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The potential linkage between antibiotic resistance genes and microbial functions across soil–plant systems

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Abstract

Aims

The proliferation of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) is a growing public health concern worldwide. Several studies have substantiated the significant role played by the plant microbiome in facilitating the transmission of antibiotic resistance, thereby posing a substantial threat to human health. However, the underlying mechanism of the transmission of antibiotic resistance from soil to plants is still largely unexplored.

Methods

In the current study, we selected Sedum alfredii as a model plant to investigate the occurrence and distribution of ARGs across the soil–plant interface.

Results

Our results showed that 20.34% of ARGs were significantly shifted between rhizosphere and bulk soils and were linked to distinct variations in bacterial functions across the soil-plant interface. Specifically, the ARGs enriched in the rhizosphere were significantly correlated to microbial functions of signaling pathways and degradation pathways. Conversely, the ARGs depleted in rhizosphere were significantly correlated to microbial functions of biosynthesis pathways, nutrient cycling, and ABC transport system. Moreover, our investigation involved metagenomic contig assembly, providing compelling evidence that these aforementioned relationships were indeed detected in the assembled bins.

Conclusions

The results of our study revealed a clear association between the distribution of ARGs and changes in bacterial functions attributable to the assemblage of the rhizosphere microbiome at the soil-plant interface. These findings significantly contribute to enhancing our comprehension of the mechanism underlying the transmission of ARGs from bulk soils to rhizosphere soils.

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Acknowledgements

This research was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41807127, 41830753, U1612442) and the Foundation of Guangzhou City for basic research projects (202201010283, 202201010153).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory for Water Quality and Conservation of the Pearl River Delta, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou University, 230 Waihuanxi Road, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510006, China

    Enzong Xiao, Jinmei Deng, Li Shao & Tangfu Xiao

  2. National-Regional Joint Engineering Research Center for Soil Pollution Control and Remediation in South China, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Integrated Agro-environmental Pollution Control and Management, Institute of Eco-environmental and Soil Sciences, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510650, China

    Weimin Sun

  3. School of Environment, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, China

    Weimin Sun

  4. Key Laboratory of Yellow River and Huai River Water Environment and Pollution Control, Ministry of Education, Henan, China

    Weimin Sun

  5. State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China

    Zengping Ning

  6. State Key Laboratory of Geohazard Prevention and Geo-environment Protection, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu, 610059, China

    Tangfu Xiao

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  1. Enzong Xiao
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Correspondence to Tangfu Xiao.

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Xiao, E., Sun, W., Deng, J. et al. The potential linkage between antibiotic resistance genes and microbial functions across soil–plant systems. Plant Soil 493, 589–602 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-023-06247-5

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