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Antibiotics
Special Issues
The Distribution of Antibiotic Resistance in Terrestrial Ecosystems
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The Distribution of Antibiotic Resistance in Terrestrial Ecosystems

A special issue of Antibiotics (ISSN 2079-6382). This special issue belongs to the section "Mechanisms and Structural Biology of Antibiotic Action".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2021) | Viewed by 18186

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Sven Jechalke

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Phytopathology, Centre for BioSystems, Land Use and Nutrition, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, 35392 Giessen, Germany
Interests: plant–bacteria interactions; antibiotic resistance in the environment; plasmids; horizontal gene transfer
Dr. Heiko Nacke

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Genomic and Applied Microbiology, Grisebachstr. 8, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, Georg-August University Göttingen, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
Interests: antibiotic resistance; soil microorganisms; mobile genetic elements; microbial ecology; molecular microbiology; comparative genomics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Terrestrial ecosystems comprise various sources of antibiotic resistance (ABR), which have gained public attention due to an increasing prevalence of multidrug-resistant pathogens globally, threatening our ability to treat bacterial infections in human therapy. A deeper knowledge of these sources, including the abundance, diversity, mobility, and hosts of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) as well as the identification of factors determining resistome properties, is fundamental for the development of strategies to reduce the spread of ABR in the environment.

For this Special Issue, we invite authors to submit manuscripts focusing on selected ARGs or comprehensive resistomes present in terrestrial ecosystems. In this context, mobile genetic elements fostering the dissemination of ABR, as well as influential abiotic and biotic factors such as soil type, climate, agricultural management, and plants or animals will be considered. Furthermore, pristine terrestrial ecosystems as well as those that are hardly or intensely affected by anthropogenic activities will be covered, and studies comparing these environments are welcome. Both original research articles as well as reviews can be submitted for publication in this Special Issue.

Dr. Sven Jechalke
Dr. Heiko Nacke
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Antibiotics is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • antibiotic resistance
  • resistome
  • horizontal gene transfer
  • terrestrial ecosystem

