Viral and eukaryotic drivers of prokaryotic and antibiotic resistance gene diversity in wastewater microbiomes.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) are proliferating in wastewater microbiomes, yet the biotic forces shaping their diversity remain poorly understood. Here, we integrate 14 months of metagenomic and metatranscriptomic data from a wastewater treatment plant to reveal that viruses and microeukaryotes, long-overlooked trophic actors, may play an important role in shaping bacterial and ARG diversity.

Results

We show that viral and microeukaryotic communities exhibit strong seasonal dynamics that cascade through the microbial food web, significantly structuring prokaryotic communities and subsequently ARG profiles. Crucially, we find that viral and microeukaryotic diversity are positively associated with bacterial diversity, which in turn shapes ARG diversity, undersc

SUBMITTER: Weiss A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12805738 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature