Project description:Many antibiotic-resistant bacteria carry resistance genes on conjugative plasmids that are transferable to commensals and pathogens. We determined the ability of multiple enteric bacteria to acquire and retransfer a broad-host-range plasmid RP4. We used human-derived commensal Escherichia coli LM715-1 carrying a chromosomal red fluorescent protein gene and green fluorescent protein (GFP)-labeled broad-host-range RP4 plasmid with ampR, tetR, and kanR in in vitro matings to rifampicin-resistant recipients, including Escherichia coli MG1655, Dec5α, Vibrio cholerae, Pseudomonas putida, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Citrobacter rodentium, and Salmonella Typhimurium. Transconjugants were quantified on selective media and confirmed using fluorescence microscopy and PCR for the GFP gene. The plasmid was transferred from E. coli LM715-1 to all tested recipients except P. aeruginosa. Transfer frequencies differed between specific donor-recipient pairings (10-2 to 10-8). Secondary retransfer of plasmid from transconjugants to E. coli LM715-1 occurred at frequencies from 10-2 to 10-7. A serial passage plasmid persistence assay showed plasmid loss over time in the absence of antibiotics, indicating that the plasmid imposed a fitness cost to its host, although some plasmid-bearing cells persisted for at least ten transfers. Thus, the RP4 plasmid can transfer to multiple clinically relevant bacterial species without antibiotic selection pressure.
Project description:ObjectivesTo locate the acquired bla(OXA-23) carbapenem resistance gene in an Australian A. baumannii global clone 1 (GC1) isolate.MethodsThe genome of the extensively antibiotic-resistant GC1 isolate A85 harbouring bla(OXA-23) in Tn2006 was sequenced using Illumina HiSeq, and the reads were used to generate a de novo assembly. PCR was used to assemble relevant contigs. Sequences were compared with ones in GenBank. Conjugation experiments were conducted.ResultsThe sporadic GC1 isolate A85, recovered in 2003, was extensively resistant, exhibiting resistance to imipenem, meropenem and ticarcillin/clavulanate, to cephalosporins and fluoroquinolones and to the older antibiotics gentamicin, kanamycin and neomycin, sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim and tetracycline. Genes for resistance to older antibiotics are in the chromosome, in an AbaR3 resistance island. A second copy of the ampC gene in Tn6168 confers cephalosporin resistance and the gyrA and parC genes have mutations leading to fluoroquinolone resistance. An 86 335 bp repAci6 plasmid, pA85-3, carrying bla(OXA-23) in Tn2006 in AbaR4, was shown to transfer imipenem, meropenem and ticarcillin/clavulanate resistance into a susceptible recipient. A85 also contains two small cryptic plasmids of 2.7 and 8.7 kb. A85 is sequence type ST126 (Oxford scheme) and carries a novel KL15 capsule locus and the OCL3 outer core locus.ConclusionsA85 represents a new GC1 lineage identified by the novel capsule locus but retains AbaR3 carrying genes for resistance to older antibiotics. Resistance to imipenem, meropenem and ticarcillin/clavulanate has been introduced into A85 by pA85-3, a repAci6 conjugative plasmid carrying Tn2006 in AbaR4.
Project description:In this study, mechanisms of antimicrobial resistance (AR) as well as the abundance and diversity of plasmids were determined among multidrug resistant (MDR) enterococci from surface water in GA, USA. A total of 51 enterococci isolates were screened for the presence of 27 AR genes conferring resistance to ciprofloxacin, erythromycin, tylosin, kanamycin, streptomycin, lincomycin, Quinupristin/Dalfopristin (Q/D), and tetracycline. A plasmid classification system based on replication genes was used to detect 19 defined Gram-positive plasmid replicon families. Twelve genes were identified as conferring resistance to erythromycin and tylosin (erm(B) and erm(C)), kanamycin (aph(3')-IIIa), streptomycin (ant(6)-Ia), lincomycin (lnu(B)), Q/D (vat(E)), ciprofloxacin (qnrE. faecalis), and tetracycline (tet(K), tet(L), tet(M), tet(O) and tet(S)). Twelve different rep-families were identified in two-thirds of the isolates. While AR genes commonly found in human and animals were detected in this study among environmental enterococci, resistance genes could not be determined for many of the isolates, which indicates that diverse AR mechanisms exist among enterococci, and the understanding of AR mechanisms for environmental enterococci is limited. Diverse rep-families were identified among the enterococci recovered from the aquatic environment, and these rep-families appear to be quite different from those recovered from other sources. This work expands knowledge of AR gene reservoirs and enterococcal plasmids across a wider range of environments.
