Occurrence of Indicator Genes of Antimicrobial Resistance Contamination in the English Channel and North Sea Sectors and Interactions With Environmental Variables

Type Article
Date 2022-05
Language English
Author(s) Bourdonnais Erwan1, 2, Colcanap Darina1, Le Bris Cédric2, Brauge Thomas1, Midelet Graziella1
Affiliation(s) 1 : ANSES, Laboratoire de Sécurité des Aliments, Unité Bactériologie et Parasitologie des Produits de la Pêche et de l’Aquaculture, Boulogne-sur-Mer, France
2 : Univ. du Littoral Côte d'Opale, UMR 1158 BioEcoAgro, Institut Charles Viollette, Unité Sous Contrat ANSES, INRAe, Univ. Artois, Univ. Lille, Univ. de Picardie Jules Verne, Univ. de Liège, Junia, Boulogne-sur-Mer, France
Source Frontiers In Microbiology (1664-302X) (Frontiers Media SA), 2022-05 , Vol. 13 , P. 883081 (11p.)
DOI 10.3389/fmicb.2022.883081
WOS© Times Cited 10
Keyword(s) antimicrobial resistance genes, contamination indicator genes, seawater, qPCR, environmental factors, mobile genetic element
Abstract

The marine environment is a potential natural reservoir of antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs), subject to anthropogenic effluents (wastewater, industrial, and domestic), and known as a final receiving system. The aim of this study was to investigate the abundance and geographical distribution of the three blaTEM, sul1, and intI1 genes, proposed as indicators of contamination to assess the state of antimicrobial resistance in environmental settings, added to the tetA gene and the microbial population (tuf gene) in the English Channel and North Sea areas. Bacterial DNA was extracted from 36 seawater samples. The abundance of these genes was determined by quantitative PCR (qPCR) and was analyzed in association with environmental variables and geographical locations to determine potential correlations. The blaTEM and tetA genes were quantified in 0% and 2.8% of samples, respectively. The sul1 and intI1 genes were detected in 42% and 31% of samples, respectively, with an apparent co-occurrence in 19% of the samples confirmed by a correlation analysis. The absolute abundance of these genes was correlated with the microbial population, with results similar to the relative abundance. We showed that the sul1 and intI1 genes were positively correlated with dissolved oxygen and turbidity, while the microbial population was correlated with pH, temperature and salinity in addition to dissolved oxygen and turbidity. The three tetA, sul1, and intI1 genes were quantified in the same sample with high abundances, and this sample was collected in the West Netherlands coast (WN) area. For the first time, we have shown the impact of anthropogenic inputs (rivers, man-made offshore structures, and maritime activities) and environmental variables on the occurrence of three indicators of environmental contamination by antimicrobial resistance in the North Sea and English Channel seawaters.

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Bourdonnais Erwan, Colcanap Darina, Le Bris Cédric, Brauge Thomas, Midelet Graziella (2022). Occurrence of Indicator Genes of Antimicrobial Resistance Contamination in the English Channel and North Sea Sectors and Interactions With Environmental Variables. Frontiers In Microbiology, 13, 883081 (11p.). Publisher's official version : https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2022.883081 , Open Access version : https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00772/88398/