Long-read metagenomic sequencing reveals shifts in associations of antibiotic resistance genes with mobile genetic elements from sewage to activated sludge.

ABSTRACT:

Background

There is concern that the microbially rich activated sludge environment of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) may contribute to the dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). We applied long-read (nanopore) sequencing to profile ARGs and their neighboring genes to illuminate their fate in the activated sludge treatment by comparing their abundance, genetic locations, mobility potential, and bacterial hosts within activated sludge relative to those in influent sewage across five WWTPs from three continents.

Results

The abundances (gene copies per Gb of reads, aka gc/Gb) of all ARGs and those carried by putative pathogens decreased 75-90% from influent sewage (192-605 gc/Gb) to activated sludge (31-62 gc/Gb) at all five WWTPs. Long reads enabled quantific

SUBMITTER: Dai D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8801152 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature