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DISTRIBUTION OF ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE GENES IN THE ENVIRONMENT:

THE ROLE OF MINERAL FACILITATED HORIZONTAL GENE TRANSFER

Combining recent research across disciplines, I see evidence that minerals hold a high and unrecognized potential for enhancing the distribution of the ARg in the environment. Adsorption of ARg to minerals significantly increases the ARg’s lifetime and facilitates their distribution by sedimentary transport processes. In addition, minerals also serve as a) sites for horizontal gene transfer (HGT), b) platforms for microbial growth and, hence 3) act as hot spots for propagation of adsorbed ARg to other microbes. However, some minerals and ARg are bound more strongly than others and various bacteria have different affinities toward various minerals. Those variations in affinity are poorly quantified but vital for predicting the distribution of ARg in the environment.

bug colony.png

Bacterial colony formation.

Image by Lisselotte Jauffred (collaborator from NBI)

The spread of antibiotic resistance genes (ARg) is a worldwide health risk1 and is no longer only a clinical issue. Vast reservoirs of ARg are found in natural environments2–4 such as soils, sediments and oceans. The emergence and release of ARg to the environment is in particular caused by extended use of antibiotics in farming, e.g. where the genes dissipate from the manure.5 Once in the environment, the ARg are surprisingly rapidly propagated. It is well known that the ARg are distributed to neighbour bacteria through processes of both cell sharing or through horizontal gene transfer (HGT) where one species acquirer resistance from another.6,7 Most HGT responsible for the spread of ARg are assumed to be through direct microbe-microbe contact. However, I find that the outcome of non-contact transfer is grossly underestimated. In the HGT mechanism called “Transformation”, free ARg in suspension or adsorbed to a mineral can be picked up and incorporated into non-related organisms. Considering that free DNA only can survive for a few weeks in sea- and freshwater environments,8–10 any HGT from free DNA can rightly be assumed to be local, but if the DNA gets adsorbed to a mineral, it can survive for several hundred thousands of years.11–14 If this also holds for ARg, then minerals offer a potent mechanism for distributing ARg through our environments my means of sedimentary processes.

KKS

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Jan 21

Meeting and celebrating the VILLUM young investigators 2024

Feels as a time travel to 2019.

This time, though, I am meeting the Young Investigators to share my experiences from the past 5 years of being super privileged. I have 20 minutes with them and consider this presentation as one of the most important talks I have made. I really hope to provide some guidance of what is ahead for them.

When I received a Young Investigator grant, I was told over and over that I during the next 5 years would had to let go of my time in the lab and spend all my time managing. I did not believe that. Reality is that is that I in 2023 probably have had 2-3 weeks of doing what I used to love the most: lab work.

Thanks to VILLUM and the network VILLUM creates. I have very often appreciated the opportunities I have had with this fantastic grant. It made all the difference for my career. Massive shout out to my past and present group members, to colleagues and to collaborators for making the last 5 years a blast.

CONGRATULATIONS to the new Young Investigators!!

Look forward to celebrate.

KKS and SJ 5 years ago:

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