{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,14]],"date-time":"2026-09-14T20:04:07Z","timestamp":1789416247016,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":53,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,22]],"date-time":"2026-01-22T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1769040000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Microbiol."],"abstract":"<jats:p>\n                    Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a critical global health threat. This phenomenon involves the diffusion of bacteria and genes among humans, animals and the environment. In particular, the presence of third generation cephalosporin (3GC)-resistant\n                    <jats:italic>Enterobacteriaceae<\/jats:italic>\n                    in natural environments is of high concern as they are classified as critical-priority pathogens of public health importance. In this work we studied the relation among plastic pollution in freshwater ecosystems, the spread of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria and diffusion of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). Caged plastic fragments were deliberately introduced in a river of central Italy. Plastic samples were collected and analyzed in parallel with river water samples. Out of 267 cefotaxime (CTX) resistant isolates obtained, 65 CTX-resistant\n                    <jats:italic>Enterobacteriaceae<\/jats:italic>\n                    were selected for further analysis. Most of the isolates (75% of plastic-derived and 84% of water-derived isolates) were MDR with seven being carbapenem-resistant enterobacteria (CRE). Five of them synthesize KPC (\n                    <jats:italic>Klebsiella pneumoniae<\/jats:italic>\n                    carbapenemases) enzymes, and two strains were positive for metallo-\u03b2-lactamases (NDM). Among the KPC producers, three isolates were identified as\n                    <jats:italic>K. pneumoniae<\/jats:italic>\n                    sequence type ST1519. Their isolation in a natural ecosystem is alarming because they can potentially re-enter human populations through environmental pathways. Shotgun metagenomic analysis provided a comprehensive snapshot of the microbial communities associated to the plastisphere, revealing dominance of families such as\n                    <jats:italic>Comamonadaceae<\/jats:italic>\n                    ,\n                    <jats:italic>Sphaerotilaceae<\/jats:italic>\n                    , and\n                    <jats:italic>Flavobacteriaceae<\/jats:italic>\n                    , which play key roles in environmental biofilm formation and stability. The resistome analysis highlighted the presence of ARGs conferring resistance to clinically important antibiotics, such as beta-lactams, vancomycin, and tetracyclines, alongside mobile genetic elements (MGEs) such as integrons, which facilitate the horizontal transfer of resistance genes. This study provides crucial experimental evidence that riverine plastic debris acts as a genetic reservoir and could act as an efficient vehicle for the accumulation and transfer of clinically relevant resistance determinants.\n                  <\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3389\/fmicb.2025.1721325","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,22]],"date-time":"2026-01-22T18:10:07Z","timestamp":1769105407000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":5,"title":["The plastisphere and river systems as reservoirs for antibiotic resistant bacteria"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"16","author":[{"given":"Soraya","family":"Alfonsi","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino","place":["Camerino, Italy"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Francesca","family":"Racciatti","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino","place":["Camerino, Italy"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Frank","family":"Guzman","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Biomolecules Laboratory, Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Biology, Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas","place":["Lima, Peru"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Attilio","family":"Fabbretti","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino","place":["Camerino, Italy"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Pohl","family":"Milon","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Biomolecules Laboratory, Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Biology, Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas","place":["Lima, Peru"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Luca Agostino","family":"Vitali","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Pharmacy, University of Camerino","place":["Camerino, Italy"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Roberto","family":"Spurio","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino","place":["Camerino, Italy"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Dezemona","family":"Petrelli","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino","place":["Camerino, Italy"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,22]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"465","DOI":"10.1007\/s43621-024-00722-4","article-title":"Antibiotic resistant bacteria colonising microplastics in the aquatic environment: an emerging challenge.","volume":"5","author":"Ahmad","year":"2024","journal-title":"Discover Sustain."},{"key":"B2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"139","DOI":"10.1038\/s41579-019-0308-0","article-title":"Ecology of the plastisphere.","volume":"18","author":"Amaral-Zettler","year":"2020","journal-title":"Nat. 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