Influences and mechanisms of nanofullerene on the horizontal transfer of plasmid-encoded antibiotic resistance genes between E. coli strains

The spread and development of antibiotic resistance globally have led to severe public health problems. It has been shown that some non-antibiotic substances can also promote the diffusion and spread of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). Nanofullerene (nC60) is a type of nanomaterial widely used around the world, and some studies have discovered both the biological toxicity and environmental toxicity of nC60. In this study, cellular and molecular biology techniques were employed to investigate the influences of nC60 at sub-minimum inhibitory concentrations (sub-MICs) on the conjugation of ARGs between the E. coli strains. Compared with the control group, nC60 significantly increased the conjugation rates of ARGs by 1.32–10.82 folds within the concentration range of 7.03–1800 µg/L. This study further explored the mechanism of this phenomenon, finding that sub-MICs of nC60 could induce the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), trigger SOS-response and oxidative stress, affect the expression of outer membrane proteins (OMPs) genes, increase membrane permeability, and thus promote the occurrence of conjugation. This research enriches our understanding of the environmental toxicity of nC60, raises our risk awareness toward nC60, and may promote the more rational employment of nC60 materials.