Eradication of Helicobacter pylori reshapes gut microbiota and facilitates the evolution of antimicrobial resistance through gene transfer and genomic mutations in the gut

• DOI: 10.1186/s12866-025-03823-w
• Publication Date: 2025-02-25T09:56:47Z
• Authors: Meiqi Zhao; Yunlong Zhang; Shuangqing Liu; Fengmei Wang; Peng Zhang
• Keywords: Horizontal Gene Transfer; Parasitology; Bacterial Genetics

Treating Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection requires large quantities of antibiotics, thus dramatically promoting the enrichment and dissemination antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in feces. However, influence H. eradication on AMR mobility gut microbiota evolution has yet to be thoroughly investigated. Here, a study involving 12 pylori-positive participants was conducted, pre- post- fecal samples were sequenced. Metagenomic analysis revealed that treatment drastically altered microbiome, with Escherichia Klebsiella genera emerging as predominant bacteria. Interestingly, significantly increased relative abundance diversity resistome mobilome microbiota. Eradication also enriched genes (ARGs) conferring antibiotics not administered because co-location other ARGs or mobile genetic elements (MGEs). Additionally, identified primary bacterial hosts these highly transferable ARGs. Furthermore, genomic variations associated coli (E. coli) caused by profiled, including parC, parE, gyrA genes. These findings promoted MGEs genera, further facilitated through horizontal transfer variations.