Coastal estuaries and bays are exposed to both natural and anthropogenic environmental changes, inflicting intensive stress on the microbial communities inhabiting these areas. However, it remains unclear how microbial community diversity and their eco-functions are affected by anthropogenic disturbances rather than natural environmental changes. Here, we explored sediment microbial functional genes dynamics and community interaction networks in Hangzhou Bay (HZB), one of the most severely polluted bays on China’s eastern coast. The results indicated key microbial functional gene categories, including N, P, S, and aromatic compound metabolism, and stress response, displayed significant spatial dynamics along environmental gradients. Sensitive feedbacks of key functional gene categories to N and P pollutants demonstrated potential impacts of human-induced seawater pollutants to microbial functional capacity. Seawater ammonia and dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) was identified as primary drivers in selecting adaptive populations and varying community composition. Network analysis revealed distinct modules that were stimulated in inner or outer bay. Importantly, the network keystone species, which played a fundamental role in community interactions, were strongly affected by N-pollutants. Our results provide a systematic understanding of the microbial compositional and functional dynamics in an urbanized coastal estuary, and highlighted the impact of human activities on these communities.

Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) are regarded as emerging contaminants related with human activities. Aquatic environments of an urban city are apt for the persistence and prevalence of ARGs. In this study, we investigated the occurrence and distribution of ARGs and integrase genes in the sediment samples collected from drinking water sources, urban rivers, and coastal areas of Zhuhai, China, in the dry and wet seasons of 2016. The results show that sulfonamide resistance gene of sulII was present at the highest detection frequency (85.71%); and its average concentrations were also the highest in both dry and wet seasons (3.78×107 and 9.04×107 copies/g sediment, respectively), followed by tetC, tetO, tetA, ermB, dfrA1, and blaPSE-1. Temporally, the concentrations of total ARGs in the wet season were likely higher than those in the dry season; and spatially, the concentrations of total ARGs in the drinking water sources were substantially lower than those in the urban rivers and nearby coastal areas, indicating the different degrees of anthropogenic impact and consequent health risks. Positive correlations were found between intI1 and each quantitative ARG in all wet season samples rather than dry season samples, which suggested higher temperature and more rain in summer might have positive influences on ARG dissemination, especially that mediated by intI1 gene and class I integrons.

Coastal ecosystem structures and functions are changing under natural and anthropogenic influences. In this study, surface sediment samples were collected from disturbed zone (DZ), near estuary zone (NEZ), and far estuary zone (FEZ) of Hangzhou Bay, one of the most seriously polluted bays in China. The bacterial community structures and predicted functions varied significantly in different zones. Firmicutes were found most abundantly in DZ, highlighting the impacts of anthropogenic activities. Sediment total phosphorus was most influential on the bacterial community structures. Predicted by PICRUSt analysis, DZ significantly exceeded FEZ and NEZ in the subcategory of Xenobiotics Biodegradation and Metabolism; and DZ enriched all the nitrate reduction related genes, except nrfA gene. Seawater salinity and inorganic nitrogen, respectively as the representative natural and anthropogenic factor, performed exact-oppositely in nitrogen metabolism functions. The changes of bacterial community compositions and predicted functions provide a new insight into human-induced pollution impacts on coastal ecosystem.

生物膜是微生物细胞粘附于材料表面的群体性生长方式。在实践应用中,有目的地调控微生物在材料表面的成膜进程具有重要意义。本文概述了生物膜在材料表面的形成机制及其影响因素,综述了材料表面的电荷特征、亲疏水性、形貌模式和功能性化学修饰等物化特性对细胞粘附和生物膜形成的影响,并介绍了目前在不同实际应用场景中抑制成膜和促进成膜材料的研发现状。

 抗生素抗性基因(Antibiotic resistance genes，ARGs)作为一种新型污染物在不同环境中广泛分布、来源复杂，对生态环境和人类健康造成了很大的潜在风险。同时，I型整合子(Int I)介导的ARGs水平转移是环境中微生物产生耐药性的重要途径，I型整合子整合酶基因(intI1)与ARGs丰度在环境中表现出了较高的正相关性，Int I可以作为标记物在一定程度上反映ARGs在环境中的迁移转化规律和人类活动影响程度。本文介绍ARGs与Int I在环境中的来源与分布，总结Int I介导的ARGs迁移转化机制以及相关研究方法，并展望未来的研究发展趋势。

废水处理系统被认为是水环境中抗生素抗性基因(ARGs)的重要污染源.为探究ARGs在废水处理系统中的分布特征和去除情况,选取某精细化工园区内的制药废水处理系统和园区综合性废水处理系统,使用PCR和实时荧光定量PCR对不同处理单元中ARGs的存在情况和丰度变化进行研究.在两个系统进水中分别检出了10种和15种ARGs,其中以四环素类和磺胺类ARGs居多,并首次检出了dfrA13基因.进水中sulⅠ和sulⅡ基因的丰度最高,随后依次是dfrA13、tetQ、floR、tetO和tetW基因.制药废水处理系统使总ARGs浓度上升了0.21个数量级,出水汇入园区综合性废水处理系统再次处理,其对综合性废水处理系统进水中总ARGs的贡献率为5.05%.综合性废水处理系统使总ARGs浓度下降了1.03个数量级,残留ARGs同最终出水一起直接排海,对近海环境中微生物群落的潜在影响有待深入研究.