Multiple contamination effect on occurrence and spreading of antibiotic resistance genes in environment

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 22241014
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Risk sciences of radiation/Chemicals
• Research Institution: Ehime University
• Principal Investigator: SUZUKI Satoru 愛媛大学, 沿岸環境科学研究センター, 教授 (90196816)
• Project Period (FY): 2010-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 薬剤耐性 / 耐性遺伝子 / 遺伝子水平伝播 / 環境細菌 / 日和見感染菌

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Environmental contamination with antibiotics and other chemicals showed various effect on microbes. 1) Co-presence of vanadium and antibiotics accelerate horizontal gene transfer (HGT) between Vibrio and E. coli, but not between Acinetobacter and Vibrio, suggesting specific combination is needed for the HGT acceleration. 2) This suggests that HGT among opportunistic pathogens in environment is a case by case manner. 3) Yet-to-be cultured marine bacteria are a reservoir of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), which is the first evidence of role of non-culturable microbes in the ARGs retaining in environment. 4) ARGs are retained in non-contaminated environment such as marine sediment for long time. Next mission is to clear the invasion rout to human environment, and to evaluate the risk.

Free Research Field

環境微生物学