Horizontal gene transfer in activated sludge enhances microbial antimicrobial resistance and virulence

Abstract

Activated sludge (AS) plays a vital role in removing organic pollutants and nutrients from wastewater. However, the risks posed by horizontal gene transfer (HGT) between bacteria in AS are still unclear. Here, a total of 478 high-quality non-redundant metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) were obtained. >50 % and 5 % of MAGs were involved in at least one HGT and recent HGT, respectively. Most of the transfers (82.4 %) of antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) occurred among the classes of Alphaproteobacteria and Gammaproteobacteria. The bacteria involved in the transfers of virulence factor genes (VFGs) mainly include Alphaproteobacteria (42.3 %), Bacteroidia (19.2 %), and Gammaproteobacteria (11.5 %). Moreover, the number of ARGs and VFGs in the classes of Alphaproteobacteria and Gammaproteobacteria was higher than that in other bacteria (P < 0.001). Mobile genetic elements were important contributors to ARGs and VFGs in AS bacteria. These results have implications for the management of antimicrobial resistance and virulence in activated sludge microorganisms.