Antibiotic resistance profiles and associated factors in aquatic ecosystems with contrasting hydrodynamic settings.

Antibiotic resistance gene abundance and associated factors differ significantly between a dynamic river and a slow-flow wetland, with higher levels in the river.

• Why it matters: Understanding how hydrodynamic conditions influence antibiotic resistance in aquatic ecosystems is crucial for managing ecological and public health risks, yet these patterns remain poorly characterized.
• What they did: An integrated analytical framework examined antibiotics, microbial communities, mobile genetic elements, and ARGs across two contrasting aquatic systems, measuring concentrations and associations.
• The result: The study found distinct resistance profiles: a host community-associated mode in the river and an antibiotic-associated mode in the wetland, highlighting the role of MGEs in ARG variation across environments.