Antibiotic resistance genes detected in lichens: insights from <i>Cladonia stellaris</i>
Our findings demonstrate that C. stellaris harbours diverse ARGs in remote boreal ecosystems with limited anthropogenic influence. Proposed explanations for ARG presence include long-distance dispersal via bioaerosols and endogenous development within lichen microbiomes, yet these remain speculative. Future work incorporating bacterial isolation, whole-genome sequencing, metatranscriptomics, air sampling and metabolomic profiling is necessary to unravel the ecology and evolution of ARGs in natural habitats.
Authors
- Marta Alonso (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2935-7754)
- Marc Veillette (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0000-0156-0796)
- Juan Carlos Villarreal (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0770-1446)
- Samantha Leclerc
- Paul B. L. George (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3835-431X)
- Caroline Duchaine (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9912-0349)
Institutions
- Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (GB)
- Institut universitaire de cardiologie et de pneumologie de Québec (CA)
- Université Laval (CA)
- Universidad de Murcia (ES)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Annals of Botany
- Published
- 2025-09-19
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcaf231
- Primary Topic
- Lichen and fungal ecology
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00