Tetracycline Resistance Gene in Asian Aquatic Environments

Antibiotic pollution has recently been a global environmental and human health concern. When bacteria are exposed to antibiotics, they express drug resistance. Drug resistance genes can be vertically and horizontally transferred in the environment. In this paper, I provide a summary of our work on one category of tetracycline resistance gene, termed ribosomal protection protein gene. In particular, tet(M) is discussed in the context of its origin and distribution in aquatic environments of Asia.