Microplastics host distinct microbial communities enriched in potentially pathogenic taxa and antibiotic resistance genes: evidence from environmental and experimentally aged plastics in a coastal marine environment

Project Title

Microplastics host distinct microbial communities enriched in potentially pathogenic taxa and antibiotic resistance genes: evidence from environmental and experimentally aged plastics in a coastal marine environment

Organism

marine metagenome

Organization

Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie

SRA Runs

10

Samples

10

Data

2,336,029 reads, 1.41 Gbp

Description

This study investigates microbial communities associated with environmental and laboratory-aged microplastics in the Northern Adriatic Sea. Using 16S rRNA gene sequencing, shotgun metagenomics, and ddPCR, we show that microplastics host distinct, less diverse microbial biofilms compared to surrounding waters. These communities are enriched in potentially pathogenic taxa, particularly Vibrio, and carry a more diverse and abundant set of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), including clinically relevant markers such as mcr-1 and qnr. Overall, the results highlight microplastics as selective and biologically active substrates that may contribute to the environmental spread of antimicrobial resistance.

inferred primers

Forward

CCTACGGRRBGCASCAGKVRVGAAT

Reverse

CTAATCCYRTTYGCTMCCCWMGCTTTCG

Samples

10 · primers in 99.5% of reads, median across the assay's samples

5,825 ASVs across the run.

Container image

illumina-amplicon

05f23de10d82

Cluster

grex