Invasion of antibiotic resistance genes persisting in aquatic environments to humans: invasion mechanisms and the risk

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20H00633
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Medium-sized Section 63:Environmental analyses and evaluation and related fields
• Research Institution: Ehime University
• Principal Investigator: Suzuki Satoru 愛媛大学, 理工学研究科(工学系), 寄附講座教授 (90196816)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 佐野 大輔 東北大学, 工学研究科, 教授 (80550368) ; 渡辺 幸三 愛媛大学, 沿岸環境科学研究センター, 教授 (80634435)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 薬剤耐性 / 環境微生物 / 水環境 / 遺伝子伝播 / 暴露リスク

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The promotion of the transfer of antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) from aquatic bacteria to E. coli by organic matter, and the discovery of new ARGs and transfer factors, suggest the possibility of gene transfer in treated water drains and aquaculture farms, and convergence to specific transfer factors over time. It was revealed that ARGs in the hydrosphere can invade the human environment by flies. Acinetobacter, which is important as an opportunistic bacterium, has common ARGs between environmental and clinical strains, and environmental studies have suggested that it can spread between different environments. Finally, we built an ARGs propagation model and were able to contribute to environmental ARGs countermeasures from a One Health perspective.

Free Research Field

環境微生物学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

環境調査と実験で、下水排出口、養殖場などが耐性遺伝子(ARGs)拡散のリスクポイントと示唆された。また、ハエを運び屋として水環境のARGsが人間環境に侵入できること、Acinetobacterでの環境・臨床間でARGsに共有性があった。これらは、医学、獣医学に加えて環境学視点からの新規知見であり、学術的に環境視点からのパイオニア成果と言える。さらに、バイオフィルム系でのARGs伝達モデルが構築され、耐性菌対策（衛生対策）への提案が可能になったことは、社会的にも貢献できる成果である。