土壤中抗性基因的产生,扩散传播以及消减的研究进展

近年来,土壤中残留的大量抗生素不可避免的导致耐药微生物和抗性基因的增加和扩散,引起一系列土壤污染和生态风险。作为一类新兴污染物,抗性基因的污染水平已经远远超出我们的预想,因此对土壤中抗性基因的分布水平、扩散传播及消减技术的研究刻不容缓。本文对国内外土壤中抗生素和抗性基因残留水平进行了总结分析,探讨了土壤中抗性基因的产生、扩散的内在动力和机制。同时,分析了土壤中抗性基因分布和扩散的影响因素,如:抗生素残留水平,土壤理化性质和环境条件等。在此基础上,探讨了土壤抗性基因阻隔和消减技术,包括传统降解方法:高温,光照催化、微波-H2O2-微生物联合处理技术等,并提出新型消解技术:取代活性基团、靶位修饰以及改变外排泵的通透性等。讨论未来在控制抗性基因生态风险,降低其在土壤中的丰度,有效阻截技术的发展趋势。     

Silent Genes: Antimicrobial Resistance and Antibiotic Production

Silent genes are DNA sequences that are generally not expressed or expressed at a very low level. These genes become active as a result of mutation, recombination, or insertion. Silent genes can also be activated in laboratory conditions using pleiotropic, targeted genome-wide, or biosynthetic gene cluster approaches. Like every other gene, silent genes can spread through horizontal gene transfer. Most studies have focused on strains with phenotypic resistance, which is the most common subject. However, to fully understand the mechanism behind the spreading of antibiotic resistance, it is reasonable to study the whole resistome, including silent genes. Open in a separate window     

Phylogenetic Analysis of Antibiotic Glycosyltransferases

Catalyzed by a family of enzymes called glycosyltransferases, glycosylation reactions are essential for the bioactivities of secondary metabolites such as antibiotics. Due to the special characters of antibiotic glycosyltransferases (AGts), antibiotics can function by attaching some unusual deoxy-sugars to their aglycons. Comprehensive similarity searches on the amino acid sequences of AGts have been performed. We reconstructed the molecular phylogeny of AGts with neighbor-joining, maximum-likelihood, and Bayesian methods of phylogenetic inference. The phylogenetic trees show a distinct separation of polyene macrolide (PEM) AGts and other polyketide AGts. The former are more like eukaryotic glycosyltransferases and were deduced to be the results of horizontal gene transfer from eukaryotes. Protein tertiary structural comparison also indicated that some glycopeptide AGts (Gtf-proteins) have a close evolutionary relationship with MurGs, essential glycosyltransferases involved in maturation of bacterial cell walls. The evolutionary relationship of glycopeptide antibiotic biosynthetic gene clusters was speculated according to the phylogenetic analysis of Gtf-proteins. Considering the fact that polyketide AGts and Gtf-proteins are all GT Family 1 members and their aglycon acceptor biosynthetic patterns are very similar, we deduced that AGts and the synthases of their aglycon acceptors have some evolutionary relevance. Finally, the evolutionary origins of AGts that do not fall into GT Family 1 are discussed, suggesting that their ancestral proteins appear to be derived from various proteins responsible for primary metabolism. [Reviewing Editor: Dr. Niles Lehman]     

沙门氏菌抗生素抗性机理研究进展

沙门氏菌的多重耐药性问题已经成为世界范围内的公共卫生和经济问题.目前沙门氏菌抗生素抗性机理的研究主要集中以下方面:(1)基因突变与抗生素抗性;(2)外排泵与抗生素抗性:(3)耐药基因编码的钝化酶和灭活酶引起的抗生素抗性;(4)可移动的细菌遗传耐药基因元件及其转移与抗生素抗性.本文基于以上几个方面综述了与沙门氏菌抗生素抗性机理研究相关的研究动态和研究进展.     

Diversity of mercury resistance plasmids obtained by exogenous isolation from the bacteria of sugar beet in three successive years

Abstract: Self-transmissible plasmids conferring mercury resistance were exogenously isolated from the bacterial populations of sugar beet roots (rhizoplane) and leaves (phyllosphere) into a Pseudomonas putida recipient. Fifty rhizoplane plasmids and 29 phyllosphere plasmids (60–383 kb) were purified. Numerical analysis of plasmid DNA restriction enzyme digest patterns identified five distinct groups. Three of these plasmid groups were isolated from sugar beet crops grown at the same site over three consecutive years, demonstrating their established presence. Each group of plasmids comprised individual isolates with structural additions or deletions. The frequency of exogenous isolation correlated with factors likely to influence plant growth, bacterial activity and the physiological state of donors prior to sampling. All plasmids investigated conferred narrow spectrum mercury resistance with a reductase detoxification mechanism. None of the plasmids conferred resistance to a range of antibiotics, other heavy metals, or to UV, and following transfer to recipient bacteria the range of carbon source utilisation was not altered. This is the first report of the persistence of Pseudomonas spp. plasmid structural types isolated over several years from a terrestrial habitat.     

