Development of the oral resistome during the first decade of life

Smitha Sukumar; Fang Wang; Carra A Simpson; Cali E Willet; Tracy Chew; Toby E Hughes; Michelle R Bockmann; Rosemarie Sadsad; F Elizabeth Martin; Henry W Lydecker; Gina V Browne; Kylie M Davis; Minh Bui; Elena Martinez; Christina J Adler

doi:10.1038/s41467-023-36781-w

Development of the oral resistome during the first decade of life

Nat Commun. 2023 Mar 9;14(1):1291. doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-36781-w.

Authors

Smitha Sukumar¹, Fang Wang^{2

3}, Carra A Simpson⁴, Cali E Willet⁵, Tracy Chew⁵, Toby E Hughes^{2

6}, Michelle R Bockmann⁶, Rosemarie Sadsad⁵, F Elizabeth Martin², Henry W Lydecker⁵, Gina V Browne^{2

7}, Kylie M Davis⁶, Minh Bui⁸, Elena Martinez^{2

9}, Christina J Adler^{10

11}

Affiliations

¹ Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia. [email protected].
² Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
³ Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
⁴ The Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Division of Digestive Diseases, Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, US.
⁵ Sydney Informatics Hub, Core Research Facilities, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
⁶ Adelaide Dental School, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia.
⁷ Institute of Dental Research, Westmead Centre for Oral Health, Westmead, NSW, Australia.
⁸ Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
⁹ Institute of Clinical Pathology and Medical Research, NSW Health Pathology, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
¹⁰ Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia. [email protected].
¹¹ Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia. [email protected].

Abstract

Antibiotic overuse has promoted the spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) with significant health and economic consequences. Genome sequencing reveals the widespread presence of antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) in diverse microbial environments. Hence, surveillance of resistance reservoirs, like the rarely explored oral microbiome, is necessary to combat AMR. Here, we characterise the development of the paediatric oral resistome and investigate its role in dental caries in 221 twin children (124 females and 97 males) sampled at three time points over the first decade of life. From 530 oral metagenomes, we identify 309 ARGs, which significantly cluster by age, with host genetic effects detected from infancy onwards. Our results suggest potential mobilisation of ARGs increases with age as the AMR associated mobile genetic element, Tn916 transposase was co-located with more species and ARGs in older children. We find a depletion of ARGs and species in dental caries compared to health. This trend reverses in restored teeth. Here we show the paediatric oral resistome is an inherent and dynamic component of the oral microbiome, with a potential role in transmission of AMR and dysbiosis.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology
Child
Dental Caries* / genetics
Drug Resistance, Bacterial / genetics
Female
Genes, Bacterial
Humans
Male
Microbiota* / genetics

Substances

Anti-Bacterial Agents

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Substances

Grants and funding