2. Academic Validation
  3. UV-aged biodegradable and non-biodegradable microplastics further enhance horizontal transfer of antibiotic resistance plasmids both in vitro and in intestinal flora

UV-aged biodegradable and non-biodegradable microplastics further enhance horizontal transfer of antibiotic resistance plasmids both in vitro and in intestinal flora

  • Environ Pollut. 2025 Nov 15:385:127111. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2025.127111.
Haijie Zhang 1,  Yu Shao 2,  Tengfei Li 2,  Wei Liu 2,  Yanhu Huang 2,  Yupei Jiang 2,  Zhiqiang Wang 3,  Xia Xiao 4
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, China; Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety of Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, China.
  • 2 Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, China.
  • 3 Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, China; Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety of Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, China; Institute of Comparative Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, China. Electronic address: zqwang@yzu.edu.cn.
  • 4 Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, China; Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, China. Electronic address: xiaoxia@yzu.edu.cn.
PMID: 40939716 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2025.127111
Abstract

Microplastics is a well-known environmental contaminant that have raised concerns regarding their role in spreading Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). This study investigates the effect of ultraviolet (UV) aging of 100 nm petroleum-based (polystyrene, PS) and bio-based (polylactic acid, PLA) microplastics on the horizontal transfer of multidrug resistance plasmids. Both PS and PLA significantly increase the frequency of horizontal spread of ARGs, and UV aging of both PS and PLA microplastics further enhance this frequency by 4- to 20-fold, implying that environmental elements, including UV radiation, may increase the ecological danger caused by microplastics. UV aging significantly alters the surface properties of both PS and PLA microplastics and disrupted the integrity of Bacterial cell membranes. Moreover, UV-aged microplastics increased cellular uptakes and exacerbated oxidative stress in bacteria by elevating ROS levels and SOD activity. In addition, UV-aged microplastics improved Bacterial energy metabolism, providing additional ATP for conjugation process. Finally, UV-aged microplastics aggravated oxidative stress and intestinal inflammation in gut which further promoted the plasmid conjugation rate in vivo by 3.5-fold. The findings not only draw attention to the important role of UV-aged microplastics in permitting ARG spread but also urge thorough risk assessments of degradation of microplastics on public health and ecosystems.

Keywords

Aantibiotic resistance genes; Horizontal transfer; Microplastics; Transconjugation; UV-Aging.

Figures
Products