might interact with other’s bodies (and their parts) or with “things around” (whether nature, living creatures, or artifacts) in various ways to cover the social, environmental, ritual, technical, economical, and even intellectual aspects of human experience. Bodily Dasein, so to speak, provides us with a new perspective of understanding and appreciating the entire scope of the Chinese script.


2017 ◽  
Vol 62 (No. 3) ◽  
pp. 169-177 ◽  
Author(s):  
TH Chung ◽  
SW Yi ◽  
BS Kim ◽  
WI Kim ◽  
GW Shin

The present study sought to identify pathogens associated with septicaemia in the Chinese soft-shelled turtle (Pelodiscus sinensis) and to characterise antibiotic resistance in these pathogens. Twenty-three isolates recovered from the livers of diseased soft-shelled turtles were genetically identified as Aeromonas hydrophila (n = 8), A. veronii (n = 3), Citrobacter freundii (n = 4), Morganella morganii (n = 3), Edwardsiella tarda (n = 2), Wohlfahrtiimonas chitiniclastica (n = 1), Chryseobacterium sp. (n = 1), and Comamonas sp. (n = 1). Most isolates (n = 21) were resistant to ampicillin whereas a low percentage of isolates was susceptible to aminoglycosides (amikacin, gentamicin, and tobramycin). PCR assays and sequence analysis revealed the presence of the qnrS2 and bla<sub>TEM</sub> antibiotic resistance genes in all isolates. The bla<sub>DHA-1</sub>, bla<sub>CTX-M-14</sub> and bla<sub>CMY-2</sub> genes were harboured by 17.4% (n = 4), 13.5% (n = 3) and 8.7% (n = 2) of the strains, respectively. One or more tetracycline resistance genes were detected in 60.9% (n = 14) of the isolates. Four isolates (17.4%) harboured single or multiple class 1 integron cassettes. Collectively, a variety of bacterial pathogens were involved in the occurrence of septicaemia in Chinese soft-shelled turtles and most of the isolates had multi-antibiotic resistant phenotypes. To our knowledge, the present report is the first to identify W. chitiniclastica and Comamonas sp. as causes of septicaemia in soft-shelled turtles and the first to identify Aeromonas spp. with bla<sub>CTX-M-14</sub> and bla<sub>DHA-1</sub> resistance genes.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ilona Stefańska ◽  
Ewelina Kwiecień ◽  
Katarzyna Jóźwiak-Piasecka ◽  
Monika Garbowska ◽  
Marian Binek ◽  
...  

The spread of resistance to antibiotics is a major health concern worldwide due to the increasing rate of isolation of multidrug resistant pathogens hampering the treatment of infections. The food chain has been recognized as one of the key routes of antibiotic resistant bacteria transmission between animals and humans. Considering that lactic acid bacteria (LAB) could act as a reservoir of transferable antibiotic resistance genes, LAB strains intended to be used as feed additives should be monitored for their safety. Sixty-five LAB strains which might be potentially used as probiotic feed additives or silage inoculants, were assessed for susceptibility to eight clinically relevant antimicrobials by a minimum inhibitory concentration determination. Among antimicrobial resistant strains, a prevalence of selected genes associated with the acquired resistance was investigated. Nineteen LAB strains displayed phenotypic resistance to one antibiotic, and 15 strains were resistant to more than one of the tested antibiotics. The resistance to aminoglycosides and tetracyclines were the most prevalent and were found in 37 and 26% of the studied strains, respectively. Phenotypic resistance to other antimicrobials was found in single strains. Determinants related to resistance phenotypes were detected in 15 strains as follows, the aph(3″)-IIIa gene in 9 strains, the lnu(A) gene in three strains, the str(A)-str(B), erm(B), msr(C), and tet(M) genes in two strains and the tet(K) gene in one strain. The nucleotide sequences of the detected genes revealed homology to the sequences of the transmissible resistance genes found in lactic acid bacteria as well as pathogenic bacteria. Our study highlights that LAB may be a reservoir of antimicrobial resistance determinants, thus, the first and key step in considering the usefulness of LAB strains as feed additives should be an assessment of their antibiotic resistance. This safety criterion should always precede more complex studies, such as an assessment of adaptability of a strain or its beneficial effect on a host. These results would help in the selection of the best LAB strains for use as feed additives. Importantly, presented data can be useful for revising the current microbiological cut-off values within the genus Lactobacillus and Pediococcus.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (8) ◽  
pp. e0254836
Author(s):  
Yi Wang ◽  
Pramod K. Pandey ◽  
Sundaram Kuppu ◽  
Richard Pereira ◽  
Sharif Aly ◽  
...  

Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) are emerging contaminants causing serious global health concern. Interventions to address this concern include improving our understanding of methods for treating waste material of human and animal origin that are known to harbor ARGs. Anaerobic digestion is a commonly used process for treating dairy manure, and although effective in reducing ARGs, its mechanism of action is not clear. In this study, we used three ARGs to conducted a longitudinal bench scale anaerobic digestion experiment with various temperatures (28, 36, 44, and 52°C) in triplicate using fresh dairy manure for 30 days to evaluate the reduction of gene abundance. Three ARGs and two mobile genetic elements (MGEs) were studied: sulfonamide resistance gene (sulII), tetracycline resistance genes (tetW), macrolide-lincosamide-streptogramin B (MLSB) superfamily resistance genes (ermF), class 1 integrase gene (intI1), and transposase gene (tnpA). Genes were quantified by real-time quantitative PCR. Results show that the thermophilic anaerobic digestion (52°C) significantly reduced (p < 0.05) the absolute abundance of sulII (95%), intI1 (95%), tnpA (77%) and 16S rRNA gene (76%) after 30 days of digestion. A modified Collins–Selleck model was used to fit the decay curve, and results suggest that the gene reduction during the startup phase of anaerobic digestion (first 5 days) was faster than the later stage, and reductions in the first five days were more than 50% for most genes.


Author(s):  
Cristóbal Pera

ABSTRACTIf the human body is really a fabric, should surgeons be considered architects, as some surgeons describe themselves today? The author raises and analyzes this question, and he concludes that vsurgeons cannot be considered as such: the architect is the creator of his work —fabric or building—, but the surgeon is not the creator of this complex biological fabric —vulnerable and subject to deterioration and with an expiration date— which is the human body. This body is the object upon which his hands and instruments operate. The surgeon cures and heals wounds, immobilizes and aligns fractured bones in order to facilitate their good and timely repair, and cuts open the body’s surface in order to reach its internal organs. He also explores the body with his hands or instruments, destroys and reconstructs its ailing parts, substitutes vital organs taken from a donor’s foreign body, designs devices or prostheses, and replaces body parts, such as arteries and joints, that are damaged or worn out. In today’s culture, dominated by the desire to perfect the body, other surgeons keep retouching its aging façade, looking for an iconic and timeless beauty. This longing can drive, sometimes, to surgical madness. The surgeon is not capable of putting into motion, from scratch, a biological fabric such as the human body. Thus, he can’t create the subject of his work in the way that an architect can create a building. In contrast, the surgeon restores the body’s deteriorated or damaged parts and modifies the appearance of the body’s façade.RESUMEN¿Si el cuerpo humano fuera realmente una fábrica, podría el cirujano ser considerado su arquitecto, como algunos se pregonan en estos tiempos? Esta es la cuestión planteada por el autor y, a tenor de lo discurrido, su respuesta es negativa: porque así como el arquitecto es el artífice de su obra —fábrica o edificio— el cirujano no es el artífice de la complejísima fábrica biológica —vulnerable, deteriorable y caducable— que es el cuerpo humano, la cual le es dada como objeto de las acciones de sus manos y de sus instrumentos. El cirujano cura y restaña sus heridas, alinea e inmoviliza sus huesos fracturados para que su reparación llegue a buen término, penetra por sus orificios naturales o dibuja sobre la superficie corporal incisiones que le permitan llegar a sus entrañas, las explora con sus manos o mediante instrumentos, destruye y reconstruye sus partes enfermas, sustituye órganos vitales que no le ayudan a vivir por los extraídos de cuerpos donantes, y concibe, diseña y hace fabricar artefactos o prótesis, como recambio fragmentos corporales deteriorados o desgastados, como arterias o articulaciones. Otros cirujanos, en la predominante cultura de la modificación del cuerpo, retocan una y otra vez su fachada envejecida ineludiblemente por el paso del tiempo, empeñados en la búsqueda incesante de una belleza icónica y mediática e intemporal, una pretensión que puede conducir, y a veces conduce, al desvarío quirúrgico. En definitiva, el cirujano es incapaz de poner de pie, ex novo, una fábrica biológica como la del cuerpo humano y, por lo tanto, no puede ser su artífice, como lo es el arquitecto de su edificio. A lo sumo, es el restaurador de sus entrañas deterioradas y el modificador de su fachada, de su apariencia.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdelazeem M. Algammal ◽  
Mahmoud Mabrok ◽  
Elayaraja Sivaramasamy ◽  
Fatma M. Youssef ◽  
Mona H. Atwa ◽  
...  

Abstract This study aimed to investigate the prevalence, antibiogram of Pseudomonasaeruginosa (P.aeruginosa), and the distribution of virulence genes (oprL,exoS, phzM, and toxA) and the antibiotic-resistance genes (blaTEM, tetA, and blaCTX-M). A total of 285 fish (165 Oreochromisniloticus and 120 Clariasgariepinus) were collected randomly from private fish farms in Ismailia Governorate, Egypt. The collected specimens were examined bacteriologically. P. aeruginosa was isolated from 90 examined fish (31.57%), and the liver was the most prominent infected organ. The antibiogram of the isolated strains was determined using a disc diffusion method, where the tested strains exhibited multi-drug resistance (MDR) to amoxicillin, cefotaxime, tetracycline, and gentamicin. The PCR results revealed that all the examined strains harbored (oprL and toxA) virulence genes, while only 22.2% were positive for the phzM gene. On the contrary, none of the tested strains were positive for the exoS gene. Concerning the distribution of the antibiotic resistance genes, the examined strains harbored blaTEM, blaCTX-M, and tetA genes with a total prevalence of 83.3%, 77.7%, and 75.6%, respectively. Experimentally infected fish with P.aeruginosa displayed high mortalities in direct proportion to the encoded virulence genes and showed similar signs of septicemia found in the naturally infected one. In conclusion, P.aeruginosa is a major pathogen of O.niloticus and C.gariepinus.oprL and toxA genes are the most predominant virulence genes associated with P.aeruginosa infection. The blaCTX-M,blaTEM, and tetA genes are the main antibiotic-resistance genes that induce resistance patterns to cefotaxime, amoxicillin, and tetracycline, highlighting MDR P.aeruginosa strains of potential public health concern.


2018 ◽  
Vol 84 (19) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mengfei Peng ◽  
Serajus Salaheen ◽  
Robert L. Buchanan ◽  
Debabrata Biswas

ABSTRACT Microbial horizontal gene transfer is a continuous process that shapes bacterial genomic adaptation to the environment and the composition of concurrent microbial ecology. This includes the potential impact of synthetic antibiotic utilization in farm animal production on overall antibiotic resistance issues; however, the mechanisms behind the evolution of microbial communities are not fully understood. We explored potential mechanisms by experimentally examining the relatedness of phylogenetic inference between multidrug-resistant Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium isolates and pathogenic Salmonella Typhimurium strains based on genome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) comparisons. Antibiotic-resistant S. Typhimurium isolates in a simulated farm environment barely lost their resistance, whereas sensitive S. Typhimurium isolates in soils gradually acquired higher tetracycline resistance under antibiotic pressure and manipulated differential expression of antibiotic-resistant genes. The expeditious development of antibiotic resistance and the ensuing genetic alterations in antimicrobial resistance genes in S. Typhimurium warrant effective actions to control the dissemination of Salmonella antibiotic resistance. IMPORTANCE Antibiotic resistance is attributed to the misuse or overuse of antibiotics in agriculture, and antibiotic resistance genes can also be transferred to bacteria under environmental stress. In this study, we report a unidirectional alteration in antibiotic resistance from susceptibility to increased resistance. Highly sensitive Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium isolates from organic farm systems quickly acquired tetracycline resistance under antibiotic pressure in simulated farm soil environments within 2 weeks, with expression of antibiotic resistance-related genes that was significantly upregulated. Conversely, originally resistant S. Typhimurium isolates from conventional farm systems lost little of their resistance when transferred to environments without antibiotic pressure. Additionally, multidrug-resistant S. Typhimurium isolates genetically shared relevancy with pathogenic S. Typhimurium isolates, whereas susceptible isolates clustered with nonpathogenic strains. These results provide detailed discussion and explanation about the genetic alterations and simultaneous acquisition of antibiotic resistance in S. Typhimurium in agricultural environments.


mSystems ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Taylor K. Dunivin ◽  
Jinlyung Choi ◽  
Adina Howe ◽  
Ashley Shade

