Details zur Publikation

Kategorie Textpublikation
Referenztyp Zeitschriften
DOI 10.1016/j.watres.2024.122570
Titel (primär) Understanding the mechanism of microplastic-associated antibiotic resistance genes in aquatic ecosystems: Insights from metagenomic analyses and machine learning
Autor Zhu, T.; Li, S.; Tao, C.; Chen, W.; Chen, M.; Zong, Z.; Wang, Y.; Li, Y.; Yan, B.
Quelle Water Research
Erscheinungsjahr 2025
Department AME
Band/Volume 268, Part A
Seite von art. 122570
Sprache englisch
Topic T7 Bioeconomy
Supplements https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0043135424014696-mmc1.pdf
Keywords Microplastic; Antibiotic resistance gene; Bacterial genus; Aquatic environment; Metagenomics; Machine learning
Abstract The pervasive presence of microplastics (MPs) in aquatic systems facilitates the transmission of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), thereby posing risks to ecosystems and human well-being. However, owing to variations in environmental backgrounds and the limited scope of research subjects, studies on ARGs in MPs lack unified conclusions, particularly regarding whether different types of MPs selectively promote ARG enrichment. Analysing large-scale datasets can better encompass broad spatiotemporal scales and diverse samples, facilitating a more extensive exploration of the complex ecological relationships between MPs and ARGs. The present study integrated existing metagenomic datasets to conduct a comprehensive risk assessment and comparative analysis of resistance groups across various MPs. In addition, we endeavoured to elucidate potential associations between ARGs and bacterial taxa, as well as MP structural features, using machine learning (ML) methods. The findings of our research highlight the pivotal role of MP type in shaping plastispheres, accounting for 9.56 % of the biotic variation (Adonis index) and explaining 18.59 % of the ARG variance. Compared to conventional MPs, biodegradable MPs, such as polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) and polylactic acid (PLA), exhibit lower species uniformity and diversity but pose a higher risk of ARG occurrence. These ML approaches effectively forecasted ARG abundance by using the bacterial taxa and molecular structure descriptors (MDs) of MPs (average R2tra = 0.882, R2test = 0.759). Feature analysis showed that MDs associated with lipophilicity, solubility, toxicity, and surface potential significantly influenced the relative abundance of ARGs in the plastispheres. The interpretable multiple linear regression (MLR) model, particularly notable, elucidated a linear relationship between bacterial genera and ARGs, offering promise for identifying potential ARG hosts. This study offers novel insights into ARG dynamics and ecological risks within aquatic plastispheres, highlighting the importance of comprehensive MP monitoring initiatives.
dauerhafte UFZ-Verlinkung https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20939&ufzPublicationIdentifier=29763
Zhu, T., Li, S., Tao, C., Chen, W., Chen, M., Zong, Z., Wang, Y., Li, Y., Yan, B. (2025):
Understanding the mechanism of microplastic-associated antibiotic resistance genes in aquatic ecosystems: Insights from metagenomic analyses and machine learning
Water Res. 268, Part A , art. 122570 10.1016/j.watres.2024.122570