Comparative Genomic Analysis of Antibiotic-Resistance genes in Cyanobacteria and Heterotrophic Bacteria

Abstract Cyanobacteria (Blue-green algae) are very small organisms that do not contain a true nucleus inside the cells, meaning that the genetic material is found directly in the cytoplasm without a nuclear membrane. They arespread in diverse environments. Where they play an important role in theenvironment, They play key role in oxygen production and nitrogen fixation in aquatic environments. However, recent studies indicate that some blue-green algae species, such as Oscillatoria sp., Anabaena lutea, Spirulina platensis , and Chrococcus sp. , may possess antibiotic resistance genes, making them potential reservoirs for the transfer and spread of these genes via horizontal gene transfer. The purpose of this studyis investigate the presence of some antibiotic resistance genes (such as blaTEM and blaSHV) in somefreshwater local isolates of blue-green algae species (Oscillatoria sp., Anabaena lutea, Spirulina platensis, Chrococcus sp., Limnospira fuciformis, Langbya astrill, Oscillatoria nigro, and Wollea saccata), which are known to be antibiotic resistance-associated genes in bacteria. The studied blue-green algae samples were collected from different environments. After it was cultivated in an appropriate medium, the DNA was extracted, and antibiotic resistance genes (blaTEM and blaSHV) were amplified using PCR, then analyzed by electrophoresis on agarose gel. The results showed that both algae and bacteria possessed antibiotic resistance genes (β-lactam, sulfonamide, and tetracycline), suggesting the possibility of horizontal gene transfer (HGT) between them, which promotes antibiotic resistance in aquatic environments.