Rhizospheric and endophytic Pseudomonas aeruginosa in edible vegetable plants share molecular and metabolic traits with clinical isolates

Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a leading opportunistic pathogen causing hospital-acquired infections is predominantly present in agricultural settings. There are minimal attempts to examine the molecular and functional attributes shared by agricultural and clinical strains of P. aeruginosa. This study aims to investigate the presence of P. aeruginosa in edible vegetable plants (including salad vegetables) and analyze the evolutionary and metabolic relatedness of the agricultural and clinical strains. Eighteen rhizospheric and endophytic P. aeruginosa strains were isolated from cucumber, tomato, eggplant, and chili directly from the farms. The identity of these strains was confirmed using biochemical, and molecular markers and their genetic and metabolic traits were compared with clinical isolates. DNA fingerprinting analyses and 16S rDNA-based phylogenetic tree revealed that the plant- and human-associated strains are evolutionarily related. Both agricultural and clinical isolates possessed plant-beneficial properties, including mineral solubilization (phosphorous, potassium, and zinc), ammonification, and the ability to release extracellular siderophore and indole-3 acetic acid. These findings suggest that rhizospheric and endophytic P. aeruginosa strains are genetically and functionally analogous to the clinical isolates. This study highlights the edible plants as a potential source for human and animal transmission of P. aeruginosa.

Download Full-text

Draft Genome Sequences of Three Clinical Strains of Bacillus cereus Isolated from Human Patients in Japan

Microbiology Resource Announcements ◽

10.1128/mra.00415-19 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 8 (19) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Akiko Okutani ◽

Satoshi Inoue ◽

Shigeru Morikawa

Keyword(s):

Bacillus Cereus ◽

Draft Genome ◽

Etiological Agent ◽

Clinical Isolates ◽

Genome Sequences ◽

Content Type ◽

Clinical Strains ◽

Hospital Acquired Infections ◽

Hospital Acquired

Bacillus cereus is a common etiological agent of hospital-acquired infections. Here, we report the draft genome sequences of three clinical isolates of B. cereus (GTC2903, GTC2926, and ach14) isolated from three human patients in different hospitals and in different years in Japan.

Download Full-text

Lon Protease Has Multifaceted Biological Functions inAcinetobacter baumannii

Journal of Bacteriology ◽

10.1128/jb.00536-18 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 201 (2) ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Carly Ching ◽

Brendan Yang ◽

Chineme Onwubueke ◽

David Lazinski ◽

Andrew Camilli ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Acinetobacter Baumannii ◽

Biofilm Formation ◽

Developmental Process ◽

Cell Envelope ◽

Opportunistic Pathogen ◽

Lon Protease ◽

Content Type ◽

Hospital Acquired Infections ◽

Biofilm Development ◽

Hospital Acquired

ABSTRACTAcinetobacter baumanniiis a Gram-negative opportunistic pathogen that is known to survive harsh environmental conditions and is a leading cause of hospital-acquired infections. Specifically, multicellular communities (known as biofilms) ofA. baumanniican withstand desiccation and survive on hospital surfaces and equipment. Biofilms are bacteria embedded in a self-produced extracellular matrix composed of proteins, sugars, and/or DNA. Bacteria in a biofilm are protected from environmental stresses, including antibiotics, which provides the bacteria with selective advantage for survival. Although some gene products are known to play roles in this developmental process inA. baumannii, mechanisms and signaling remain mostly unknown. Here, we find that Lon protease inA. baumanniiaffects biofilm development and has other important physiological roles, including motility and the cell envelope. Lon proteases are found in all domains of life, participating in regulatory processes and maintaining cellular homeostasis. These data reveal the importance of Lon protease in influencing keyA. baumanniiprocesses to survive stress and to maintain viability.IMPORTANCEAcinetobacter baumanniiis an opportunistic pathogen and is a leading cause of hospital-acquired infections.A. baumanniiis difficult to eradicate and to manage, because this bacterium is known to robustly survive desiccation and to quickly gain antibiotic resistance. We sought to investigate biofilm formation inA. baumannii, since much remains unknown about biofilm formation in this bacterium. Biofilms, which are multicellular communities of bacteria, are surface attached and difficult to eliminate from hospital equipment and implanted devices. Our research identifies multifaceted physiological roles for the conserved bacterial protease Lon inA. baumannii. These roles include biofilm formation, motility, and viability. This work broadly affects and expands understanding of the biology ofA. baumannii, which will permit us to find effective ways to eliminate the bacterium.

