scholarly journals Precise editing using CRISPR-Cas9 to explore the contribution of clinically-derived mutations to antifungal resistance in the pathogenic yeast Candida parapsilosis

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (12) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sophie Hartuis ◽  
Estelle Robert ◽  
Lisa Lombardi ◽  
Geraldine Butler ◽  
Patrice Le Pape ◽  
...  

Introduction Candida parapsilosis is both a commensal/saprophytic yeast of the human skin and an opportunistic pathogen which can be responsible for life-threatening infections. The increasing reports of clonal outbreaks involving azole-resistant C. parapsilosis in the clinical setting is worrisome and urges for a better understanding of antifungal resistance in this species. Previous studies have identified mutations in key genes which can explain acquired fluconazole resistance. Reverse genetics approaches are now warranted to confirm their involvement and to determine whether they can affect other clinically-licensed antifungals. Here, we used a CRISPR-Cas9 technique to study the relative contributions of clinically-derived mutations to antifungal resistance and provide answers to these questions. Materials and Methods Six clinically-derived mutations were selected (ERG11Y132F, ERG11K143R,ERG11R398I, TAC1G650E, MRR1G583R, ERG3G111R) to be engineered in two C. parapsilosis fluconazole-susceptible backgrounds (ATCC22019, STZ5) using a previously described CRISPR-Cas9 method. In vitro susceptibility of the transformants to fluconazole, voriconazole, posaconazole, isavuconazole and micafungin was determined by Etest®. Results/Discussion The impact on fluconazole susceptibility was highly variable depending on the residue/gene involved, but roughly similar between the two genetic backgrounds. All but two(ERG11R398I, ERG3G111R) conferred fluconazole resistance, though the highest MIC increase was observed for MRR1G583R (≥650 fold). As expected in a diploid species, we noted an impact of allelic dosage. Some kind of cross-resistance to the other azoles was noted from some mutations, although the impact was lower for posaconazole and isavuconazole, except for MRR1G583R which led to multi-azole resistance. Finally, ERG3G111R increased tolerance to both azoles and echinocandins.

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (12) ◽  
Author(s):  
Flora Bohner ◽  
Csaba Papp ◽  
Mónika Varga ◽  
András Szekeres ◽  
Renáta Tóth ◽  
...  

Recently, C. auris become one of the most prominent members of the genus Candida. Since its occurrence, several C. auris outbreaks have been reported worldwide. These outbreaks were associated with isolates displaying decreased susceptibility towards fluconazole, the first-line agent for prophylaxis. Fluconazole is the most frequently used antifungal drug to treat bloodstream Candida infections. The physiological effects of acquired antifungal resistance was investigated in this species using fluconazole, posaconazole and voriconazole resistant mutant strains generated by the in vitro microevolution method. Alterations in antifungal susceptibility and cross resistance were determined by the microdilution method, utilizing azoles (fluconazole, voriconazole, posaconazole), echinocandins (caspofungin, micafungin, anidulafungin) and a polyene (amphotericin B). Changes in the abiotic stress tolerance was examined by spotting assay, using osmotic stressors, cell wall perturbants and a membrane detergent. To evaluate the impact of the acquired resistance on sterol biosynthesis, ergosterol composition of all generated mutant strains were examined. A potential relationship between virulence and acquired antifungal resistance was also studied both in vitro and in vivo. Phagocytosis of the generated strains by J774.2 mouse macrophage-like cells was measured and analyzed by flow cytometry. In the murine infection model fungal burden of the triazole evolved strains was determined in spleen, kidney, liver and brain and compared to the fungal burden associated with the initial azole susceptible strain. Significant differences in virulence of the initial and the generated strains was observed suggesting a potential connection between the virulence and antifungal susceptibility of the emerging fungal pathogen, C. auris.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gustavo Gonçalves ◽  
Monique Paiva Campos ◽  
Alessandra Silva Gonçalves ◽  
Lia Carolina Soares Medeiros ◽  
Fabiano Borges Figueiredo

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is the most severe form of leishmaniasis and is caused by Leishmania infantum in the Americas. Since the use of Milteforam™ was authorized to treat canine visceral leishmaniasis (CVL) in Brazil in 2017, there has also been fear of the emergence of parasites resistant to this drug and, through cross-resistance mechanisms, to meglumine antimoniate and amphotericin B. Additionally, the literature shows that acquisition of resistance is followed by increased parasite fitness, with higher rates of proliferation, infectivity and metacyclogenesis, which are determining factors for parasite virulence. In this context, this study aims to analyze the impact of treating a dog with Milteforan™ on the generation of parasites resistant to miltefosine, meglumine antimoniate, and amphotericin B. To this end, in vitro susceptibility tests were conducted against these drugs with T0 (parasites isolated from the dog before treatment with Milteforan™), T1 (after one course of treatment), and T2 (after two courses of treatment) isolates. The rates of cell proliferation, infectivity, and metacyclogenesis of the isolates were also evaluated. The results indicate a gradual increase in parasite resistance to miltefosine and amphotericin B with increasing the number of treatment courses. A trend increase in the metacyclogenesis rate of the parasites was also observed as drug resistance increased. Therefore, treatment of CVL with Milteforan™ induces resistance to miltefosine and amphotericin B as well as changes in parasite fitness, and may have an impact on animal and human public health.


2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gustavo Gonçalves ◽  
Monique Paiva Campos ◽  
Alessandra Silva Gonçalves ◽  
Lia Carolina Soares Medeiros ◽  
Fabiano Borges Figueiredo

Abstract Background Leishmania infantum is the most important etiological agent of visceral leishmaniasis in the Americas and Mediterranean region, and the dog is the main host. Miltefosine was authorized to treat canine leishmaniasis (CanL) in Brazil in 2017, but there is a persistent fear of the emergence of parasites resistant not only to this drug but, through cross-resistance mechanisms, also to meglumine antimoniate and amphotericin B. Additionally, the literature shows that acquisition of resistance is followed by increased parasite fitness, with higher rates of proliferation, infectivity and metacyclogenesis, which are drivers of parasite virulence. In this context, the aim of this study was to analyze the impact of treating a dog with miltefosine and allopurinol on the generation of parasites resistant to miltefosine, amphotericin B and meglumine antimoniate. Methods In vitro susceptibility tests were conducted against miltefosine, amphotericin B and meglumine antimoniate with T0 (parasites isolated from a dog before treatment with miltefosine plus allopurinol), T1 (after 1 course of treatment) and T2 (after 2 courses of treatment) isolates. The rates of cell proliferation, infectivity and metacyclogenesis of the isolates were also evaluated. Results The results indicate a gradual increase in parasite resistance to miltefosine and amphotericin B with increasing the number of treatment courses. An increasing trend in the metacyclogenesis rate of the parasites was also observed as drug resistance increased. Conclusion The data indicates an increased L. infantum resistance to miltefosine and amphotericin B after the treatment of a dog with miltefosine plus allopurinol. Further studies with a larger number of L. infantum strains isolated from dogs with varied immune response profiles and undergoing different treatment regimes, are advocated. Graphical Abstract