Project description:Migratory birds play an important role in the spread of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria. To investigate the prevalence of MDR Escherichia coli in migratory birds in China and potential relationships with the environment, a total of 1387 samples (fecal samples, cloacal swabs, or throat swabs) were collected from migratory birds from three different river basins in China. The collected samples were processed and subjected to bacteriological examinations. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing of the recovered isolates was performed using the E-test for the detection of minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs). Some antibiotic resistance genes were detected and the PCR products were confirmed by sequencing. In total, 478 (34.7%) E. coli isolates were recovered. The results showed that the drug-resistant E. coli isolates were highly resistant to β-lactams (43.7%) and tetracycline (22.6%), and 73 (15.3%) were MDR, including eight that were extended spectrum β-lactamase-positive. The retrieved strains harbored the blaCTX-M, blaTEM-1, tet(A), tet(B), tet(M), sul1, sul2, sul3, cmlA, floR, and intI1 genes with a prevalence of 5.9%, 36.4%, 80.5%, 11.9%, 6.8%, 6.8%, 47.5%, 12.7%, 50.8%, 37.3%, and 61.0%, respectively. The drug resistance rate of the isolates from southern China was higher than those from northern China. The E. coli samples collected for migratory birds in the Pearl River Basin had the highest proportion (46.7%) MDR isolates. Furthermore, MDR bacteria carried by migratory birds were closely related to the antibiotic content in the basin, which confirms that MDR bacteria carried by migratory birds are likely acquired from the environment. This study also confirmed that migratory birds are potential transmitters of MDR bacteria, demonstrating the need to reduce the use and emission of antibiotics and further in-depth studies on the mechanisms underlying drug resistance of bacteria.
Project description:Tetracyclines serve as broad-spectrum antibiotics to treat bacterial infections. The discovery of new tetracycline resistance genes has led to new questions about the underlying mechanisms of resistance, gene transfer, and their relevance to human health. We tracked changes in the abundance of a 55-kbp conjugative transposon (CTn214) carrying tetQ, a tetracycline resistance gene, within a Bacteroides fragilis metagenome-assembled genome derived from shotgun sequencing of microbial DNA extracted from the ileal pouch of a patient with ulcerative colitis. The mapping of metagenomic reads to CTn214 revealed the multi-copy nature of a 17,044-nt region containing tetQ in samples collected during inflammation and uninflamed visits. B. fragilis cultivars isolated from the same patient during periods of inflammation harbored CTn214 integrated into the chromosome or both a circular, multi-copy, extrachromosomal region of the CTn214 containing tetQ and the corresponding integrated form. The tetracycline-dependent mechanism for the transmission of CTn214 is nearly identical to a common conjugative transposon found in the genome of B. fragilis (CTnDOT), but the autonomously amplified nature of a circular 17,044-nt region of CTn214 that codes for tetQ and the integration of the same sequence in the linear chromosome within the same cell is a novel observation. Genome and transcriptome sequencing of B. fragilis cultivars grown under different concentrations of tetracycline and ciprofloxacin indicates that tetQ in strains containing the circular form remains actively expressed regardless of treatment, while the expression of tetQ in strains containing the linear form increases only in the presence of tetracycline.IMPORTANCEThe exchange of antibiotic production and resistance genes between microorganisms can lead to the emergence of new pathogens. In this study, short-read mapping of metagenomic samples taken over time from the illeal pouch of a patient with ulcerative colitis to a Bacteroides fragilis metagenome-assembled genome revealed two distinct genomic arrangements of a novel conjugative transposon, CTn214, that encodes tetracycline resistance. The autonomous amplification of a plasmid-like circular form from CTn214 that includes tetQ potentially provides consistent ribosome protection against tetracycline. This mode of antibiotic resistance offers a novel mechanism for understanding the emergence of pathobionts like B. fragilis and their persistence for extended periods of time in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.
