Antibiotic Resistance Genes and Correlations with Microbial Community and Metal Resistance Genes in Full-Scale Biogas Reactors As Revealed by Metagenomic Analysis

• DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.6b05100
• Publication Date: 2017-03-08T20:14:34Z
• Authors: Gang Luo; Bing Li; Li-Guan Li; Tong Zhang; Irini Angelidaki
• Keywords: Biogas; Microbial genetics

Digested residues from biogas plants are often used as biofertilizers for agricultural crops cultivation. The antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in digested pose a high risk to public health due their potential spread the disease-causing microorganisms and thus reduce susceptibility of antibiotics medical treatment. A high-throughput sequencing (HTS)-based metagenomic approach was present study investigate variations ARGs full-scale reactors correlations with microbial communities metal (MRGs). total abundance all samples varied 7 × 10-3 1.08 10-1 copy ARG/copy 16S-rRNA gene, obtained thermophilic had lower ARGs, indicating superiority anaerobic digestion removal. were composed 175 ARG subtypes; however, only subtypes shared by samples. Principal component analysis canonical correspondence clustered into three groups (samples manure-based mesophilic reactors, sludge-based reactors), substrate, temperature, hydraulic retention time (HRT) well volatile fatty acids (VFAs) identified crucial environmental variables affecting compositions. Procrustes revealed community composition determinant there also significant correlation between MRGs composition. Network further co-occurrence specific MRGs.