2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S203-S203
Author(s):  
Brenda L Tesini ◽  
Meghan Lyman ◽  
Brendan R Jackson ◽  
Anita Gellert ◽  
William Schaffner ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Multidrug resistant Candida is an increasing concern. C. parapsilosis in particular has decreased in vitro susceptibility to echinocandins. As a result, fluconazole had been favored for C. parapsilosis treatment. However, there is growing concern about increasing azole resistance among Candida species. We report on antifungal susceptibility patterns of C. parapsilosis in the US from 2008 through 2018. Methods Active, population-based surveillance for candidemia through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Emerging Infections Program was conducted between 2008–2018, eventually encompassing 9 states (GA, MD,OR, TN, NY, CA, CO, MN, NM). Each incident isolate was sent to the CDC for species confirmation and antifungal susceptibility testing (AFST). Frequency of resistance was calculated and stratified by year and state using SAS 9.4 Results Of the 8,704 incident candidemia isolates identified, 1,471 (15%) were C. parapsilosis; the third most common species after C. albicans and C. glabrata. AFST results were available for 1,340 C. parapsilosis isolates. No resistance was detected to caspofungin (MIC50 0.25) or micafungin (MIC50 1.00) with only one (< 1%) isolate resistant to anidulafungin (MIC50 1.00). In contrast, 84 (6.3%) isolates were resistant to fluconazole and another 44 (3.3%) isolates had dose-dependent susceptibility to fluconazole (MIC50 1.00). Fluconazole resistance increased sharply from an average of 4% during 2008–2014 to a peak of 14% in 2016 with a subsequent decline to 6% in 2018 (see figure). Regional variation is also observed with fluconazole resistance ranging from 0% (CO, MN, NM) to 42% (NY) of isolates by site. Conclusion The recent marked increase in fluconazole resistance among C. parapsilosis highlights this pathogen as an emerging drug resistant pathogen of concern and the need for ongoing antifungal resistance surveillance among Candida species. Our data support the empiric use of echinocandins for C. parapsilosis bloodstream infections and underscore the need to obtain AFST prior to fluconazole treatment. Furthermore, regional variation in fluconazole resistance emphasizes the importance of understanding local Candida susceptibility patterns. Disclosures Lee Harrison, MD, GSK (Consultant)Merck (Consultant)Pfizer (Consultant)Sanofi Pasteur (Consultant)


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (6) ◽  
pp. 419
Author(s):  
Maria Siopi ◽  
Ioanna Efstathiou ◽  
Konstantinos Theodoropoulos ◽  
Spyros Pournaras ◽  
Joseph Meletiadis

Trichophyton isolates with reduced susceptibility to antifungals are now increasingly reported worldwide. We therefore studied the molecular epidemiology and the in vitro antifungal susceptibility patterns of Greek Trichophyton isolates over the last 10 years with the newly released EUCAST reference method for dermatophytes. Literature was reviewed to assess the global burden of antifungal resistance in Trichophyton spp. The in vitro susceptibility of 112 Trichophyton spp. molecularly identified clinical isolates (70 T. rubrum, 24 T. mentagrophytes, 12 T. interdigitale and 6 T. tonsurans) was tested against terbinafine, itraconazole, voriconazole and amorolfine (EUCAST E.DEF 11.0). Isolates were genotyped based on the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences and the target gene squalene epoxidase (SQLE) was sequenced for isolates with reduced susceptibility to terbinafine. All T. rubrum, T. interdigitale and T. tonsurans isolates were classified as wild-type (WT) to all antifungals, whereas 9/24 (37.5%) T. mentagrophytes strains displayed elevated terbinafine MICs (0.25–8 mg/L) but not to azoles and amorolfine. All T. interdigitale isolates belonged to ITS Type II, while T. mentagrophytes isolates belonged to ITS Type III* (n = 11), VIII (n = 9) and VII (n = 4). All non-WT T. mentagrophytes isolates belonged to Indian Genotype VIII and harbored Leu393Ser (n = 5) and Phe397Leu (n = 4) SQLE mutations. Terbinafine resistance rates ranged globally from 0–44% for T. rubrum and 0–76% for T. interdigitale/T. mentagrophytes with strong endemicity. High incidence (37.5%) of terbinafine non-WT T. mentagrophytes isolates (all belonging to ITS Type VIII) without cross-resistance to other antifungals was found for the first time in Greece. This finding must alarm for susceptibility testing of dermatophytes at a local scale particularly in non-responding dermatophytoses.


