Metagenomics-Based Analysis of the Age-Related Cumulative Effect of Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Gut Microbiota
Lei Wu,
Xinqiang Xie,
Ying Li,
Tingting Liang,
Haojie Zhong,
Jun Ma,
Lingshuang Yang,
Juan Yang,
Longyan Li,
Yu Xi,
Haixin Li,
Jumei Zhang,
Xuefeng Chen,
Yu Ding,
Qingping Wu
Affiliations
Lei Wu
School of Food and Biological Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xi’an 710021, China
Xinqiang Xie
Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Safety and Health, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510070, China
Ying Li
Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Safety and Health, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510070, China
Tingting Liang
School of Food and Biological Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xi’an 710021, China
Haojie Zhong
The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Clinical Medicine of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510080, China
Jun Ma
School of Food and Biological Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xi’an 710021, China
Lingshuang Yang
Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Safety and Health, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510070, China
Juan Yang
School of Food and Biological Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xi’an 710021, China
Longyan Li
Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Safety and Health, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510070, China
Yu Xi
Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Safety and Health, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510070, China
Haixin Li
Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Safety and Health, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510070, China
Jumei Zhang
Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Safety and Health, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510070, China
Xuefeng Chen
School of Food and Biological Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xi’an 710021, China
Yu Ding
Department of Food Science and Technology, Institute of Food Safety and Nutrition, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
Qingping Wu
Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Safety and Health, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510070, China
Antibiotic resistance in bacteria has become a major global health problem. One of the main reservoirs of antibiotic resistance genes is the human gut microbiota. To characterise these genes, a metagenomic approach was used. In this study, a comprehensive antibiotic resistome catalog was established using fecal samples from 246 healthy individuals from world’s longevity township in Jiaoling, China. In total, 606 antibiotic resistance genes were detected. Our results indicated that antibiotic resistance genes in the human gut microbiota accumulate and become more complex with age as older groups harbour the highest abundance of these genes. Tetracycline resistance gene type tetQ was the most abundant group of antibiotic resistance genes in gut microbiota, and the main carrier of antibiotic resistance genes was Bacteroides. Antibiotic efflux, inactivation, and target alteration were found to be the dominant antimicrobial resistance mechanisms. This research may help to establish a comprehensive antibiotic resistance catalog that includes extremely long-lived healthy people such as centenarians, and may provide potential recommendations for controlling the use of antibiotics.
