Abstract
The simultaneous development of antibiotic resistance in bacteria due to metal exposure poses a significant threat to the environment and human health. This study explored how exposure to both arsenic and antibiotics affects the ability of an arsenite oxidizer, Achromobacter xylosoxidans CAW4, to transform arsenite and its antibiotic resistance patterns. The bacterium was isolated from arsenic-contaminated groundwater in the Chandpur district of Bangladesh. We determined the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of arsenite, cefotaxime, and tetracycline for A. xylosoxidans CAW4, demonstrating a multidrug resistance (MDR) trait. Following this determination, we aimed to mimic an environment where A. xylosoxidans CAW4 was exposed to both arsenite and antibiotics. We enabled the strain to grow in sub-MIC concentrations of 1 mM arsenite, 40 µg/mL cefotaxime, and 20 µg/mL tetracycline. The expression dynamics of the arsenite oxidase (aioA) gene in the presence or absence of antibiotics were analyzed. The findings indicated that simultaneous exposure to arsenite and antibiotics adversely affected the bacteria’s capacity to metabolize arsenic. However, when arsenite was present in antibiotics-containing media, it promoted bacterial growth. The study observed a global downregulation of the aioA gene in arsenic-antibiotic conditions, indicating the possibility of increased susceptibility through co-resistance across the entire bacterial population of the environment. This study interprets that bacterial arsenic-metabolizing ability can rescue the bacteria from antibiotic stress, further disseminating environmental cross-resistance. Therefore, the co-selection of metal-driven antibiotic resistance in bacteria highlights the need for effective measures to address this emerging threat to human health and the environment.
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Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank Ms. Israt Islam of the Department of Microbiology, University of Dhaka, and Mr. Salman Zahir Uddin, Research Officer, International Center for Diarrhoeal Disease Research Bangladesh (icddr,b) for RT-PCR protocol development. We also acknowledge Chromosome Research Center, University of Dhaka. Grant no: 010/2022/center and University Grant Commission (UGC), Bangladesh, for reagent support.
Funding
The research was funded by Chromosome Research Center, University of Dhaka Grant no: 010/2022/center and University Grant Commission (UGC) Bangladesh research grant to Dr. Munawar Sultana.
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Conceptualization: M.S., M.A.H; methodology: M.S., M.A.S., F.D., F.H., A.I., T.J.M.; investigation: F.H., F.D., A.I.; visualization and data analysis: F.H., F.D., A.I.; supervision: M.S., M.A.H., M.A.S.; writing original draft: F.H., F.D., A.I.; figure preparation: F.H., F.D., A.I.; review: M.S., M.A.H, A.I., F.D., F.H., M.A.S., T.J.M. All authors approved the final draft of the manuscript.
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Haque, F., Diba, F., Istiaq, A. et al. Novel insights into the co-selection of metal-driven antibiotic resistance in bacteria: a study of arsenic and antibiotic co-exposure. Arch Microbiol 206, 194 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00203-024-03873-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00203-024-03873-0