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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9 pages, 694 KiB  
Article
Determinants of Antimicrobial Resistance among the Different European Countries: More than Human and Animal Antimicrobial Consumption
by Ana C. Silva, Paulo Jorge Nogueira and José-Artur Paiva
Antibiotics 2021, 10(7), 834; https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics10070834 - 9 Jul 2021
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 4560
Abstract
Although antimicrobial consumption is considered the main driver of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), other factors probably have a significant but less studied impact. The study’s goal was to assess AMR drivers across different European countries and quantify their possible contributions using the latest data [...] Read more.
Although antimicrobial consumption is considered the main driver of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), other factors probably have a significant but less studied impact. The study’s goal was to assess AMR drivers across different European countries and quantify their possible contributions using the latest data available. Using the ESAC-Net (European Surveillance of Antimicrobial Consumption Network) database, the ESVAC (European Surveillance of Veterinary Antimicrobial Consumption) database and the OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) information, a dataset including 23 European countries was created. Associations between AMR and potential contributing factors were assessed using bivariate correlation and multiple linear regression models for multivariable analyses. Factors associated with the AMR rate among European countries were human ambulatory consumption of antibiotics and per capita expenditure on health, meaning that the higher human ambulatory consumption of antibiotics and the lower the per capita expenditure on health, the higher the AMR. Both variables together explain 74% of AMR variation. Private expenditure on health in terms of % GDP (Gross Domestic Profit) was positively related to a higher AMR rate. In conclusion, considering antibiotic consumption as the most important factor contributing to AMR may be a deviant focus, as resistance transmission may be paramount for AMR levels. Low per capita expenditure on health, probably a surrogate of worse healthcare conditions and a high level of resistance transmission, has a strong correlation with the AMR rate. Increasing public expenditure on healthcare, to strengthen infection control structures and processes interventions, seems relevant to tackle antimicrobial resistance at the European scale. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Distribution of Antibiotic Resistance in Terrestrial Ecosystems)
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14 pages, 1820 KiB  
Article
Novel Soil-Derived Beta-Lactam, Chloramphenicol, Fosfomycin and Trimethoprim Resistance Genes Revealed by Functional Metagenomics
by Inka Marie Willms, Maja Grote, Melissa Kocatürk, Lukas Singhoff, Alina Andrea Kraft, Simon Henning Bolz and Heiko Nacke
Antibiotics 2021, 10(4), 378; https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics10040378 - 3 Apr 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3910
Abstract
Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in soil are considered to represent one of the largest environmental resistomes on our planet. As these genes can potentially be disseminated among microorganisms via horizontal gene transfer (HGT) and in some cases are acquired by clinical pathogens, knowledge [...] Read more.
Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in soil are considered to represent one of the largest environmental resistomes on our planet. As these genes can potentially be disseminated among microorganisms via horizontal gene transfer (HGT) and in some cases are acquired by clinical pathogens, knowledge about their diversity, mobility and encoded resistance spectra gained increasing public attention. This knowledge offers opportunities with respect to improved risk prediction and development of strategies to tackle antibiotic resistance, and might help to direct the design of novel antibiotics, before further resistances reach hospital settings or the animal sector. Here, metagenomic libraries, which comprise genes of cultivated microorganisms, but, importantly, also those carried by the uncultured microbial majority, were screened for novel ARGs from forest and grassland soils. We detected three new beta-lactam, a so far unknown chloramphenicol, a novel fosfomycin, as well as three previously undiscovered trimethoprim resistance genes. These ARGs were derived from phylogenetically diverse soil bacteria and predicted to encode antibiotic inactivation, antibiotic efflux, or alternative variants of target enzymes. Moreover, deduced gene products show a minimum identity of ~21% to reference database entries and confer high-level resistance. This highlights the vast potential of functional metagenomics for the discovery of novel ARGs from soil ecosystems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Distribution of Antibiotic Resistance in Terrestrial Ecosystems)
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14 pages, 3539 KiB  
Article
Gentamicin Adsorption onto Soil Particles Prevents Overall Short-Term Effects on the Soil Microbiome and Resistome
by Concepcion Sanchez-Cid, Alexandre Guironnet, Laure Wiest, Emmanuelle Vulliet and Timothy M. Vogel
Antibiotics 2021, 10(2), 191; https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics10020191 - 15 Feb 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3010
Abstract
Antibiotics used in agriculture may reach the environment and stimulate the development and dissemination of antibiotic resistance in the soil microbiome. However, the scope of this phenomenon and the link to soil properties needs to be elucidated. This study compared the short-term effects [...] Read more.
Antibiotics used in agriculture may reach the environment and stimulate the development and dissemination of antibiotic resistance in the soil microbiome. However, the scope of this phenomenon and the link to soil properties needs to be elucidated. This study compared the short-term effects of a range of gentamicin concentrations on the microbiome and resistome of bacterial enrichments and microcosms of an agricultural soil using a metagenomic approach. Gentamicin impact on bacterial biomass was roughly estimated by the number of 16SrRNA gene copies. In addition, the soil microbiome and resistome response to gentamicin pollution was evaluated by 16SrRNA gene and metagenomic sequencing, respectively. Finally, gentamicin bioavailability in soil was determined. While gentamicin pollution at the scale of µg/g strongly influenced the bacterial communities in soil enrichments, concentrations up to 1 mg/g were strongly adsorbed onto soil particles and did not cause significant changes in the microbiome and resistome of soil microcosms. This study demonstrates the differences between the response of bacterial communities to antibiotic pollution in enriched media and in their environmental matrix, and exposes the limitations of culture-based studies in antibiotic-resistance surveillance. Furthermore, establishing links between the effects of antibiotic pollution and soil properties is needed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Distribution of Antibiotic Resistance in Terrestrial Ecosystems)
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Review

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26 pages, 2024 KiB  
Review
Performance Efficiency of Conventional Treatment Plants and Constructed Wetlands towards Reduction of Antibiotic Resistance
by Moushumi Hazra and Lisa M. Durso
Antibiotics 2022, 11(1), 114; https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics11010114 - 16 Jan 2022
Cited by 35 | Viewed by 5641
Abstract
Domestic and industrial wastewater discharges harbor rich bacterial communities, including both pathogenic and commensal organisms that are antibiotic-resistant (AR). AR pathogens pose a potential threat to human and animal health. In wastewater treatment plants (WWTP), bacteria encounter environments suitable for horizontal gene transfer, [...] Read more.
Domestic and industrial wastewater discharges harbor rich bacterial communities, including both pathogenic and commensal organisms that are antibiotic-resistant (AR). AR pathogens pose a potential threat to human and animal health. In wastewater treatment plants (WWTP), bacteria encounter environments suitable for horizontal gene transfer, providing an opportunity for bacterial cells to acquire new antibiotic-resistant genes. With many entry points to environmental components, especially water and soil, WWTPs are considered a critical control point for antibiotic resistance. The primary and secondary units of conventional WWTPs are not designed for the reduction of resistant microbes. Constructed wetlands (CWs) are viable wastewater treatment options with the potential for mitigating AR bacteria, their genes, pathogens, and general pollutants. Encouraging performance for the removal of AR (2–4 logs) has highlighted the applicability of CW on fields. Their low cost of construction, operation and maintenance makes them well suited for applications across the globe, especially in developing and low-income countries. The present review highlights a better understanding of the performance efficiency of conventional treatment plants and CWs for the elimination/reduction of AR from wastewater. They are viable alternatives that can be used for secondary/tertiary treatment or effluent polishing in combination with WWTP or in a decentralized manner. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Distribution of Antibiotic Resistance in Terrestrial Ecosystems)
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