Long-term seawall barriers lead to the formation of an urban coastal lagoon with increased antibiotic resistome

TY - JOUR

T1 - Long-term seawall barriers lead to the formation of an urban coastal lagoon with increased antibiotic resistome

AU - Zhou, Shu-Yi-Dan

AU - Yang, Kai

AU - Neilson, Roy

AU - Li, Hu

AU - Li, Hong-Zhe

AU - Zhou, Yan-Yan

AU - Liu, Juxiu

AU - Su, Jian-Qiang

AU - Huang, Fu-Yi

N1 - Copyright: © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

PY - 2024/2

Y1 - 2024/2

N2 - Urbanization has increased the spread of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) impacting urban aquatic ecosystems and threatening human health. However, an overview of the antibiotic resistome in artificial coastal lagoons formed by coastal seawall construction is unclear. This study investigated the resistome of sediment in a coastal lagoon, established for over 60 years and found that the composition of the resistome in the lagoon sediments associated with the seawall significantly differed from that of marine sediment external to the seawall. Moreover, the diversity, number, relative abundance, and absolute abundance of the antibiotic resistome in the lagoon sediments were significantly higher compared to marine sediment. Network analyses revealed that more co-occurrences were found in lagoon sediment between bacterial communities, ARGs and mobile genetic elements (MGEs) than in marine sediments, suggesting that bacteria in lagoon sediments may be associated with multiple antibiotic resistances. Random forest and structural equation models showed that an increase in the absolute abundance of MGEs had a concomitant effect on the absolute abundance and diversity of ARGs, whereas increasing salinity decreased the absolute abundance of ARGs. This study provides a basis to assess the risk of resistome diffusion and persistence in an artificial coastal lagoon.

AB - Urbanization has increased the spread of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) impacting urban aquatic ecosystems and threatening human health. However, an overview of the antibiotic resistome in artificial coastal lagoons formed by coastal seawall construction is unclear. This study investigated the resistome of sediment in a coastal lagoon, established for over 60 years and found that the composition of the resistome in the lagoon sediments associated with the seawall significantly differed from that of marine sediment external to the seawall. Moreover, the diversity, number, relative abundance, and absolute abundance of the antibiotic resistome in the lagoon sediments were significantly higher compared to marine sediment. Network analyses revealed that more co-occurrences were found in lagoon sediment between bacterial communities, ARGs and mobile genetic elements (MGEs) than in marine sediments, suggesting that bacteria in lagoon sediments may be associated with multiple antibiotic resistances. Random forest and structural equation models showed that an increase in the absolute abundance of MGEs had a concomitant effect on the absolute abundance and diversity of ARGs, whereas increasing salinity decreased the absolute abundance of ARGs. This study provides a basis to assess the risk of resistome diffusion and persistence in an artificial coastal lagoon.

KW - ARGs

KW - Microbiome

KW - Network analysis

KW - Sediment

KW - Urbanization

U2 - 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.119721

DO - 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.119721

M3 - Article

C2 - 38043315

SN - 0301-4797

VL - 351

JO - Journal of Environmental Management

JF - Journal of Environmental Management

M1 - 119721

ER -