TY - JOUR
T1 - Termite mound formation reduces the abundance and diversity of soil resistomes
AU - Yan, Zhen-Zhen
AU - Chen, Qing-Lin
AU - Li, Chao-Yu
AU - Nguyen, Bao-Anh Thi
AU - Zhu, Yong-Guan
AU - He, Ji-Zheng
AU - Hu, Hang-Wei
PY - 2021
Y1 - 2021
N2 - Termites are pivotal ecosystem engineers in tropical and subtropical habitats, where they construct massive nests (‘mounds’) that substantially modify soil properties and promote nutrient cycling. Yet, little is known about the roles of termite nesting activity in regulating the spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), one of the major Global Health challenges. Here, we conducted a large-scale (> 1500 km) investigation in northern Australia and found distinct resistome profiles in termite mounds and bulk soils. By profiling a wide spectrum of ARGs, we found that the abundance and diversity of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) were significantly lower in termite mounds than in bulk soils (P < 0.001). The proportion of efflux pump ARGs was significantly lower in termite mound resistome than in bulk soil resistome (P < 0.001). The differences in resistome profiles between termite mounds and bulk soils may result from the changes in microbial interactions owing to the substantial increase in pH and nutrient availability induced by termite nesting activities. These findings advance our understanding of the profile of ARGs in termite mounds, which is a crucial step to evaluate the roles of soil faunal activity in regulating soil resistome under global environmental change.
AB - Termites are pivotal ecosystem engineers in tropical and subtropical habitats, where they construct massive nests (‘mounds’) that substantially modify soil properties and promote nutrient cycling. Yet, little is known about the roles of termite nesting activity in regulating the spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), one of the major Global Health challenges. Here, we conducted a large-scale (> 1500 km) investigation in northern Australia and found distinct resistome profiles in termite mounds and bulk soils. By profiling a wide spectrum of ARGs, we found that the abundance and diversity of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) were significantly lower in termite mounds than in bulk soils (P < 0.001). The proportion of efflux pump ARGs was significantly lower in termite mound resistome than in bulk soil resistome (P < 0.001). The differences in resistome profiles between termite mounds and bulk soils may result from the changes in microbial interactions owing to the substantial increase in pH and nutrient availability induced by termite nesting activities. These findings advance our understanding of the profile of ARGs in termite mounds, which is a crucial step to evaluate the roles of soil faunal activity in regulating soil resistome under global environmental change.
UR - http://hdl.handle.net/1959.7/uws:62215
U2 - 10.1111/1462-2920.15631
DO - 10.1111/1462-2920.15631
M3 - Article
SN - 1462-2920
SN - 1462-2912
VL - 23
SP - 7661
EP - 7670
JO - Environmental Microbiology
JF - Environmental Microbiology
IS - 12
ER -