Abstract

Soil, a potential reservoir of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), is inhabited by numerous microorganisms. Many microorganisms in soil are embedded within a self-produced matrix of extracellular polymeric substances to form supracellular structures, i.e., biofilms. Representing the predominant microbial lifestyle in soil, soil biofilms are considered hot spots of horizontal gene transfer. Herein, we discuss the distribution, transfer, and fate of ARGs in the soil environment at macro- and micro-scales. Applications of microfluidic platforms, with an advantage of mimicking complex soil environments and permitting the study of microbial behaviors at a micro-scale, coupled with high-throughput sequencing and other innovative platforms, to study soil biofilms and transfer of ARGs are also discussed. This review aims to highlight the neglected role of soil biofilms in the spread of ARGs to expand the current limited knowledge about ARGs in the soil microenvironment.

摘要

土壤是抗生素抗性基因 (ARG) 的潜在储存库，居住着许多微生物。土壤中的许多微生物嵌入在自产的细胞外聚合物基质中，形成细胞上结构，即生物膜。土壤生物膜代表了土壤中主要的微生物生活方式，被认为是水平基因转移的热点。在这里，我们讨论了 ARGs 在宏观和微观尺度上的土壤环境中的分布、转移和归宿。还讨论了微流控平台的应用，它具有模拟复杂土壤环境和允许在微尺度上研究微生物行为的优势，再加上高通量测序和其他创新平台，研究土壤生物膜和 ARGs 的转移。