Unveiling the environmental fate and risks of non-heterocyclic sulfacetamide: From a novel degradation mechanism to microecological effects.
Zhao G, Chen W, Zhang W, Zhang R, Huang X
Antibiotic Resistance
PubMedAntibiotic residues from farms and wastewater seep into the soil where your vegetables grow, quietly breeding antibiotic-resistant bacteria that can end up on your plate — this research points toward a biological cleanup tool that could make that soil safer.
Antibiotics from human and animal use end up in soil and water, where they cause real harm even at low levels. Researchers found a soil bacterium with two special proteins that work together to break down one such antibiotic, sulfacetamide, into harmless pieces. When they added this bacterium to contaminated water samples, it not only cleaned up the antibiotic but also reduced the spread of genes that make other bacteria drug-resistant.
Key Findings
Two newly identified enzymes, SamA1 and SamA2, initiate sulfacetamide breakdown; their amino acid sequences share only ~39% and ~35% similarity with any previously known enzymes, making them a genuinely novel discovery.
Combined expression of both enzymes produced a synergistic effect, degrading sulfacetamide more effectively together than either enzyme alone.
Bioaugmentation with the bacterial strain HA-1 significantly reduced antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and mobile genetic elements (MGEs) in experimental microecosystems, suggesting it can curb resistance spread, not just antibiotic levels.
chevron_right Technical Summary
Scientists discovered bacteria that can break down a common antibiotic pollutant found in soil and water, using two newly identified enzymes. Adding these bacteria to contaminated environments significantly reduced antibiotic residues and slowed the spread of antibiotic resistance genes.
Abstract Preview
The presence of sulfonamides (SAs) in the environment has been demonstrated to be a significant factor in pollution. Despite extensive research on heterocyclic SAs, the degradation mechanisms and e...
open_in_new Read full abstract on PubMedAbstract copyright held by the original publisher.
Was this useful?
Ancient DNA Reveals Pre-Columbian Amazonian Forest Management at Scale
Forests and fruits we romanticize as wild — including many plants now in our kitchens and gardens — may exist in their current abundance precisely because an...