Project description:BackgroundShigella sonnei has caused sexually transmitted enteric infections in men who have sex with men (MSM) in Vancouver. We recently observed a high rate of multidrug-resistant (MDR) S. sonnei bacteremia among persons experiencing homelessness (PEH). We aimed to describe the wider epidemiology, clinical outcomes, and genomics of S. sonnei infections over time.MethodsA retrospective review of 163 patients with S. sonnei infections was undertaken from 2015 to 2022. We collected demographic, clinical, and microbiological data over 2 time periods: historical (2015-2020) and recent (2021-2022). Severe shigellosis definition included hospitalization, bacteremia, or death. Whole-genome sequencing was performed to identify genotype, infer relatedness, and predict antimicrobial resistance.ResultsS. sonnei infections increased from 8.3 (historical period) to 56.5 (recent period) cases/year. Over time, the primary population characteristics associated with shigellosis shifted from MSM (45; 98%) to PEH (86; 77%). The population intersection between MSM and PEH historically and recently was similar and occurred in 3 (6%) and 10 (9%) of patients, respectively. Severe shigellosis was significantly higher in the recent versus historical period (69 [61%] vs 7 [14%]; P < .001). A dominant clone of MDR S. sonnei, 3.6.1.1.2 (CipR.MSM5), emerged with resistance to all first- and second-line agents, yet with susceptibility to ceftriaxone.ConclusionsWe observed a substantial increase in severe shigellosis and shift from sexually transmitted S. sonnei infections in MSM to likely environmental transmission among PEH. More severe disease associated with the 3.6.1.1.2 clone of MDR S. sonnei in PEH could be a result of underlying vulnerabilities of the affected population.
Project description:Antimicrobial-resistant Cutibacterium acnes strains have emerged and disseminated throughout the world. The 23S rRNA mutation and erm(X) gene are known as the major resistance determinants of macrolides and clindamycin in C. acnes We isolated eight high-level macrolide-clindamycin-resistant C. acnes strains with no known resistance determinants, such as 23S rRNA mutation and erm(X), from different acne patients in 2008 between 2013 and 2015. The aim of this study was to identify the novel mechanisms of resistance in C. acnes Whole-genome sequencing revealed the existence of a plasmid DNA, denoted pTZC1 (length, 31,440 bp), carrying the novel macrolide-clindamycin resistance gene erm(50) and tetracycline resistance gene tet(W). pTZC1 was detected in all C. acnes isolates (eight strains) exhibiting high-level macrolide-clindamycin resistance, with no known resistance determinants (MIC of clarithromycin, ≥256 μg/ml; clindamycin, ≥256 μg/ml). Transconjugation experiments demonstrated that the pTZC1 was horizontally transferred among C. acnes strains and conferred resistance to macrolides, clindamycin, and tetracyclines. Our data showed, for the first time, the existence of a transferable multidrug-resistant plasmid in C. acnes Increased prevalence of this plasmid will be a great threat to antimicrobial therapy for acne vulgaris.
Project description:ObjectivesTo locate the acquired antibiotic resistance genes, including the amikacin resistance transposon TnaphA6, in the genome of an Australian isolate belonging to Acinetobacter baumannii global clone 1 (GC1).MethodsA multiply antibiotic-resistant GC1 isolate harbouring TnaphA6 was sequenced using Illumina HiSeq, and reads were used to generate a de novo assembly and determine multilocus sequence types (STs). PCR was used to assemble the AbaR chromosomal resistance island and a large plasmid carrying TnaphA6. Plasmid DNA sequences were compared with ones available in GenBank. Conjugation experiments were conducted.ResultsThe A. baumannii GC1 isolate G7 was shown to include the AbaR3 antibiotic resistance island. It also contains an 8.7 kb cryptic plasmid, pAb-G7-1, and a 70,100 bp plasmid, pAb-G7-2, carrying TnaphA6. pAb-G7-2 belongs to the Aci6 Acinetobacter plasmid family. It encodes transfer functions and was shown to conjugate. Plasmids related to pAb-G7-2 were detected in further amikacin-resistant GC1 isolates using PCR. From the genome sequence, isolate G7 was ST1 (Institut Pasteur scheme) and ST231 (Oxford scheme). Using Oxford scheme PCR-based methods, the isolate was ST109 and this difference was traced to a single base difference resulting from the inclusion of the original primers in the gpi segment analysed.ConclusionsThe multiply antibiotic-resistant GC1 isolate G7 carries most of its resistance genes in AbaR3 located in the chromosome. However, TnaphA6 is on a conjugative plasmid, pAb-G7-2. Primers developed to locate TnaphA6 in pAb-G7-2 will simplify the detection of plasmids related to pAb-G7-2 in A. baumannii isolates.
Project description:The nucleotide sequence of a self-transmissible plasmid pVPH1 harboring bla(PER-1) from Vibrio parahaemolyticus was determined. pVPH1 was 183,730 bp in size and shared a backbone similar to pAQU1 and pAQU2, differing mainly in an ∼40-kb multidrug resistance (MDR) region. A complex class 1 integron was identified together with ISCR1 and bla(PER-1) (ISCR1-bla(PER-1)-gst-abct-qacEΔ1-sul1), which was shown to form a circular intermediate playing an important role in the dissemination of bla(PER-1).