Download Full-text

Acquisition of multidrug resistance transposon Tn6061 and IS6100-mediated large chromosomal inversions in Pseudomonas aeruginosa clinical isolates

Microbiology ◽

10.1099/mic.0.033639-0 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 156 (5) ◽

pp. 1448-1458 ◽

Cited By ~ 23

Author(s):

Sébastien Coyne ◽

Patrice Courvalin ◽

Marc Galimand

Keyword(s):

Pseudomonas Aeruginosa ◽

Multidrug Resistance ◽

Opportunistic Pathogen ◽

Clinical Isolates ◽

Chromosomal Inversions ◽

Gene Acquisition ◽

Drug Classes ◽

Horizontal Acquisition

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a major human opportunistic pathogen, especially for patients in intensive care units or with cystic fibrosis. Multidrug resistance is a common feature of this species. In a previous study we detected the ant(4′)-IIb gene in six multiresistant clinical isolates of P. aeruginosa, and determination of the environment of the gene led to characterization of Tn6061. This 26 586 bp element, a member of the Tn3 family of transposons, carried 10 genes conferring resistance to six drug classes. The ant(4′)-IIb sequence was flanked by directly repeated copies of ISCR6 in all but one of the strains studied, consistent with ISCR6-mediated gene acquisition. Tn6061 was chromosomally located in six strains and plasmid-borne in the remaining isolate, suggesting horizontal acquisition. Duplication-insertion of IS6100, that ended Tn6061, was responsible for large chromosomal inversions. Acquisition of Tn6061 and chromosomal inversions are further examples of intricate mechanisms that contribute to the genome plasticity of P. aeruginosa.

Download Full-text

High-Quality Complete Genome Sequences of Three Pseudomonas aeruginosa Isolates Retrieved from Patients Hospitalized in Intensive Care Units

Microbiology Resource Announcements ◽

10.1128/mra.01624-18 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 8 (9) ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Bárbara Magalhães ◽

Laurence Senn ◽

Dominique S. Blanc

Keyword(s):

Pseudomonas Aeruginosa ◽

Intensive Care ◽

Intensive Care Units ◽

Genome Sequences ◽

High Quality ◽

Gram Negative ◽

Content Type ◽

Hospital Acquired Infections ◽

Hospital Acquired ◽

High Quality Genome

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is one of the major Gram-negative pathogens responsible for hospital-acquired infections. Here, we present high-quality genome sequences of isolates from three P. aeruginosa genotypes retrieved from patients hospitalized in intensive care units.

Download Full-text

Phylogenetic Analysis ofStenotrophomonasspp. Isolates Contributes to the Identification of Nosocomial and Community-Acquired Infections

BioMed Research International ◽

10.1155/2014/151405 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 2014 ◽

pp. 1-13 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Vinicius Godoy Cerezer ◽

Silvia Yumi Bando ◽

Jacyr Pasternak ◽

Marcia Regina Franzolin ◽

Carlos Alberto Moreira-Filho

Keyword(s):

