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Manure is known to contain residues of antibiotics administered to farm animals as well as bacteria carrying antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). These genes are often located on mobile genetic elements. In biogas plants (BGPs), organic substrates such as manure and plant material are mixed and fermented in order to provide energy, and resulting digestates are used for soil fertilization. The fate of plasmid carrying bacteria from manure during the fermentation process is unknown. The present study focused on transferable antibiotic resistance plasmids from digestates of seven BGPs, using manure as a co-substrate, and their phenotypic and genotypic characterization. Plasmids conferring resistance to either tetracycline or sulfadiazine were captured by means of exogenous plasmid isolation from digestates into Pseudomonas putida KT2442 and Escherichia coli CV601 recipients, at transfer frequencies ranging from 10-5 to 10-7. Transconjugants (n = 101) were screened by PCR-Southern blot hybridization and real-time PCR for the presence of IncP-1, IncP-1ε, IncW, IncN, IncP-7, IncP-9, LowGC and IncQ plasmids. While 61 plasmids remained unassigned, 40 plasmids belonged to the IncP-1ε subgroup. All these IncP-1ε plasmids were shown to harbor the genes tetA, sul1, qacE∆1, intI1 and integron gene cassette amplicons of different size. Further analysis of 16 representative IncP-1ε plasmids showed that they conferred six different multiple antibiotic resistance patterns and their diversity seemed to be driven by the gene cassette arrays. IncP-1ε plasmids displaying similar restriction and antibiotic resistance patterns were captured from different BGPs, suggesting that they may be typical for this environment. Our study showed that BGP digestates are a potential source of transferable antibiotic resistance plasmids and in particular the broad host range IncP-1ε plasmids might contribute to the spread of ARGs when digestates are used as fertilizer.

Manure is known to contain residues of antibiotics administered to farm animals as well as bacteria carrying antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). These genes are often located on mobile genetic elements. In biogas plants (BGPs), organic substrates such as manure and plant material are mixed and fermented in order to provide energy, and resulting digestates are used for soil fertilization. The fate of plasmid carrying bacteria from manure during the fermentation process is unknown. The present study focused on transferable antibiotic resistance plasmids from digestates of seven BGPs, using manure as a co-substrate, and their phenotypic and genotypic characterization. Plasmids conferring resistance to either tetracycline or sulfadiazine were captured by means of exogenous plasmid isolation from digestates into Pseudomonas putida KT2442 and Escherichia coli CV601 recipients, at transfer frequencies ranging from 10-5 to 10-7. Transconjugants (n = 101) were screened by PCR-Southern blot hybridization and real-time PCR for the presence of IncP-1, IncP-1ε, IncW, IncN, IncP-7, IncP-9, LowGC, and IncQ plasmids. While 61 plasmids remained unassigned, 40 plasmids belonged to the IncP-1ε subgroup. All these IncP-1ε plasmids were shown to harbor the genes tet(A), sul1, qacEΔ1, intl1, and integron gene cassette amplicons of different size. Further analysis of 16 representative IncP-1ε plasmids showed that they conferred six different multiple antibiotic resistance patterns and their diversity seemed to be driven by the gene cassette arrays. IncP-1ε plasmids displaying similar restriction and antibiotic resistance patterns were captured from different BGPs, suggesting that they may be typical of this environment. Our study showed that BGP digestates are a potential source of transferable antibiotic resistance plasmids, and in particular the broad host range IncP-1ε plasmids might contribute to the spread of ARGs when digestates are used as fertilizer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims Transmissible plasmids captured from stream and soil bacteria conferring resistance to tetracycline in Pseudomonas were evaluated for linked resistance to antibiotics used in the treatment of human infections. Methods and Results Cells released from stream sediments and soils were conjugated with a rifampicin-resistant, plasmid-free Pseudomonas putida recipient and selected on tetracycline and rifampicin. Each transconjugant contained a single 50-80 kb plasmid. Resistance to 11 antibiotics, in addition to tetracycline, was determined for the stream transconjugants using a modification of the Stokes disc diffusion antibiotic susceptibility assay. Nearly half of plasmids conferred resistance to six or more antibiotics. Resistance to streptomycin, gentamicin, and/or ticarcillin was conferred by a majority of the plasmids, and resistance to additional human clinical use antibiotics such as piperacillin/tazobactam, ciprofloxacin and aztreonam was observed. MICs of 16 antibiotics for representative sediment and soil transconjugants revealed large increases, relative to the Ps. putida recipient, for 11 of 16 antibiotics tested, including the expanded spectrum antibiotics cefotaxime and ceftazidime, as well as piperacillin/tazobactam, lomefloxacin