Blattella germanica is a cosmopolitan species of omnivorous cockroach found in urban and rural environments. They are present in large numbers inside and around houses, hospitals and areas with unsanitary and insalubrious conditions. Cockroaches are the only insect known to have two types of symbiotic systems in a single individual: Blattabacterium cuenotii an obligate endosymbiont, located in one type of cells of the fat body (bacteriocytes), which has an important role in nitrogen metabolism, and a rich and complex gut microbiota which function is not yet well understood. We have carried out a metagenomic analysis of the gut microbiota of B. germanica populations treated with three antibiotics (ampicillin, kanamycin and vancomycin) and non-treated to characterize the antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) pool of this species and to understand its temporal dynamics. Our study identifies a natural reservoir of ARGs, some of them involved in resistance to several broad-spectrum antibiotics frequently used in the clinic. Furthermore, we detected mobile element-related components suggesting a capacity to mobilize DNA, including ARGs. ARGs can increase in number in response to antibiotic treatment and be mobilized, favoring the growth of antibiotic-resistant microorganisms. Given that German cockroaches live in intimate association with humans, this can cause a biomedical problem that needs to be considered.

Resumen del póster presentado al XLII Congreso de la Sociedad Española de Genética, celebrado de forma virtual del 14 al 18 de junio de 2021.

This work was supported by grants PGC2018-099344-B-I00 (MICINN and ERDF) and PROMETEO/2018/133 (GVA/INNOVA).

Peer reviewed