Horizontal transfer of antibiotic resistance genes in a membrane bioreactor

Growing attention has been paid to the dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in wastewater microbial communities. The application of membrane bioreactors (MBRs) in wastewater treatment is becoming increasingly widespread. We hypothesized that the transfer of ARGs among bacteria could occur in MBRs, which combine a high density of bacterial cells, biofilms, and antibiotic resistance bacteria or ARGs. In this study, the transfer discipline and dissemination of the RP4 plasmid in MBRs were investigated by the counting plate method, the MIDI microorganism identification system, and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) techniques. The results showed that the average transfer frequency of the RP4 plasmid from the donor strain to cultivable bacteria in activated sludge was 2.76 × 10⁻⁵ per recipient, which was greater than the transfer frequency in wastewater and bacterial sludge reported previously. In addition, many bacterial species in the activated sludge had received RP4 by horizontal transfer, while the genera of Shewanella spp., Photobacterium spp., Pseudomonas spp., Proteus spp., and Vibrio spp. were more likely to acquire this plasmid. Interestingly, the abundance of the RP4 plasmid in total DNA remained at high levels and relatively stable at 10⁴ copies/mg of biosolids, suggesting that ARGs were transferred from donor strains to activated sludge bacteria in our study. Thus, the presence of ARGs in sewage sludge poses a potential health threat.     

荧光假单胞菌抗生性代谢产物合成相关基因的研究现状

荧光假单胞菌(Pseudomonas fluorescens)是一种重要的植物根际促生菌,它能够产生藤黄绿脓菌素、2,4-二乙酰基藤黄酚、硝吡咯菌素、吩嗪-1-羧酸等抗生性次级代谢产物,可抑制多种病原物,在农作物土传病害的生物防治研究中具有重要意义.总结了荧光假单胞菌中已确立的抗生性次级代谢产物的合成机制,重点阐述了相关基因的结构、功能,以及利用生物工程技术对荧光假单胞菌进行遗传操作的最新进展,同时对荧光假单胞菌在生物防治中的应用和其作为生防菌剂的前景进行了展望.     

Static recipient cells as reservoirs of antibiotic resistance during antibiotic therapy

How does taking the full course of antibiotics prevent antibiotic resistant bacteria establishing in patients? We address this question by testing the possibility that horizontal/lateral gene transfer (HGT) is critical for the accumulation of the antibiotic-resistance phenotype while bacteria are under antibiotic stress. Most antibiotics prevent bacterial reproduction, some by preventing de novo gene expression. Nevertheless, in some cases and at some concentrations, the effects of most antibiotics on gene expression may not be irreversible. If the stress is removed before the bacteria are cleared from the patients by normal turnover, gene expression restarts, converting the residual population to phenotypic resistance. Using mathematical models we investigate how static recipients of resistance genes carried by plasmids accumulate resistance genes, and how specifically an environment cycling between presence and absence of the antibiotic uniquely favors the evolution of horizontally mobile resistance genes. We found that the presence of static recipients can substantially increase the persistence of the plasmid and that this effect is most pronounced when the cost of carriage of the plasmid decreases the cell's growth rate by as much as a half or more. In addition, plasmid persistence can be enhanced even when conjugation rates are as low as half the rate required for the plasmid to persist as a parasite on its own.     

上海某高校新校区中抗生素抗性基因污染状况分析

探究新型环境污染物—抗生素抗性基因（ARGs）在校园环境中的分布状况。通过聚合酶链式反应(PCR)对上海某高校使用5年新校区不同区域污水检查井污泥中8种四环素类、4种磺胺类、7种β-内酰胺类、4种链霉素类和5种氯霉素类ARGs进行定性研究,并利用变性梯度凝胶电泳(DGGE)技术分析污泥中细菌群落的多样性。结果显示,校园各区域中共检出19种ARGs,有8种ARGs的检出率大于50%,其中磺胺类抗性基因sulI、sulII的检出率最高,为100%。实验区及餐饮区的ARGs检出种类最多,均为14种,其次为宿舍区(12种),教学区的ARGs检出最少(8种)。通过DGGE分析细菌群落结构,证明该地区的ARGs分布与细菌多样性无明显关系。新校区使用5年但ARGs污染严重,可能是由于人类活动（尤其是科研活动）对ARGs的产生及扩散存在促进作用。此外,细菌群落多样性与ARGs种类的关系表明ARGs在环境中的迁移可能受到除细菌种类之外其他环境因素的影响。     

