Biodegradation of tetracycline antibiotics: Advances and insights into microbial resources, enzymatic mechanisms, and remediation potential.
Lei A, Wang M, Pei Y, Cheng Q, Ni H
Antibiotic Resistance
Tetracycline residues from nearby farms and hospitals quietly build up in garden soil and irrigation water, and the antibiotic-resistant microbes they breed can hitch a ride straight into the vegetables you grow and eat.
Tetracycline antibiotics — used heavily in livestock farming and human medicine — don't just disappear after use; they linger in soil and waterways for a long time. Researchers have been cataloguing which bacteria and fungi can naturally break these chemicals down, and how they do it at a molecular level. This review pulls together everything scientists have learned so far, pointing toward practical ways to use these microbes to clean up polluted farmland and water supplies.
Key Findings
Tetracycline residues accumulate persistently across diverse environments — soil, water, and sediment — due to widespread agricultural and medical use, accelerating the spread of antibiotic resistance genes via horizontal gene transfer.
Numerous bacteria and fungi with high tetracycline-degrading capacity have been identified through long-term acclimation and targeted screening, with distinct metabolic traits mapped for each.
Advanced analytical tools (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS) and molecular methods (16S rRNA sequencing, whole-genome sequencing, multi-omics) have progressively revealed the specific enzymes and step-by-step pathways by which microbes dismantle tetracycline molecules.
chevron_right Technical Summary
A comprehensive review finds that certain bacteria and fungi can naturally break down tetracycline antibiotics — chemicals that accumulate in soil and water from farming and medicine. Mapping the microbes and enzymes responsible opens new doors for cleaning up contaminated environments and curbing the spread of antibiotic resistance.
Abstract Preview
The extensive use of tetracycline antibiotics (TCs) in human therapy and animal husbandry has resulted in their persistent residues and accumulation across diverse environments, raising substantial...
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