and levofloxacin. Conclusions Resistance to multiple antibiotics-including those typically used in clinical Pseudomonas and enterobacterial infections-can be conferred by transmissible plasmids in streams and soils. Significance and Impact of Study Selective pressure exerted by the use of one antibiotic, such as the common agricultural antibiotic tetracycline, may result in the persistence of linked genes conferring resistance to important human clinical antibiotics. This may impact the spread of resistance to human use antibiotics even in the absence of direct selection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exogenous plasmid isolation method was used to assess conjugative plasmids conferring pesticide tolerance/multiple metal and antibiotic resistance from contaminated soil using bacteria detached from soil samples as a donor and rifampicin resistant E. coli HMS as a recipient strain on mineral salt agar medium supplemented with γ-HCH, and antibiotics ampicillin, tetracycline, chloramphenicol and kanamycin. Transconjugants were obtained on ampicillin (10 μg/ml) and tetracycline (20 μg/ml) amended MSA plates and frequency of ampicillin and tetracycline resistance gene transfer was 7.2 × 10 and 9.2 × 10 transconjugants/recipient, respectively. PCR typing methods were used to assess the presence of plasmids of the incompatibility groups IncP, IncN, IncW, IncQ and rolling circle plasmids of pMV158 type in DNA derived from transconjugants. All transconjugants were PCR amplified for the detection of Inc group plasmids and rolling circle plasmids of pMV158 family in which TM2, 3, 4, 11 and 12 (tet) transconjugants gave PCR products with the IncP-specific primers for both replication and transfer functions ( trfA2 and oriT), while TM 14 (amp) gave an IncP specific PCR product for the replication gene trfA2 only. TM15, 16, 18 and 21 (amp) gave a PCR product for the IncW-specific oriT. Out of 24 transconjugants, only TM 5 (tet) gave a PCR product with the pMV158 specific primer pair for oriT. Our findings indicate that Inc group plasmids and rolling circle plasmids of pMV158 type may be responsible for transferring multiple antibiotic resistance genes among the bacterial soil community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presence of selected tetracycline resistance (TcR) genes was studied in different Greek seawater habitats, originated from wastewater treatment facilities, fishfarm, and coastal environments. The methods employed included assessment of the presence of twelve gene clusters by PCR, followed by hybridization with specific probes, in habitat extracted DNA, TcR bacteria, and exogenous isolated plasmids conferring TcR. The direct DNA-based analysis showed that tet(A) and tet(K) genes were detected in all habitats, whilst tet(C) and tet(E) were present in fishfarm and wastewater effluent samples and tet(M) was detected in fish-farm and coastal samples. Resistance genes tet(h), tet(C), tet(K), and tet(M) were detected in 60 of the 89 isolates screened. These isolates were identified by fatty acid methyl ester analysis (FAME) as Stenotrophomonas, Acinetobacter, Pseudomonas, Bacillus, and Staphylococcus strains. The presence of the TcR genes in 15% of the bacterial isolates coincided with the presence of IncP plasmids. A habitat-specific dissemination of IncP alpha plasmids in wastewater effluent isolates and of IncP beta plasmids in fishfarm isolates was observed. Exogenous isolation demonstrated the presence of plasmids harbouring TcR genes in all the habitats tested. Plasmids were shown to carry tet(h), tet(C), tet(E), and tet(K) genes. It is concluded that TcR genes are widespread in the seawater habitats studied and often occur on broad host range plasmids that seem to be well disseminated in the bacterial communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the prevalence and types of transferable antibiotic resistance plasmids in piggery manure were investigated. Samples from manure storage tanks of 15 farms in Germany were analysed, representing diverse sizes of herds, meat or piglet production. Antibiotic resistance plasmids from manure bacteria were captured in gfp-tagged rifampicin-resistant Escherichia coli and characterized. The occurrence of plasmid types was also detected in total community DNA by PCR and hybridization. A total of 228 transconjugants were captured from 15 manures using selective media supplemented with amoxicillin, sulfadiazine or tetracycline. The restriction patterns of 81 plasmids representing different antibiotic resistance patterns or different samples clustered into seven groups. Replicon probing revealed that 28 of the plasmids belonged to IncN, one to IncW, 13 to IncP-1 and 19 to the recently discovered pHHV216-like plasmids. The amoxicillin resistance gene bla-TEM was detected on 44 plasmids, and sulphonamide resistance genes sul1, sul2 and/or sul3 on 68 plasmids. Hybridization of replicon-specific sequences amplified from community DNA revealed that IncP-1 and pHHV216-like plasmids were detected in all manures, while IncN and IncW ones were less frequent. This study showed that ‘field-scale’ piggery manure is a reservoir of broad-host range plasmids conferring multiple antibiotic resistance genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria, nutrients