Genetics of Antimicrobial Resistance

Antimicrobial resistant strains of bacteria are an increasing threat to animal and human health. Resistance mechanisms to circumvent the toxic action of antimicrobials have been identified and described for all known antimicrobials currently available for clinical use in human and veterinary medicine. Acquired bacterial antibiotic resistance can result from the mutation of normal cellular genes, the acquisition of foreign resistance genes, or a combination of these two mechanisms. The most common resistance mechanisms employed by bacteria include enzymatic degradation or alteration of the antimicrobial, mutation in the antimicrobial target site, decreased cell wall permeability to antimicrobials, and active efflux of the antimicrobial across the cell membrane. The spread of mobile genetic elements such as plasmids, transposons, and integrons has greatly contributed to the rapid dissemination of antimicrobial resistance among several bacterial genera of human and veterinary importance. Antimicrobial resistance genes have been shown to accumulate on mobile elements, leading to a situation where multidrug resistance phenotypes can be transferred to a susceptible recipient via a single genetic event. The increasing prevalence of antimicrobial resistant bacterial pathogens has severe implications for the future treatment and prevention of infectious diseases in both animals and humans. The versatility with which bacteria adapt to their environment and exchange DNA between different genera highlights the need to implement effective antimicrobial stewardship and infection control programs in both human and veterinary medicine.     

Root nodules of Genista germanica harbor Bradyrhizobium and Rhizobium bacteria exchanging nodC and nodZ genes

A collection of 18 previously unstudied strains isolated from root nodules of Genista germanica (German greenweed) grown in southeast Poland was evaluated for the level of genetic diversity using the BOX-PCR technique and the phylogenetic relationship based on both core (16S rRNA, dnaK, ftsA, glnII, gyrB, recA, rpoB) and nodulation (nodC and nodZ) gene sequences. Each of the 18 G. germanica root nodule isolates displayed unique BOX-PCR patterns, indicating their high level of genomic heterogeneity. Based on the comparative 16S rDNA sequence analysis, 12 isolates were affiliated to the Bradyrhizobium genus and the other strains were most similar to Rhizobium species. Phylogenetic analysis of the core gene sequences indicated that the studied Bradyrhizobium bacteria were most closely related to Bradyrhizobium japonicum, whereas Rhizobium isolates were most closely related to Rhizobium lusitanum and R. leguminosarum. The phylogenies of nodC and nodZ for the Rhizobium strains were incongruent with each other and with the phylogenies inferred from the core gene sequences. All Rhizobium nodZ gene sequences acquired in this study were grouped with the sequences of Bradyrhizobium strains. Some of the studied Rhizobium isolates were placed in the nodC phylogenetic tree together with reference Rhizobium species, while the others were closely related to Bradyrhizobium bacteria. The results provided evidence for horizontal transfer of nodulation genes between Bradyrhizobium and Rhizobium. However, the horizontal transfer of nod genes was not sufficient for Rhizobium strains to form nodules on G. germanica roots, suggesting that symbiotic genes have to be adapted to the bacterial genome.     

活性污泥抗生素抗性基因研究进展

抗生素抗性在全球范围内的传播扩散严重威胁人类健康。活性污泥是污水处理系统重要的处理工艺,同时也是抗生素抗性及其发生水平基因转移的一个重要储库和热区。目前,随着研究手段和技术的不断更新,活性污泥中抗生素抗性的研究不断增加,但是仍有许多科学问题亟待解决。本文主要针对活性污泥抗生素抗性的5个主要方面进行深入讨论:(1)活性污泥中抗性基因的丰度和分布的影响因素;(2)污泥抗性基因的研究方法;(3)活性污泥抗性基因的传播与扩散;(4)污泥中抗性基因环境风险评估;(5)研究展望。本综述在活性污泥抗生素抗性研究基础上,阐述了驱动抗生素抗性扩散的基本微生物生态过程研究进展,旨在为污水处理工艺的发展和优化及抗性基因控制政策的制定提供科学基础。     

Antibiotic resistance genes in water environment

The use of antibiotics may accelerate the development of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and bacteria which shade health risks to humans and animals. The emerging of ARGs in the water environment is becoming an increasing worldwide concern. Hundreds of various ARGs encoding resistance to a broad range of antibiotics have been found in microorganisms distributed not only in hospital wastewaters and animal production wastewaters, but also in sewage, wastewater treatment plants, surface water, groundwater, and even in drinking water. This review summarizes recently published information on the types, distributions, and horizontal transfer of ARGs in various aquatic environments, as well as the molecular methods used to detect environmental ARGs, including specific and multiplex PCR (polymerase chain reaction), real-time PCR, DNA sequencing, and hybridization based techniques.     