Phylogenetic Analysis ◽

Multidrug Resistance ◽

Phylogenetic Profile ◽

Opportunistic Pathogen ◽

Clinical Isolates ◽

Environmental Distribution ◽

Pathogenic Potential ◽

Clinical Strains ◽

Specific Fragment ◽

Clonal Variability

Stenotrophomonasssp. has a wide environmental distribution and is also found as an opportunistic pathogen, causing nosocomial or community-acquired infections. One species,S. maltophilia, presents multidrug resistance and has been associated with serious infections in pediatric and immunocompromised patients. Therefore, it is relevant to conduct resistance profile and phylogenetic studies in clinical isolates for identifying infection origins and isolates with augmented pathogenic potential. Here, multilocus sequence typing was performed for phylogenetic analysis of nosocomial isolates ofStenotrophomonasspp. and, environmental and clinical strains ofS. maltophilia. Biochemical and multidrug resistance profiles of nosocomial and clinical strains were determined. The inferred phylogenetic profile showed high clonal variability, what correlates with the adaptability process ofStenotrophomonasto different habitats. Two clinical isolates subgroups ofS. maltophiliasharing high phylogenetic homogeneity presented intergroup recombination, thus indicating the high permittivity to horizontal gene transfer, a mechanism involved in the acquisition of antibiotic resistance and expression of virulence factors. For most of the clinical strains, phylogenetic inference was made using only partialppsA gene sequence. Therefore, the sequencing of just one specific fragment of this gene would allow, in many cases, determining whether the infection withS. maltophiliawas nosocomial or community-acquired.

Download Full-text

Molecular Epidemiology of Multi-Drug Resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa Isolates from Hospitalized Patients in Greece

Microorganisms ◽

10.3390/microorganisms8111652 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 8 (11) ◽

pp. 1652

Author(s):

Olga Pappa ◽

Anastasia Maria Kefala ◽

Kyriaki Tryfinopoulou ◽

Marios Dimitriou ◽

Kostas Kostoulas ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Pseudomonas Aeruginosa ◽

Molecular Epidemiology ◽

Financial Resources ◽

Drug Resistant ◽

Hospital Acquired Infections ◽

Antimicrobial Sensitivity ◽

Tertiary Hospitals ◽

Hospital Acquired ◽

First Time ◽

Hospital Transmission

Resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates are one of the major causes of both hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) and community-acquired infections (CAIs). However, management of P. aeruginosa infections is difficult as the bacterium is inherently resistant to many antibiotics. In this study, a collection of 75 P. aeruginosa clinical isolates from two tertiary hospitals from Athens and Alexnadroupolis in Greece was studied to assess antimicrobial sensitivity and molecular epidemiology. All P. aeruginosa isolates were tested for susceptibility to 11 commonly used antibiotics, and the newly introduced Double Locus Sequence Typing (DLST) scheme was implemented to elucidate the predominant clones. The tested P. aeruginosa isolates presented various resistant phenotypes, with Verona Integron-Mediated Metallo-β-lactamase (VIM-2) mechanisms being the majority, and a new phenotype, FEPR-CAZS, being reported for the first time in Greek isolates. DLST revealed two predominant types, 32-39 and 8-37, and provided evidence for intra-hospital transmission of the 32-39 clone in one of the hospitals. The results indicate that DLST can be a valuable tool when local outbreaks demand immediate tracking investigation with limited time and financial resources.

Download Full-text

Characterization of the Enterobacter Phage vB_EclM_CIP9

Microbiology Resource Announcements ◽

10.1128/mra.01600-19 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 (13) ◽

Author(s):

Klara Wang ◽

Marielou G. Tamayo ◽

Tiffany V. Penner ◽

Bradley W. M. Cook ◽

Deborah A. Court ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Enterobacter Cloacae ◽

Opportunistic Pathogen ◽

Multidrug Resistant ◽

Open Reading Frames ◽

Resistant Isolate ◽

Content Type ◽

Hospital Acquired Infections ◽

Hospital Acquired ◽

Reading Frames

Enterobacter cloacae is an opportunistic pathogen that causes hospital-acquired infections in immunocompromised patients. Here, we describe vB_EclM_CIP9, a novel Enterobacter phage that infects a multidrug-resistant isolate of E. cloacae. Phage vB_EclM_CIP9 is a myovirus that has a 174,924-bp genome, with 296 predicted open reading frames.

