Faculty Opinions recommendation of Detection of antimicrobial resistance genes associated with the International Space Station environmental surfaces.
Year: 2018
Type: peer-review
Abstract: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global health issue.In an effort to minimize this threat to astronauts, who may be immunocompromised and thus at a greater risk of infection from antimicrobial resistant pathogens, a comprehensive study of the ISS "resistome' was conducted.Using whole genome sequencing (WGS) and disc diffusion antibiotic resistance assays, 9 biosafety level 2 organisms isolated from the ISS were assessed for their antibiotic resistance.Molecular analysis of AMR genes from 24 surface samples collected from the ISS during 3 different sampling events over a span of a year were analyzed with Ion AmpliSeq ™ and metagenomics.Disc diffusion assays showed that Enterobacter bugandensis strains were resistant to all 9 antibiotics tested and Staphylococcus haemolyticus being resistant to none.Ion AmpliSeq ™ revealed that 123 AMR genes were found, with those responsible for beta-lactam and trimethoprim resistance being the most abundant and widespread.Using a variety of methods, the genes involved in antimicrobial resistance have been examined for the first time from the ISS.This information could lead to mitigation strategies to maintain astronaut health during long duration space missions when return to Earth for treatment is not possible.The International Space Station (ISS) is not a sterile environment.Microbial monitoring of air and surfaces have shown that many different microbes exist in this closed, harsh environment, some of which are opportunistic pathogens of human origin [1][2][3][4] .The presence of such microorganisms within this environment poses a serious risk to crew health, as opportunistic pathogens have shown increased virulence while grown in space and prolonged spaceflight weakens an astronaut's immune system, rendering him/her more susceptible to infection 5 .Some human associated opportunistic pathogens that have been isolated from the ISS include Staphylococcus aureus, S. haemolyticus, S. hominis, Acinetobacter pitti, Pantoea conspicua and members of the family Enterobacteriaceae, while others such as Propionibacterium and Corynebacterium have been detected with culture-independent, molecular based methods 2,5 .This study however, does not discuss virulence -a key factor that determines whether or not a microbe could be harmful to humans.Thus, the AMR gene carrying bacteria reported in this study do not necessarily pose a threat to astronauts on the ISS.Antibiotics are the primary treatment strategy to combat infections, but this approach may not be as easy to implement on the ISS or on future deep space missions.Studies have shown that some organisms become less susceptible to antibiotic action when exposed to spaceflight.For example, the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of colistin and kanamycin for E. coli, isolated from an astronaut aboard Salyut 7, increased from 4 μg/ml to >16 μg/ml, compared to the ground control, while that of S. aureus increased two fold for oxacillin, chloramphenicol, and erythromycin 6 .Increased antibiotic resistance has also been noted on Discovery shuttle and Mir space station flight missions 7 .The mode of action for this resistance is unclear, but it could be due to increased mutations in bacterial genes.A study comparing S. epidermidis grown on the ISS vs Earth, for 122 hours, showed
Authors: Niyaz Ahmed, Muhammad Asaduzzaman
Institution: International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research
Language: English
Subfield: Molecular Medicine
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
Awards: G1356433355, G14554683, INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION MICROBIAL OBSERVATORY OF PATHOGENIC VIRUS, BACTERIA, AND FUNGI (ISS-MOP) PROJECT WILL GENERATE THE MICROBIAL CENSUSES AS, G2145270357, G23007832, G2717806384, G3152186863, G4302474758, G4343739756, G583152162, G69709960, G6978605584, G991281326
OpenAlex ID: W4247300216