细菌中整合性接合元件的研究进展

整合性接合元件是近年来在细菌中发现的一种可移动的基因元件,它位于染色体上,可通过接合转移的方式介导细菌间基因的水平转移。这种基因的水平转移有助于细菌适应特定的环境条件,但许多整合性接合元件包含耐药基因,这些遗传元件的水平转移极大地加速了耐药基因在同种及不同种属之间的传播,造成细菌的耐药以至多重耐药问题日益严重,耐药机制日趋复杂;同时整合性接合元件与基因岛有着密切的联系,因此对其特征及转移机制进行研究很有必要。     

细菌生物膜与耐药性相关性研究进展

细菌生物膜是一种包裹于细胞外多聚物基质中不可逆的黏附于非生物或生物表面的微生物细胞菌落.生物膜状态下的细菌相对其浮游状态具有显著增强的耐药性,对人及动物细菌性感染具有重要研究价值.然而尽管动物细菌耐药性被广泛报道,却很少涉及细菌生物膜与其之间的相关性,本文综述了细菌生物膜的耐药机制并探讨了细菌生物膜与动物源性细菌耐药性的关系,可作为研究细菌耐药性及控制动物产品安全的参考.     

致病菌基因组岛的研究进展

细菌基因组岛是细菌基因组上的特定区域,和水平基因转移相关,具有一定的结构特点,常携带致病、耐药及与适应性等功能相关的基因。通过基因组岛在细菌间的移动,可以造成相关基因在细菌间的传播,在细菌生存和致病等过程中具有重要作用。目前已经可通过生物信息和分子生物学实验等方法对基因组岛进行预测和验证。通过对致病菌基因组岛的研究,可以阐释细菌致病性和耐药等重要功能的获得,对疾病进行溯源,在传染病预防控制中具有重要意义。     

The chloramphenicol resistance gene cmlA is disseminated on transferable plasmids that confer multiple-drug resistance in swine Escherichia coli

A recent study of beta-hemolytic Escherichia coli isolated from diarrheic swine found that 53% were resistant to chloramphenicol, a drug that has been prohibited from use in food animals in the US since the mid-1980s. To identify the factors governing the persistence of chloramphenicol resistance in the absence of specific selection pressure, the location of the chloramphenicol resistance gene cmlA and its linkage to other resistance determinants were investigated. Southern blot analysis of plasmid DNA from 46 swine E. coli isolates indicated that cmlA was present on large plasmids greater than 100 kbp. Fifty-two percent of the isolates were able to transfer chloramphenicol resistance to an E. coli recipient at conjugation frequencies ranging from 10(-3) to 10(-8) per recipient. Antimicrobial susceptibility tests on transconjugant strains demonstrated that resistance to sulfamethoxazole, tetracycline, and kanamycin frequently transferred along with chloramphenicol resistance. The transconjugant strains possessed at least two distinct class 1 integrons that linked cmlA to both aminoglycoside resistance genes aadA1 and aadA2 and either to sul1 or to sul3 sulphonamide resistance genes. These results suggest that in the absence of specific chloramphenicol selection pressure, the cmlA gene is maintained by virtue of gene linkage to genes encoding resistance to antimicrobials that are currently approved for use in food animals.     

金黄色葡萄球菌引起食物中毒的作用机制与其耐药性的研究进展

葡萄球菌广泛分布于自然界中,如空气、土壤、水以及物体的表面,在人和动物的皮肤表面部、鼻咽、肠道也常可发现葡萄球菌。大部分葡萄球菌是非致病菌,少数可引起人或动物致病,金黄色葡萄球菌（Staphylococcus aureus,金葡菌）即为最主要的致病性葡萄球菌。金葡菌是一种革兰氏阳性球菌,是医院感染常见的病原体之一,同时也是引起食品污染和细菌性食物中毒的一种重要细菌,其产生的毒素可使人中毒,带来非常严重的公共卫生负担。本文拟对金葡菌的病原与病理学特性,金葡菌与食物中毒,抗生素滥用与金葡菌耐药性等方面做简要综述。     

环境中抗生素抗性基因与I型整合子的研究进展

抗生素抗性基因(Antibiotic resistance genes,ARGs)作为一种新型污染物在不同环境中广泛分布、来源复杂,对生态环境和人类健康造成了很大的潜在风险。同时,Ⅰ型整合子(Int Ⅰ)介导的ARGs水平转移是环境中微生物产生耐药性的重要途径,Ⅰ型整合子整合酶基因(intI1)与ARGs丰度在环境中表现出了较高的正相关性,Int Ⅰ可以作为标记物在一定程度上反映ARGs在环境中的迁移转化规律和人类活动影响程度。本文介绍ARGs与Int Ⅰ在环境中的来源与分布,总结Int Ⅰ介导的ARGs迁移转化机制以及相关研究方法,并展望未来的研究发展趋势。