Integrons are key players in the spread of beta-lactamase-encoding genes.

Integrons mediate the acquisition and expression of gene cassettes (GCs). The production of beta-lactamases (BLs) is the most relevant mechanism of beta-lactams resistance. To explore the role of integrons in BL genes dissemination, we retrieved sequences and metadata from the INTEGRALL database and performed literature review.

Plastisphere in a low-pollution mountain river: Influence of microplastics on survival of pathogenic bacteria.

Microplastics (MPs) are found even in remote and low-pollution freshwater ecosystems. However, the microbial communities associated with MPs in these environments remain poorly understood. We characterized the plastisphere in a low-pollution riverine ecosystem and evaluated the influence of different MPs in the persistence of pathogens in such environments.

Integron-associated genes are reliable indicators of antibiotic resistance in wastewater despite treatment- and seasonality-driven fluctuations.

The present study aims to characterize the bacterial community, resistome and integron abundance of a municipal wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) over the course of 12 months and evaluate the year-long performance of integron-related genes as potential indicators of antibiotic resistance mechanisms in influents and effluents. For that, total DNA was extracted and subjected to 16S rRNA-targeted metabarcoding, high-throughput (HT) qPCR (48 targets) and standard qPCR (5 targets). Targets included integrase genes, antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and putative pathogenic groups.

Responses of soil microbiome to copper-based materials (nano and bulk) for agricultural applications: An indoor-mesocosm experiment.

The foreseen increasing application of copper-based nanomaterials (Cu-NMs), replacing or complementing existing Cu-agrochemicals, may negatively impact the soil microbiome. Thus, we studied the effects on soil microbiome function and composition of nano copper oxide (nCuO) or copper hydroxide NMs in a commercial (Kocide®3000) or a lab-synthetized formulation (nCu(OH)) or bulk copper hydroxide (Cu(OH)-B), at the commonly recommended Cu dose of 50 mg(Cu)kg soil. Microbial responses were studied over 28 days in a designed indoor mesocosm.