Horizontal and vertical gene transfer drive sediment antibiotic resistome in an urban lagoon system

Rapid urbanization has resulted in pervasive occurrence of antibiotic resistance genes(ARGs)in urban aquatic ecosystems.However,limited information is available concerning the ARG profiles and the forces responsible for their assembly in urban landscape lagoon systems.Here,we employed high-throughput quantitative PCR(HT-q PCR)to characterize the spatial variations of ARGs in surface and core sediments of Yundang Lagoon,China.The results indicated that the average richness and absolute abundance of ARGs were 11 and 53 times higher in the lagoon sediments as compared to pristine reference Tibetan lake sediments,highlighting the role of anthropogenic activities in ARG pollution.Co-occurrence network analysis indicated that various anaerobic prokaryotic genera belonging to Alpha-,Deltaproteobacteria,Bacteroidetes,Euryarchaeota,Firmicutes and Synergistetes were the potential hosts of ARGs.The partial least squares-path modeling(PLS-PM)analysis revealed positive and negative indirect effects of physicochemical factors and heavy metals on the lagoon ARG profiles,via biotic factors,respectively.The horizontal(mediated by mobile genetic elements)and vertical(mediated by prokaryotic communities)gene transfer may directly contribute the most to drive the abundance and composition of ARGs,respectively.Furthermore,the neutral community model demonstrated that the assembly of sediment ARG communities was jointly governed by deterministic and stochastic processes.Overall,this study provides novel insights into the diversity and distribution of ARGs in the benthic habitat of urban lagoon systems and underlying mechanisms for the spread and proliferation of ARGs.

Advancing early warning and surveillance for zoonotic diseases under climate change:Interdisciplinary systematic perspectives

Zoonoses account for the majority of emerging infectious diseases and pose a serious threat to human and animal health.Under global warming and climate change,zoonoses are significantly affected by influencing hosts,vectors,and pathogen dynamics as well as their in-teractions.Traditional zoonoses surveillance relies on molecular or serological diagnostic methods to monitor pathogens from animal or patient samples,which may miss the early warning signs of pathogens spillover from the environment.Nowadays,new technologies such as remote sensing,environment-based screening,multi-omics,and big data science facilitate comprehensive active surveillance,offering great potential for early warning and prediction.Despite the recent technological advances,there is few reviews that explores the integration of cutting-edge technologies aimed at constructing a robust early warning system.Therefore,we discussed the opportunities,barriers,and limitations of interdisciplinary emerging technologies for exploring early warning and surveillance of zoonoses.This systematic review summarized a practical framework for early surveillance integrated with a modified SEIR model for zoonoses in the context of climate change.It also outlined challenges and future prospects in terms of data sharing,early detection of unknown zoonoses and the move towards global surveillance.

Seasonal hydrological dynamics govern lifestyle preference of aquatic antibiotic resistome

Antibiotic resistance genes(ARGs)are a well-known environmental concern.Yet,limited knowledge exists on the fate and transport of ARGs in deep freshwater reservoirs experiencing seasonal hydrological changes,especially in the context of particle-attached(PA)and free-living(FL)lifestyles.Here,the ARG profiles were examined using high-throughput quantitative PCR in PA and FL lifestyles during four seasons representing two hydrological phenomena(vertical mixing and thermal stratification)in the Shuikou Reservoir(SR),Southern China.The results indicated that seasonal hydrological dynamics were critical for influencing the ARGs in PA and FL and the transition of ARGs between the two lifestyles.ARG profiles both in PA and FL were likely to be shaped by horizontal gene transfer.However,they exhibited distinct responses to the physicochemical(e.g.,nutrients and dissolved oxygen)changes under seasonal hydrological dynamics.The particle-association niche(PAN)index revealed 94 non-conservative ARGs(i.e.,no preferences for PA and FL)and 23 and 16 conservative ARGs preferring PA and FL lifestyles,respectively.A sharp decline in conservative ARGs under stratified hydrologic suggested seasonal influence on the ARGs transition between PA and FL lifestyles.Remarkably,the conservative ARGs(in PA or FL lifestyle)were more closely related to bacterial OTUs in their preferred lifestyle than their counterparts,indicating lifestyle-dependent ARG enrichment.Altogether,these findings enhanced our understanding of the ARG lifestyles and the role of seasonal hydrological changes in governing the ARG transition between the lifestyles in a typical deep freshwater ecosystem.