2015 ◽  
Vol 59 (6) ◽  
pp. 3059-3065 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Pitart ◽  
F. Marco ◽  
T. A. Keating ◽  
W. W. Nichols ◽  
J. Vila

ABSTRACTCeftazidime-avibactam and comparator antibiotics were tested by the broth microdilution method against 200Enterobacteriaceaeand 25Pseudomonas aeruginosastrains resistant to fluoroquinolones (including strains with the extended-spectrum β-lactamase [ESBL] phenotype and ceftazidime-resistant strains) collected from our institution. The MICs and mechanisms of resistance to fluoroquinolone were also studied. Ninety-nine percent of fluoroquinolone-resistantEnterobacteriaceaestrains were inhibited at a ceftazidime-avibactam MIC of ≤4 mg/liter (using the susceptible CLSI breakpoint for ceftazidime alone as a reference). Ceftazidime-avibactam was very active against ESBLEscherichia coli(MIC90of 0.25 mg/liter), ESBLKlebsiella pneumoniae(MIC90of 0.5 mg/liter), ceftazidime-resistant AmpC-producing species (MIC90of 1 mg/liter), non-ESBLE. coli(MIC90of ≤0.125 mg/liter), non-ESBLK. pneumoniae(MIC90of 0.25 mg/liter), and ceftazidime-nonresistant AmpC-producing species (MIC90of ≤0.5 mg/liter). Ninety-six percent of fluoroquinolone-resistantP. aeruginosastrains were inhibited at a ceftazidime-avibactam MIC of ≤8 mg/liter (using the susceptible CLSI breakpoint for ceftazidime alone as a reference), with a MIC90of 8 mg/liter. Additionally, fluoroquinolone-resistant mutants from each species tested were obtainedin vitrofrom two strains, one susceptible to ceftazidime and the other a β-lactamase producer with a high MIC against ceftazidime but susceptible to ceftazidime-avibactam. Thereby, the impact of fluoroquinolone resistance on the activity of ceftazidime-avibactam could be assessed. The MIC90values of ceftazidime-avibactam for the fluoroquinolone-resistant mutant strains ofEnterobacteriaceaeandP. aeruginosawere ≤4 mg/liter and ≤8 mg/liter, respectively. We conclude that the presence of fluoroquinolone resistance does not affectEnterobacteriaceaeandP. aeruginosasusceptibility to ceftazidime-avibactam; that is, there is no cross-resistance.


2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. S580-S580
Author(s):  
Michael A Pfaller ◽  
Robert K Flamm ◽  
Paul G Ambrose ◽  
David Andes ◽  
John S Bradley ◽  
...  

Abstract Background In 2016 USCAST, the National Advisory Committee (NAC) for the United States (US) to EUCAST, undertook the re-evaluation of the in vitro susceptibility (AST) test interpretive criteria (IC) for gentamicin (GM), tobramycin (TO) and amikacin (AK) against Enterobacteriaceae (ENT), P. aeruginosa (PSA) and S. aureus (SA) based on an analysis of contemporary microbiology and PK/PD data. In 2019 USCAST posted the third version (www.uscast.org) of AG IC document and CLSI and EUCAST has published AG IC in CLSI M100-S29 and EUCAST v 9.0 documents. USCAST ICs for S were generally lower than those proposed by CLSI for all organism/drug combinations. PK/PD emphasized high, extended interval dosing (5 renal function groups) to reduce nephro-vestibular toxicity and a stasis exposure endpoint. Here, we evaluate the impact on S rates for US AST data that these IC changes created. Methods Clinical isolates from 2010 to 2018 US SENTRY Program (reference broth microdilution AST) were analyzed for S based on current and previous IC values. AG results for GM, TO and AK were evaluated against 66,280 ENT, 13,959 PSA and 51,950 SA. Benchmark S data for meropenem, cefepime, piperacillin–tazobactam and new AG, plazomicin (PZM) were included as well as ESBL and carbapenem-resistant ENT (CRE; 805 isolates). Results S rates for ENT as determined by USCAST IC were reduced by 4.2/1.2/3.1% for AK/GM/TO (CLSI) and by 3.3% for AK (EUCAST); no S rate difference for GM and TO as determined by USCAST/EUCAST. For PSA, S decreased by 46.8/6.2% for AK/TO (EUCAST) and 51.6/6.2% (CLSI). S for SA vs. GM declined by only 0.2% (CLSI). No AG IC could be calculated/offered for Acinetobacter or GM X PSA or AM/TO X SA. Best S overall coverage X ESBL (99.2%) or CRE (97.2%) isolates was by PZM. Conclusion USCAST IC updates for AG lead to reduced values for some organism/drug combinations among ENT and PSA compared with those proposed elsewhere. The USCAST-recommended ICs were based on achieving AUC/MIC ratio target associated with net bacterial stasis. Given the assumption of AG combination therapy, stasis was considered a reasonable endpoint when evaluating AG ICs to improve both safety and efficacy. Some organism X drug exposures could not be calculated and lower IC for pneumonia isolates (GM, TO) was recommended. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.


