Abundance of tigecycline resistance genes and association with antibiotic residues in Chinese livestock farms

The discovery of plasmid-mediated tet(X) variants and efflux pump gene tmexCD1-toprJ1 conferring bacteria resistance to tigecycline has compromised glycylcycline as the last line of defense against infection, which poses serious threat to public health. Herein, real-time quantitative PCR was used to detect the abundance of seven tigecycline resistance genes (TRGs), including six tet(X) variants and tmexCD1-toprJ1, and insertion sequences ISCR2 and IS26. Then, the concentrations of nine antibiotics were quantified in fecal samples collected from 157 livestock farms in four Chinese provinces. TRGs, especially tet(X4), tmexCD1-toprJ1, and insertion sequences ISCR2 and IS26, were more abundant in chicken feces than in pig and cattle feces, suggesting the greater risk for the propagation of TRGs in chicken feces. Positive correlations (rho = 0.3741-0.8275, P < 0.0001) between ISCR2/ IS26 and TRGs (except tet(X1)) further demonstrated that ISCR2 mediates the transfer of tet(X3), tet(X4), and tet (X5) and that IS26 plays a certain role for the mobilization of tet(X4) and tmexCD1-toprJ1. Tetracyclines had no positive correlation with the abundance of TRGs (except tet(X1)), meanwhile florfenicol and tiamulin were positively correlated with TRGs. However, further research is needed to confirm whether or not florfenicol and tiamulin are potential driving factors of TRG accumulation.

Automated summary

The study found that tet(X4), tmexCD1-toprJ1, and other tigecycline resistance genes were more abundant in chicken feces, indicating a higher risk of TRG propagation in chicken feces. Positive correlations between ISCR2/IS26 and TRGs further demonstrated the potential transfer and mobilization of these resistance genes.