The global dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes(ARGs),especially via plasmid-mediated horizontal transfer,is becoming a pervasive health threat.While our previous study found that herbicides can accelerate the horizontal gene transfer(HGT)of ARGs in soil bacteria,the underlying mechanisms by which herbicides promote the HGT of ARGs across and within bacterial genera are still unclear.Here,the underlying mechanism associ-ated with herbicide-promoted HGT was analyzed by detecting intracellular reactive oxygen species(ROS)production,extracellular polymeric substance composition,cell membrane integrity and proton motive force combined with genome-wide RNA sequencing.Exposure to herbicides induced a series of the above bacterial responses to promote HGT except for the ROS response,including compact cell-to-cell contact by enhancing pilus-encoded gene expression and decreasing cell surface charge,increasing cell membrane permeability,and enhancing the proton motive force,providing additional power for DNA uptake.This study provides a mechanistic understanding of the risk of bacterial resistance spread promoted by herbicides,which elucidates a new perspective on nonantibiotic agrochemical acceleration of the HGT of ARGs.

Xi Li;Chang Wen;Chen Liu;Shiyun Lu;Zhongbing Xu;Qiue Yang;Zhi Chen;Hanpeng Liao;Shungui Zhou

Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Soil Environmental Health and Regulation,College of Resources and Environment,Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University,Fuzhou 350002,China

环境科学学报（英文版）

[1]Xi Li;Chang Wen;Chen Liu;Shiyun Lu;Zhongbing Xu;Qiue Yang;Zhi Chen;Hanpeng Liao;Shungui Zhou-.Herbicide promotes the conjugative transfer of multi-resistance genes by facilitating cellular contact and plasmid transfer)[J].环境科学学报（英文版）,2022(05):363-373

Herbicide,pilus,nonantibiotic,agrochemical

promotes,conjugative,transfer,multi,resistance,genes,by,facilitating,contact,plasmid,global,dissemination,ARGs,especially,via,mediated,horizontal,becoming,pervasive,health,threat,While,our,previous,study,found,that,herbicides,can,accelerate,HGT,soil,underlying,mechanisms,which,across,within,bacterial,genera,are,still,unclear,Here,associ,promoted,was,analyzed,detecting,intracellular,reactive,oxygen,species,ROS,production,extracellular,polymeric,substance,composition,membrane,integrity,proton,motive,force,combined,genome,wide,sequencing,Exposure,induced,series,above,responses,except,including,compact,enhancing,encoded,expression,decreasing,surface,charge,increasing,permeability,providing,additional,power,uptake,This,provides,mechanistic,understanding,risk,spread,elucidates,new,perspective,acceleration

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