Ku H, Kelk D, Bauer D C, Sidhu J P S
CSIRO Environment, Ecosciences Precinct, 41 Boggo Road, Dutton Park, QLD 4102, Australia.
CSIRO Environment, Ecosciences Precinct, 41 Boggo Road, Dutton Park, QLD 4102, Australia.
Sci Total Environ. 2025 Jan 10;959:178157. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.178157. Epub 2024 Dec 26.
This study investigated the potential role of phages in the dissemination of antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) and virulence factor genes (VFGs) in Escherichia coli (E. coli). A comprehensive in silico analysis of 18,410 phage sequences retrieved from the National Center for Biotechnology Information database (NCBI) revealed distinct carriage patterns for ARGs and VFGs between lytic, temperate, and chronic phage types. Notably, 57 temperate phages carried ARGs, particularly associated with multidrug and aminoglycoside resistance. Temperate phages (8.97 %, 635/7081) and chronic phages (8.09 %, 14/173) exhibited a significantly higher prevalence of VFGs (Chi-Square, p ≤ 0.05), particularly associated with exotoxin-related genes, compared to lytic phages (0.05 %, 6/11,156). This underscores the role phages play as reservoirs and potential vectors for the dissemination of ARGs and VFGs in bacteria. Our environmental E. coli isolates (n = 60) were found to carry 179 intact prophages containing polymyxin, macrolide, tetracycline, and multidrug resistance genes as well as various VFGs. This study documents the presence of phage-plasmids (P-Ps) in environmental E. coli isolates, offering new insights into horizontal gene transfer (HGT) mechanisms. Notably, the bla gene, associated with beta-lactam resistance, was identified in two P-Ps, suggesting a potentially novel route for the dissemination of beta-lactam resistance. The diverse replicon types observed in P-Ps suggest a broader integration capacity compared to traditional plasmids, potentially enabling the bla gene dissemination across diverse bacterial species. This study provides valuable insights into the multifaceted role of phages in shaping the antimicrobial resistance landscape. Further research is necessary to fully understand the intricate mechanisms underlying phage-mediated ARG and VFG dissemination.
本研究调查了噬菌体在大肠杆菌中抗菌抗性基因（ARGs）和毒力因子基因（VFGs）传播中的潜在作用。对从美国国立生物技术信息中心数据库（NCBI）检索到的18410个噬菌体序列进行的全面计算机分析揭示了裂解性、温和性和慢性噬菌体类型之间ARGs和VFGs的不同携带模式。值得注意的是，57个温和噬菌体携带ARGs，尤其与多药和氨基糖苷类抗性相关。与裂解性噬菌体（0.05%，6/11156）相比，温和噬菌体（8.97%，635/7081）和慢性噬菌体（8.09%，14/173）表现出显著更高的VFGs流行率（卡方检验，p≤0.05），尤其与外毒素相关基因有关。这突出了噬菌体作为细菌中ARGs和VFGs传播的储存库和潜在载体所起的作用。我们发现环境大肠杆菌分离株（n = 60）携带179个完整的前噬菌体，这些前噬菌体含有多粘菌素、大环内酯、四环素和多药抗性基因以及各种VFGs。本研究记录了环境大肠杆菌分离株中噬菌体-质粒（P-Ps）的存在，为水平基因转移（HGT）机制提供了新的见解。值得注意的是，在两个P-Ps中鉴定出了与β-内酰胺抗性相关的bla基因，这表明β-内酰胺抗性传播可能存在一条潜在的新途径。在P-Ps中观察到的不同复制子类型表明，与传统质粒相比，其具有更广泛的整合能力，这可能使bla基因能够在不同细菌物种中传播。本研究为噬菌体在塑造抗菌抗性格局中的多方面作用提供了有价值的见解。有必要进行进一步研究以充分了解噬菌体介导的ARGs和VFGs传播的复杂机制。
