Shifts in bacterial communities and antibiotic resistance genes in surface water and gut microbiota of guppies (Poecilia reticulata) in the upper Rio Uberabinha, Brazil

• Published in: Ecotoxicology and environmental safety Vol. 211; p. 111955
• Main Authors: Jia, Jia, Gomes-Silva, Guilherme, Plath, Martin, Pereira, Boscolli Barbosa, UeiraVieira, Carlos, Wang, Zaizhao
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier Inc 15.03.2021; Elsevier
• Subjects: Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents - analysis; Antibiotic resistance genes; Bacteria - genetics; Brazil; Drug Resistance, Microbial - genetics; Gastrointestinal Microbiome - drug effects; Genes, Bacterial; Integrons; Microbial community; Microbiota - genetics; Pathogen; Poecilia - genetics; Poecilia - microbiology; Poecilia - physiology; Quinolones - analysis; Rivers - microbiology; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S - genetics; Urban river; Water - analysis; Water Pollution - analysis; Water Pollution - statistics & numerical data; Brazil; Pathogen; Antibiotic resistance genes; Urban river; Microbial community
• ISSN: 0147-6513; 1090-2414
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2021.111955

Anthropogenic activities especially water pollution can affect the diversity and composition of microbial communities and promote the spread of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). In this study, water samples and guppies (Poecilia reticulata) were sampled from six sampling sites along the Uberabinha River in southeastern Brazil, both microbial communities and ARGs of surface waters and intestinal microbiota of guppies (Poecilia reticulata) were detected. According to the results of 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing, Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes and Actinobacteria were dominant phyla in both water and intestinal microbiota, but the abundance of putative pathogens was higher at heavily polluted sites. Up to 83% of bacteria in intestinal microbiota originated from water microbiota; this proportion was relatively higher in less polluted compared to polluted environments. ARGs providing resistance of tetracyclines and quinolones were dominant in both water and gut microbiota. The relative abundances of class I integrons and ARGs were as high as 1.74 × 10−1/16S rRNA copies and 3.61 × 10−1/16S rRNA copies, respectively, at heavily polluted sites. Correlation analysis suggests that integrons and bacteria play key roles in explaining the widespread occurrence of ARGs in the surface, but not in intestinal microbiota. We could rule out the class I integrons a potential intermediary bridge for ARGs between both types of microbiomes. Our results highlight the tight link in microbial communities and ARGs between ambient microbiota of stream ecosystems and intestinal microbiota of fish. Our study could have far-reaching consequences for fisheries and consumer safety and calls for investigations of gut microbiota of target species of both commercial fisheries and recreational (hobby) angling. [Display omitted] •Water pollution effects microbial communities in the upper Rio Uberabinha.•Water pollution changes the distribution of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs).•Gut microbiota of fish (Poecilia reticulata) mainly originate from the environment.•Pathogens are overrepresented at heavily polluted sites.•Integrons are not ‘intermediary bridges’ of ARGs between aquatic and gut microbiota.