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Diversity of tetracycline-resistant bacteria and resistance gene tet(M) in fecal microbial community of Adélie penguin in Antarctica

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Abstract

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria can be detected in pristine environments and animals. Tetracycline (TC) is frequently used for wide areas of veterinary medicine, which selects TC-resistant bacteria. The TC resistance genes are known from natural environments, and tet(M) is the broadest host range tet gene. Here, we report that TC-resistant bacteria and the TC resistance gene tet(M) were diverse in Adélie penguin intestines, even within a single penguin colony. Total bacterial counts were as high as 107 CFU g−1, and TC-resistant bacteria ranged from 1.4 × 102 to 6.6 × 103 CFU g−1 intestinal contents, which was 0–0.54 % of the total viable count. Phylogenetic affiliation of TC-resistant bacteria revealed a variety of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The tet(M) gene was identified in 32.3 % of TC-resistant strains, and two tet(M) genotypes were identified within one penguin colony, suggesting various contamination origins of tet(M).

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Acknowledgments

We thank the members of the 45th and 46th Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition (JARE) and the crew of the icebreaker Shirase for their logistic support. Funding was partly supported by grants-in-aid from the twenty-first century COE and Global COE Programs (MEXT) and grants-in-aid from JSPS (14208063). M.H.R. was a postdoctoral fellow funded by twenty-first century COE and Global COE Programs. We thank Dr. Todd Miller for his critical review of the manuscript.

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Author notes

  1. M. Habibur Rahman

    Present address: Department of Zoology, Rajshahi University, Rajshahi, 6205, Bangladesh

  2. Lisa Nonaka

    Present address: Department of Microbiology, Dokkyo Medical University, Mibu, 321-0293, Japan

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Marine Environmental Studies (CMES), Ehime University, Matsuyama, 790-8577, Japan

    M. Habibur Rahman, Shin-Ichi Kitamura, Lisa Nonaka & Satoru Suzuki

  2. Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-0818, Japan

    Kentaro Q. Sakamoto

Authors
  1. M. Habibur Rahman
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  2. Kentaro Q. Sakamoto
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  3. Shin-Ichi Kitamura
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  4. Lisa Nonaka
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  5. Satoru Suzuki
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Correspondence to Satoru Suzuki.

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Rahman, M.H., Sakamoto, K.Q., Kitamura, SI. et al. Diversity of tetracycline-resistant bacteria and resistance gene tet(M) in fecal microbial community of Adélie penguin in Antarctica. Polar Biol 38, 1775–1781 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-015-1732-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-015-1732-x

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