Wheat straw incorporation and nitrogen fertilization increase antibiotic resistance gene abundance and dissemination potential in agricultural soil

Abstract

Straw incorporation and nitrogen amendment in agricultural soils have been shown to increase the diversity of bacterial communities and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). However, the effects of straw types and nitrogen amendment levels on ARG dissemination potential lack genetic evidence. Here, we conducted a metagenomic analysis of 24 agricultural soils amended with wheat or maize straw under a nitrogen fertilization gradient (0, 200, 400, and 600 kya). Our results showed that the incorporation of wheat straw in soils significantly increased the abundance of ARGs and mobile genetic elements (MGEs) compared with maize straw. Moreover, genetic evidence of the coexistence of ARGs and MGEs (distance < 5000 bp) demonstrated that the dissemination potential of ARGs was significantly greater in wheat than in maize straw-returning soils. Glycopeptide, fluoroquinolone and diaminopyrimidine resistance were the dominant ARGs and were assigned to Pseudomonadota, Actinobacteria and Firmicutes, which were also the predominant bacteria harboring ARG-MGE. Compared with the absence of nitrogen amendment or at 600 kya, nitrogen amendment at 200 and 400 kya increased the ARG dissemination potential in wheat straw-returning soils. The different correlation patterns between the dominant ARGs and the carbon and nitrogen metabolism genes implied that bacteria involved in degrading organic substrates and nitrogen metabolism may have antibiotic resistance ability. This study suggested that wheat straw incorporation and nitrogen fertilization contribute to the spread of ARGs in agricultural soils and should not be neglected.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

straw incorporation / nitrogen / antibiotic resistance genes / ARG dissemination / agricultural soils

Highlight

	● Wheat straw return increases soil ARG abundances and dissemination potential.
	● N fertilization at 200 and 400 kya increases ARG dissemination potential.
	● Dominant ARGs are glycopeptide-, fluoroquinolone- and diaminopyrimidine-resistance.
	● Dominant ARGs’ abundance correlated with those of C degradation and N metabolism.

References

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