ABSTRACT Plasmids harbor transferable genes that contribute to the functional repertoire of microbial communities, yet their contributions to metagenomes are often overlooked. Environmental plasmids have the potential to spread antibiotic resistance to clinical microbial strains. In soils, high microbiome diversity and high variability in plasmid characteristics present a challenge for studying plasmids. To improve the understanding of soil plasmids, we present RefSoil+, a database containing plasmid sequences from 922 soil microorganisms. Soil plasmids were larger than other described plasmids, which is a trait associated with plasmid mobility. There was a weak relationship between chromosome size and plasmid size and no relationship between chromosome size and plasmid number, suggesting that these genomic traits are independent in soil. We used RefSoil+ to inform the distributions of antibiotic resistance genes among soil microorganisms compared to those among nonsoil microorganisms. Soil-associated plasmids, but not chromosomes, had fewer antibiotic resistance genes than other microorganisms. These data suggest that soils may offer limited opportunity for plasmid-mediated transfer of described antibiotic resistance genes. RefSoil+ can serve as a reference for the diversity, composition, and host associations of plasmid-borne functional genes in soil, a utility that will be enhanced as the database expands. Our study improves the understanding of soil plasmids and provides a resource for assessing the dynamics of the genes that they carry, especially genes conferring antibiotic resistances. IMPORTANCE Soil-associated plasmids have the potential to transfer antibiotic resistance genes from environmental to clinical microbial strains, which is a public health concern. A specific resource is needed to aggregate the knowledge of soil plasmid characteristics so that the content, host associations, and dynamics of antibiotic resistance genes can be assessed and then tracked between the environment and the clinic. Here, we present RefSoil+, a database of soil-associated plasmids. RefSoil+ presents a contemporary snapshot of antibiotic resistance genes in soil that can serve as a reference as novel plasmids and transferred antibiotic resistances are discovered. Our study broadens our understanding of plasmids in soil and provides a community resource of important plasmid-associated genes, including antibiotic resistance genes.


mSystems ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu Pan ◽  
Jiaxiong Zeng ◽  
Liguan Li ◽  
Jintao Yang ◽  
Ziyun Tang ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Widespread use of antibiotics has enhanced the evolution of highly resilient pathogens and poses a severe risk to human health via coselection of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and virulence factors (VFs). In this study, we rigorously evaluate the abundance relationship and physical linkage between ARGs and VFs by performing a comprehensive analysis of 9,070 bacterial genomes isolated from multiple species and hosts. The coexistence of ARGs and VFs was observed in bacteria across distinct phyla, pathogenicities, and habitats, especially among human-associated pathogens. The coexistence patterns of gene elements in different habitats and pathogenicity groups were similar, presumably due to frequent gene transfer. A shorter intergenic distance between mobile genetic elements and ARGs/VFs was detected in human/animal-associated bacteria, indicating a higher transfer potential. Increased accumulation of exogenous ARGs/VFs in human pathogens highlights the importance of gene acquisition in the evolution of human commensal bacteria. Overall, the findings provide insights into the genic features of combinations of ARG-VF and expand our understanding of ARG-VF coexistence in bacteria. IMPORTANCE Antibiotic resistance has become a serious global health concern. Despite numerous case studies, a comprehensive analysis of ARG and VF coexistence in bacteria is lacking. In this study, we explore the coexistence profiles of ARGs and VFs in diverse categories of bacteria by using a high-resolution bioinformatics approach. We also provide compelling evidence of unique ARG-VF gene pairs coexisting in specific bacterial genomes and reveal the potential risk associated with the coexistence of ARGs and VFs in organisms in both clinical settings and environments.


2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yasmin Neves Vieira Sabino ◽  
Mateus Ferreira Santana ◽  
Linda Boniface Oyama ◽  
Fernanda Godoy Santos ◽  
Ana Júlia Silva Moreira ◽  
...  

AbstractInfections caused by multidrug resistant bacteria represent a therapeutic challenge both in clinical settings and in livestock production, but the prevalence of antibiotic resistance genes among the species of bacteria that colonize the gastrointestinal tract of ruminants is not well characterized. Here, we investigate the resistome of 435 ruminal microbial genomes in silico and confirm representative phenotypes in vitro. We find a high abundance of genes encoding tetracycline resistance and evidence that the tet(W) gene is under positive selective pressure. Our findings reveal that tet(W) is located in a novel integrative and conjugative element in several ruminal bacterial genomes. Analyses of rumen microbial metatranscriptomes confirm the expression of the most abundant antibiotic resistance genes. Our data provide insight into antibiotic resistange gene profiles of the main species of ruminal bacteria and reveal the potential role of mobile genetic elements in shaping the resistome of the rumen microbiome, with implications for human and animal health.


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