A novel bidirectional regulation mechanism of mancozeb on the dissemination of antibiotic resistance

• Published in: Journal of hazardous materials 2023-08, Vol.455, p.131559-131559, Article 131559
• Main Authors: Song, Jiajin, Zhang, Houpu, Wu, Zishan, Qiu, Mengting, Zhan, Xiuping, Zheng, Conglai, Shi, Nan, Zhang, Qianke, Zhang, Luqing, Yu, Yunlong, Fang, Hua
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology; antibiotic resistance; Antibiotic resistance genes; Bidirectional regulation; Drug Resistance, Microbial - genetics; Fungicide; fungicides; Fungicides, Industrial - toxicity; Genes, Bacterial; Horizontal transfer; human health; Humans; mancozeb; Maneb - toxicity; Metals, Heavy; Multidrug-resistant plasmid; osmotic stress; risk assessment; transcriptomics; Zineb - toxicity
• ISSN: 0304-3894; 1873-3336
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.131559

The high abundance of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in the fungicide residual environment, posing a threat to the environment and human health, raises the question of whether and how fungicide promotes the prevalence and dissemination of antibiotic resistance. Here, we reported a novel mechanism underlying bidirectional regulation of a typical heavy-metal-containing fungicide mancozeb on the horizontal transfer of ARGs. Our findings revealed that mancozeb exposure significantly exerted oxidative and osmotic stress on the microbes and facilitated plasmid-mediated ARGs transfer, but its metallic portions (Mn and Zn) were potentially utilized as essential ions by microbes for metalating enzymes to deal with cellular stress and thus reduce the transfer. The results of transcriptome analysis with RT-qPCR confirmed that the expression levels of cellular stress responses and conjugation related genes were drastically altered. It can be concluded mancozeb bidirectionally regulated the ARGs dissemination which may be attributed to the diverse effects on the microbes by its different portions. This novel mechanism provides an updated understanding of neglected fungicide-triggered ARGs dissemination and crucial insight for comprehensive risk assessment of fungicides. [Display omitted] •A novel bidirectional regulation mechanism of mancozeb on the ARGs transfer.•Mancozeb facilitated the plasmid-mediated ARGs transfer.•Mancozeb exerted oxidative and osmotic stress on the microbes.•Mancozeb altered the expressions of stress response and conjugation related genes.•Metallic portions of mancozeb alleviated cellular stress and ARGs transfer.