Download Full-text

In Vitro Activity of Pentamidine Alone and in Combination with Antibiotics against Multidrug-Resistant Clinical Pseudomonas aeruginosa Strains

Antibiotics ◽

10.3390/antibiotics9120885 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 (12) ◽

pp. 885

Author(s):

Soraya Herrera-Espejo ◽

Tania Cebrero-Cangueiro ◽

Gema Labrador-Herrera ◽

Jerónimo Pachón ◽

María Eugenia Pachón-Ibáñez ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Pseudomonas Aeruginosa ◽

Public Health Problem ◽

Multidrug Resistant ◽

Vitro Activity ◽

Synergistic Activity ◽

In Vitro Activity ◽

Hospital Acquired Infections ◽

Time Kill ◽

Hospital Acquired

Multidrug-resistant (MDR) Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a public health problem causing both community and hospital-acquired infections, and thus the development of new therapies for these infections is critical. The objective of this study was to analyze in vitro the activity of pentamidine as adjuvant in combinations to antibiotics against seven clinical P. aeruginosa strains. The Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) was determined following standard protocols, and the results were interpreted according to the European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST) breakpoints; however, the gentamicin activity was interpreted according to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) recommendations. The bactericidal in vitro activity was studied at 1×MIC concentrations by time–kill curves, and also performed in three selected strains at 1/2×MIC of pentamidine. All studies were performed in triplicate. The pentamidine MIC range was 400–1600 μg/mL. Four of the strains were MDR, and the other three were resistant to two antibiotic families. The combinations of pentamidine at 1×MIC showed synergistic activity against all the tested strains, except for pentamidine plus colistin. Pentamidine plus imipenem and meropenem were the combinations that showed synergistic activity against the most strains. At 1/2×MIC, pentamidine plus antibiotics were synergistic with all three analyzed strains. In summary, pentamidine in combination with antibiotics showed in vitro synergy against multidrug-resistant P. aeruginosa clinical strains, which suggests its possible use as adjuvant to antibiotics for the therapy of infections from MDR P. aeruginosa.

Download Full-text

Characterization of saccharolytic nonfermentative bacteria associated with man

Canadian Journal of Microbiology ◽

10.1139/m70-062 ◽

1970 ◽

Vol 16 (5) ◽

pp. 351-362 ◽

Cited By ~ 27

Author(s):

M. J. Pickett ◽

Margaret M. Pedersen

Keyword(s):

Pseudomonas Aeruginosa ◽

Pseudomonas Putida ◽

Pseudomonas Fluorescens ◽

Pseudomonas Stutzeri ◽

Clinical Isolates ◽

Gram Negative ◽

Clinical Strains ◽

Pseudomonas Maltophilia ◽

Reference Strains

Features of 378 clinical isolates of saccharolytic, nonfermentative Gram-negative rods and 20 reference strains were examined. All but four of the clinical strains were assigned to recognized taxa, namely Acinetobacter, Chromobacterium, Flavobacterium, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Pseudomonas maltophilia, Pseudomonas multivorans, Pseudomonas putida, Pseudomonas stutzeri, and Xanthomonas.

Download Full-text

Mutations in PA3574 (nalD) Lead to Increased MexAB-OprM Expression and Multidrug Resistance in Laboratory and Clinical Isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy ◽

10.1128/aac.49.5.1782-1786.2005 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 49 (5) ◽

pp. 1782-1786 ◽

Cited By ~ 74

Author(s):

Mara L. Sobel ◽

Didier Hocquet ◽

Lily Cao ◽

Patrick Plesiat ◽

Keith Poole

Keyword(s):

Pseudomonas Aeruginosa ◽

Multidrug Resistance ◽

Resistant Mutant ◽

Multidrug Resistant ◽

Clinical Isolates ◽

Multidrug Efflux ◽

Efflux System ◽

Clinical Strains ◽

Transposon Insertion ◽

Multidrug Efflux System

ABSTRACT Mutations in genes mexR and nalC have previously been shown to drive overexpression of the MexAB-OprM multidrug efflux system in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. A transposon insertion multidrug-resistant mutant of P. aeruginosa overproducing MexAB-OprM was disrupted in yet a third gene, PA3574, encoding a probable repressor of the TetR/AcrR family that we have dubbed NalD. Clinical strains overexpressing MexAB-OprM but lacking mutations in mexR or nalC were also shown to carry mutations in nalD. Moreover, the cloned nalD gene reduced the multidrug resistance and MexAB-OprM expression of the transposon mutant and clinical isolates, highlighting the significance of the nalD mutations vis-à-vis MexAB-OprM overexpression in these isolates.

Download Full-text