Parasitology ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 117 (6) ◽  
pp. 541-545 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. PRADINES ◽  
M. MABIKA MAMFOUMBI ◽  
D. PARZY ◽  
M. OWONO MEDANG ◽  
C. LEBEAU ◽  
...  

The in vitro activity of artemether against 63 African isolates of Plasmodium falciparum from Libreville, Gabon was evaluated using an isotopic drug susceptibility semi-microtest. The 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) values for artemether were in a narrow range from 0·8 to 34·8 nm (mean IC50 5·0 nm) and the 95% confidence interval (CI95%) was 3·6–6·3 nm. In vitro decreased susceptibility or resistance were observed with artemether (14%), to chloroquine (90%), to quinine (32%). Isolate susceptibility to amodiaquine and halofantrine was high i.e. 100% and 98%, respectively. There was a significant positive correlation between responses to artemether and amodiaquine (r2=0·45, P<0·001), artemether and chloroquine (r2=0·36, P<0·001), artemether and quinine (r2=0·31, P<0·001), and artemether and halofantrine r2=0·19, P<0·01). Positive correlation between these drugs suggests in vitro cross-resistance or at least common features in drug uptake and/or mode of action or resistance.


2005 ◽  
Vol 79 (20) ◽  
pp. 12773-12782 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johan Vingerhoets ◽  
Hilde Azijn ◽  
Els Fransen ◽  
Inky De Baere ◽  
Liesbet Smeulders ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT TMC125 is a potent new investigational nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) that is active against human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) with resistance to currently licensed NNRTIs. Sequential passage experiments with both wild-type virus and NNRTI-resistant virus were performed to identify mutations selected by TMC125 in vitro. In addition to “classic” selection experiments at a low multiplicity of infection (MOI) with increasing concentrations of inhibitors, experiments at a high MOI with fixed concentrations of inhibitors were performed to ensure a standardized comparison between TMC125 and current NNRTIs. Both low- and high-MOI experiments demonstrated that the development of resistance to TMC125 required multiple mutations which frequently conferred cross-resistance to efavirenz and nevirapine. In high-MOI experiments, 1 μM TMC125 completely inhibited the breakthrough of resistant virus from wild-type and NNRTI-resistant HIV-1, in contrast to efavirenz and nevirapine. Furthermore, breakthrough of virus from site-directed mutant (SDM) SDM-K103N/Y181C occurred at the same time or later with TMC125 as breakthrough from wild-type HIV-1 with efavirenz or nevirapine. The selection experiments identified mutations selected by TMC125 that included known NNRTI-associated mutations L100I, Y181C, G190E, M230L, and Y318F and the novel mutations V179I and V179F. Testing the antiviral activity of TMC125 against a panel of SDMs indicated that the impact of these individual mutations on resistance was highly dependent upon the presence and identity of coexisting mutations. These results demonstrate that TMC125 has a unique profile of activity against NNRTI-resistant virus and possesses a high genetic barrier to the development of resistance in vitro.


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