and antibiotics that enter the soil by means of manure may enhance the proportion of bacteria displaying antibiotic resistance among soil bacteria and may affect bacterial community structure and function. To investigate the effect of manure and amoxicillin added to manure on soil bacterial communities, microcosm experiments were performed with two soil types and the following treatments: (1) nontreated, (2) manure-treated, (3) treated with manure supplemented with 10 mg amoxicillin kg−1 soil and (4) treated with manure supplemented with 100 mg amoxicillin kg−1 soil, with four replicates per treatment. Manure significantly increased the total CFU count and the amoxicillin-resistant CFU count of both soil types. However, only the soil with a history of manure treatment showed a significant increase in the relative number of amoxicillin-resistant bacteria as a result of amoxicillin amendment. The majority of plasmids exogenously isolated from soil originated from soil treated with amoxicillin-supplemented manure. All 16 characterized plasmids carried the bla-TEM gene, and 10 of them belonged to the IncN group. The bla-TEM gene was detected in DNA directly extracted from soil by dot-blot hybridization of PCR amplicons and showed an increased abundance in soil samples treated with manure. Molecular fingerprint analysis of 16S rRNA gene fragments amplified from soil DNA revealed significant effects of manure and amoxicillin on the bacterial community of both soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prevalence of selected streptomycin (Sm)-resistance genes, i.e. aph (3″), aph (6)-1d, aph (6)-1c, ant (3″) and ant (6), was assessed in a range of pristine as well as polluted European habitats. These habitats included bulk and rhizosphere soils, manure from farm animals, activated sludge from wastewater treatment plants and seawater. The methods employed included assessments of the prevalence of the genes in habitat-extracted DNA by PCR, followed by hybridisation with specific probes, Sm-resistant culturable bacteria and exogenous isolation of plasmids carrying Sm-resistance determinants. The direct DNA-based analysis showed that aph (6)-1d genes were most prevalent in the habitats examined. The presence of the other four Sm-modifying genes was demonstrated in 58% of the tested habitats. A small fraction of the bacterial isolates (8%) did not possess any of the selected Sm-modifying genes. These isolates were primarily obtained from activated sludge and manure. The presence of Sm-modifying genes in the isolates often coincided with the presence of IncP plasmids. Exogenous isolation demonstrated the presence of plasmids of 40–200 kb in size harbouring Sm-resistance genes from all the environments tested. Most plasmids were shown to carry the ant (3″) gene, often in combination with other Sm-resistance genes, such as aph (3″) and aph (6)-1d. The most commonly found Sm-modifying gene on mobile genetic elements was ant (3″). Multiple Sm-resistance genes on the same genetic elements appeared to be the rule rather than the exception. It is concluded that Sm-resistance genes are widespread in the environmental habitats studied and often occur on mobile genetic elements and ant (3″) was most often encountered. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In order to isolate antibiotic resistance plasmids from bacterial communities found in activated sludge, derivatives of the 3-chlorobenzoate-degrading strain Pseudomonas sp. B13, tagged with the green fluorescent protein as an identification marker, were used as recipients in filter crosses. Transconjugants were selected on agar plates containing 3-chlorobenzoate as the sole carbon source and the antibiotic tetracycline, streptomycin or spectinomycin, and were recovered at frequencies in the range of 10−5 to 10−8 per recipient. A total of 12 distinct plasmids, designated pB1–pB12, was identified. Their sizes ranged between 41 to 69 kb and they conferred various patterns of antibiotic resistance on their hosts. Two of the plasmids, pB10 and pB11, also mediated resistance to inorganic mercury. Seven of the 12 plasmids were identified as broad-host-range plasmids, displaying extremely high transfer frequencies in filter crosses, ranging from 10−1 to 10−2 per recipient cell. Ten of the 12 plasmids belonged to the IncP incompatibility group, based on replicon typing using IncP group-specific PCR primers. DNA sequencing of PCR amplification products further revealed that eight of the 12 plasmids belonged to the IncPβ subgroup, whereas two plasmids were identified as IncPα plasmids. Analysis of the IncP-specific PCR products revealed considerable differences among the IncPβ plasmids at the DNA sequence level. In order to characterize the gene “load” of the IncP plasmids, restriction fragments were cloned and their DNA sequences established. A remarkable diversity of putative proteins encoded by these fragments was identified. Besides transposases and proteins involved in antibiotic resistance, two putative DNA invertases belonging to the Din family, a methyltransferase of a type I restriction/modification system, a superoxide dismutase, parts of a putative efflux system belonging to the RND family, and proteins of unknown function were identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]