Effects of Salinity Fluctuation on Antimicrobial Resistance and Virulence Factor Genes of Low and High Nucleic Acid-Content Bacteria in a Marine Environment.

ABSTRACT: Salinity, as one of the critical environmental factors in marine ecosystems, has complex and wide-ranging biological effects. However, the effects of salinity fluctuation on antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and virulence factor genes (VFGs) in the marine environment are not well understood. In this study, metagenomic sequencing analysis was used to reveal the response of ARGs and VFGs, hosted by low and high nucleic acid-content bacteria (HNA and LNA bacteria), to salinity, as it decreased from 26‱ to 16‱. The results showed that a total of 27 ARG types and 13 VFG types in HNA and LNA bacteria were found. Salinity changes had significant effects on the ARGs' and VFGs' composition and their hosts' composition. In the network topology relationship, the complexity of the network between the

SUBMITTER: Hu W 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12298737 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature