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Detection and Characterization of Streptomycin Resistance (strA-strB) in a Honeybee Gut Symbiont (Snodgrassella alvi) and the Associated Risk of Antibiotic Resistance Transfer

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Abstract

Use of antibiotics in medicine and farming contributes to increasing numbers of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in diverse environments. The ability of antibiotic resistance genes (ARG) to transfer between bacteria genera contributes to this spread. It is difficult to directly link antibiotic exposure to the spread of ARG in a natural environment where environmental settings and study populations cannot be fully controlled. We used managed honeybees in environments with contrasting streptomycin exposure (USA: high exposure, Norway: low exposure) and mapped the prevalence and spread of transferrable streptomycin resistance genes. We found a high prevalence of strA-strB genes in the USA compared to Norway with 17/90 and 1/90 positive samples, respectively (p < 0.00007). We identified strA-strB genes on a transferrable transposon Tn5393 in the honeybee gut symbiont Snodgrassella alvi. Such transfer of resistance genes increases the risk of the spread to new environments as honeybees are moved to new pollination sites.

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Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Data Availability

The assembled genome is deposited at NCBI with accession number NXEN00000000.

The Tn5393 sequence is deposited at NCBI with the accession number MG704836.

The metagenome data are available on request.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Davide Porcellato for performing the genome sequencing of the S. alvi_E1 strain and Inga Leena Angell for performing the metagenome sequencing of the Norwegian sample.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Chr. M. Falsens vei 1, 1430, Ås, Norway

    Jane Ludvigsen & Knut Rudi

  2. Faculty of Ecology and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Høgskoleveien 12, 1430, Ås, Norway

    Gro V. Amdam

  3. School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, P.O. Box 874501, 427 East Tyler Mall, Tempe, AZ, 85287, USA

    Gro V. Amdam

  4. Department of Food Safety and Infection Biology, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Campus Adamstuen, 0454, Oslo, Norway

    Trine M. L’Abée-Lund

Authors
  1. Jane Ludvigsen
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  2. Gro V. Amdam
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  4. Trine M. L’Abée-Lund
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Correspondence to Jane Ludvigsen.

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Ludvigsen, J., Amdam, G.V., Rudi, K. et al. Detection and Characterization of Streptomycin Resistance (strA-strB) in a Honeybee Gut Symbiont (Snodgrassella alvi) and the Associated Risk of Antibiotic Resistance Transfer. Microb Ecol 76, 588–591 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-018-1171-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-018-1171-7

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