Print Email Facebook Twitter Catch me if you can Title Catch me if you can: capturing microbial community transformation by extracellular DNA using Hi-C sequencing Author Calderon Franco, D. (TU Delft BT/Environmental Biotechnology) van Loosdrecht, Mark C.M. (TU Delft BT/Environmental Biotechnology) Abeel, T.E.P.M.F. (TU Delft Pattern Recognition and Bioinformatics; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard) Weissbrodt, D.G. (Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)) Date 2023 Abstract The transformation of environmental microorganisms by extracellular DNA is an overlooked mechanism of horizontal gene transfer and evolution. It initiates the acquisition of exogenous genes and propagates antimicrobial resistance alongside vertical and conjugative transfers. We combined mixed-culture biotechnology and Hi-C sequencing to elucidate the transformation of wastewater microorganisms with a synthetic plasmid encoding GFP and kanamycin resistance genes, in the mixed culture of chemostats exposed to kanamycin at concentrations representing wastewater, gut and polluted environments (0.01–2.5–50–100 mg L−1). We found that the phylogenetically distant Gram-negative Runella (102 Hi-C links), Bosea (35), Gemmobacter (33) and Zoogloea (24) spp., and Gram-positive Microbacterium sp. (90) were transformed by the foreign plasmid, under high antibiotic exposure (50 mg L−1). In addition, the antibiotic pressure shifted the origin of aminoglycoside resistance genes from genomic DNA to mobile genetic elements on plasmids accumulating in microorganisms. These results reveal the power of Hi-C sequencing to catch and surveil the transfer of xenogenetic elements inside microbiomes. Subject Hi-C sequencingMixed culturesAntibiotic resistanceTransformationPlasmids To reference this document use: http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:91e77dd7-2b35-4e90-a2ad-bf3c5f8af5ef DOI https://doi.org/10.1007/s10482-023-01834-z ISSN 0003-6072 Source Antonie van Leeuwenhoek: international journal of general and molecular microbiology, 116 (7), 667-685 Part of collection Institutional Repository Document type journal article Rights © 2023 D. Calderon Franco, Mark C.M. van Loosdrecht, T.E.P.M.F. Abeel, D.G. Weissbrodt Files PDF s10482_023_01834_z.pdf 1.62 MB Close viewer /islandora/object/uuid:91e77dd7-2b35-4e90-a2ad-bf3c5f8af5ef/datastream/OBJ/view