Antibiotic resistance genes in the soil ecosystem and planetary health: Progress and prospect

Abstract

The soil-plant system is an important route for antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) to spread from the environment to human beings. Through the study of ARGs in the soil-plant system, their distribution and transmission in soil organisms can be clarified, and the risk and rule of the transmission of ARGs in the food chain can be revealed, which provide a theoretical basis for controlling the pollution of resistance genes and guarantee human health. Therefore, it is also of great value in maintaining planetary health. This paper firstly summarize the important research progress of resistome in the soil (including soil fauna gut) and plant microbiomes, then highlight the flow of resistance genes in the soil-plant system, and finally propose that planetary health can be ensured by managing the flow of resistance genes in the soil-plant system and discuss future research directions.