Active antibiotic resistome in soils unraveled by single-cell isotope probing and targeted metagenomics

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  • Hong Zhe Li
  • Kai Yang
  • Hu Liao
  • Lassen, Simon Bo
  • Jian Qiang Su
  • Xian Zhang
  • Li Cui
  • Yong Guan Zhu

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in soils represents a serious risk to human health through the food chain and human–nature contact. However, the active antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) residing in soils that primarily drive AMR dissemination are poorly explored. Here, single-cell Raman-D2O coupled with targeted metagenomics is developed as a culture-independent approach to phenotypically and genotypically profiling active ARB against clinical antibiotics in a wide range of soils. This method quantifies the prevalence (contamination degree) and activity (spread potential) of soil ARB and reveals a clear elevation with increasing anthropogenic activities such as farming and the creation of pollution, thereby constituting a factor that is critical for the assessment of AMR risks. Further targeted sorting and metagenomic sequencing of the most active soil ARB uncover several uncultured genera and a pathogenic strain. Furthermore, the underlying resistance genes, virulence factor genes, and associated mobile genetic elements (including plasmids, insertion sequences, and prophages) are fully deciphered at the single-cell level. This study advances our understanding of the soil active AMR repertoire by linking the resistant phenome to the genome. It will aid in the risk assessment of environmental AMR and guide the combat under the One Health framework.

Original languageEnglish
Article numbere2201473119
JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Volume119
Issue number40
Number of pages10
ISSN0027-8424
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2022

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
Copyright © 2022 the Author(s). Published by PNAS.

    Research areas

  • antimicrobial resistance, risk assessment, single-cell Raman, targeted metagenomics

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