Intraspecific and interspecific quorum sensing of bacterial community affects the fate of antibiotic resistance genes during chicken manure composting under penicillin G stress

[Display omitted] •Penicillin G significantly increased the total absolute abundances of ARGs and MGEs.•Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, and Actinobacteria were the main contributors to ARGs.•Penicillin G enhanced QS of the bacterial community.•QS facilitates horizontal gene transfer of ARGs.•Regulation of ARGs transfer by AI-2 and AHLs had a division of labor. In this study, the effects of penicillin G (PENG) on the fate of bacterial communities and β-lactamase antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) during chicken manure composting were assessed, to illustrate the roles of PENG in ARGs behavior. The results showed that the total absolute abundances of 9 ARGs and 4 mobile genetic elements (MGEs) was significantly increased by PENG (P