Microplastic diversity increases the abundance of antibiotic resistance genes in soil

Yi-Fei Wang, Yan-Jie Liu, Yan-Mei Fu, Jia-Yang Xu, Tian-Lun Zhang, Hui-Ling Cui, Min Qiao (), Matthias C. Rillig, Yong-Guan Zhu and Dong Zhu ()
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Yi-Fei Wang: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Yan-Jie Liu: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Yan-Mei Fu: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Jia-Yang Xu: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Tian-Lun Zhang: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Hui-Ling Cui: University of Chinese Academy of Sciences
Min Qiao: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Matthias C. Rillig: Freie Universität Berlin
Yong-Guan Zhu: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Dong Zhu: Chinese Academy of Sciences

Nature Communications, 2024, vol. 15, issue 1, 1-15

Abstract: Abstract The impact of microplastics on antibiotic resistance has attracted widespread attention. However, previous studies primarily focused on the effects of individual microplastics. In reality, diverse microplastic types accumulate in soil, and it remains less well studied whether microplastic diversity (i.e., variations in color, shape or polymer type) can be an important driver of increased antibiotic resistance gene (ARG) abundance. Here, we employed microcosm studies to investigate the effects of microplastic diversity on soil ARG dynamics through metagenomic analysis. Additionally, we evaluated the associated potential health risks by profiling virulence factor genes (VFGs) and mobile genetic elements (MGEs). Our findings reveal that as microplastic diversity increases, there is a corresponding rise in the abundance of soil ARGs, VFGs and MGEs. We further identified microbial adaptive strategies involving genes (changed genetic diversity), community (increased specific microbes), and functions (enriched metabolic pathways) that correlate with increased ARG abundance and may thus contribute to ARG dissemination. Additional global change factors, including fungicide application and plant diversity reduction, also contributed to elevated ARG abundance. Our findings suggest that, in addition to considering contamination levels, it is crucial to monitor microplastic diversity in ecosystems due to their potential role in driving the dissemination of antibiotic resistance through multiple pathways.

Date: 2024
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-54237-7

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