Bacterial resistance genes are a new potential threat in the natural environment. The acquisition of resistance genes by bacteria will damage the effect of antibiotic treatment. At the same time, resistance genes can be transferred from one type of bacteria to another through horizontal gene transfer (HGT). However, the relationship between resistance genes and bacteria in the water environment is currently unclear.
Zhang Weihong, the Environmental Genomics Division of the Key Laboratory of Aquatic Plants and Watershed Ecology, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, under the guidance of researcher Yang Yuyi, investigated the relationship between drug-resistant genes and bacteria in the water environment through correlation analysis. The study found that aadA, tetM, mphA and tetA are the main resistance genes in the water environment. Firmicutes may be the main potential host of resistance genes. In addition, some drug resistance genes may be transmitted or exchanged between different bacteria through genetic elements (MGEs).
Related research results were published on Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety with the title of Large-scale pattern of resistance genes and bacterial community in the tap water along the middle and low reaches of the Yangtze River. The research work was supported by the research fund initiated by the Key Laboratory of Aquatic Plants and Watershed Ecology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.