scholarly journals GR13-type plasmids in Acinetobacter potentiate the accumulation and horizontal transfer of diverse accessory genes

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert A. Moran ◽  
Haiyang Liu ◽  
Emma L. Doughty ◽  
Xiaoting Hua ◽  
Elizabeth A. Cummins ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Core Genome ◽  
Horizontal Transmission ◽  
Antibiotic Resistance Genes ◽  
Carbapenem Resistance ◽  
Alcohol Tolerance ◽  
Group 13 ◽  
Acinetobacter Species ◽  
Tyrosine Recombinases ◽  
Accessory Genes ◽  
Restriction Modification

Carbapenem resistance and other antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) can be found in plasmids in Acinetobacter, but many plasmid types in this genus have not been well-characterised. Here we describe the distribution, diversity and evolutionary capacity of rep group 13 (GR13) plasmids that are found in Acinetobacter species from diverse environments. Our investigation was prompted by the discovery of two GR13 plasmids in A. baumannii isolated in an intensive care unit (ICU). The plasmids harbour distinct accessory genes: pDETAB5 contains blaNDM-1 and genes that confer resistance to four further antibiotic classes, while pDETAB13 carries putative alcohol tolerance determinants. Both plasmids contain multiple dif modules, which are flanked by pdif sites recognised by XerC/XerD tyrosine recombinases. The ARG-containing dif modules in pDETAB5 are almost identical to those found in pDETAB2, a GR34 plasmid from an unrelated A. baumannii isolated in the same ICU a month prior. Examination of a further 41 complete, publicly available plasmid sequences revealed that the GR13 pangenome consists of just four core but 1086 accessory genes, 123 in the shell and 1063 in the cloud, reflecting substantial capacity for diversification. The GR13 core genome includes genes for replication and partitioning, and for a putative tyrosine recombinase. Accessory segments encode proteins with diverse putative functions, including for metabolism, antibiotic/heavy metal/alcohol tolerance, restriction-modification, an anti-phage system and multiple toxin-antitoxin systems. The movement of dif modules and actions of insertion sequences play an important role in generating diversity in GR13 plasmids. Discrete GR13 plasmid lineages are internationally disseminated and found in multiple Acinetobacter species, which suggests they are important platforms for the accumulation, horizontal transmission and persistence of accessory genes in this genus.

scholarly journals OXA-24 Carbapenemase Gene Flanked by XerC/XerD-Like Recombination Sites in Different Plasmids from Different Acinetobacter Species Isolated during a Nosocomial Outbreak

2010 ◽  
Vol 54 (6) ◽  
pp. 2724-2727 ◽  
Author(s):  
María Merino ◽  
Joshi Acosta ◽  
Margarita Poza ◽  
Francisca Sanz ◽  
Alejandro Beceiro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Horizontal Transmission ◽  
Carbapenem Resistance ◽  
Acinetobacter Calcoaceticus ◽  
Multidrug Resistant ◽  
Clinical Strain ◽  
Acinetobacter Species ◽  
Gene Comparison ◽  
Carbapenemase Gene ◽  
Large Outbreak ◽  
Culture Sample

ABSTRACT A clinical strain of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus resistant to carbapenems was isolated from a blood culture sample from an inpatient in a hospital in Madrid (Spain) during a large outbreak of infection (affecting more than 300 inpatients), caused by a multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii clone. The carbapenem resistance in both the A. calcoaceticus and A. baumannii clones was due to a bla OXA-24 gene harbored in different plasmids. The plasmids were fully sequenced, revealing the presence of site-specific recombination binding sites putatively involved in mobilization of the bla OXA-24 gene. Comparison of plasmids contained in the two strains revealed possible horizontal transmission of resistance genes between the Acinetobacter species.

scholarly journals Horizontal transfer of OXA-23-carbapenemase-producing Acinetobacter species in intensive care units at an academic complex hospital, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

2017 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 119-126
Author(s):  
Khine Swe Swe-Han ◽  
Melendhran Pillay ◽  
Desmond Schnugh ◽  
Koleka P. Mlisana ◽  
Kamaldeen Baba ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care ◽  
Intensive Care Units ◽  
Genetic Relatedness ◽  
Horizontal Transmission ◽  
Laboratory Data ◽  
Carbapenem Resistance ◽  
Multidrug Resistant ◽  
Acinetobacter Species ◽  
Pfge Typing ◽  
Class D

Introduction: Carbapenemase production is an important mechanism of carbapenem resistance in Acinetobacter species. This study investigated the presence of the carbapenem-hydrolysing class D β–lactamase- encoding genes, blaOXA-23 and blaOXA-58, and their association with the spread of multidrug-resistant (MDR) Acinetobacter species in intensive care units at an academic hospital. Method: Forty-four MDR Acinetobacter species were confirmed using VITEK®2 and Epsilometer tests. The blaOXA-23 and blaOXA-58 genes were detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in twenty-four selected isolates. The blaOXA-23 amplicons were sequenced and compared to the GenBank database. Genotypic relatedness of isolates was determined by pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Clinical and laboratory data were analysed. Results: Among the twenty-four isolates, eighteen were carbapenem resistant and six were sensitive. The blaOXA-23 gene, but not blaOXA-58, was detected in the eighteen resistant strains. The blaOXA-23 amplicons showed 100% identity with the GenBank database of blaOXA-23. The MICs of carbapenems against Acinetobacter species carrying the blaOXA-23 gene were 8 to 16 μg/ml. Genetic relatedness was evident among isolates of seven pairs from fourteen patients. Of these patients, twelve were in the same ICUs and two were adjacent to another ICU during the same hospitalisation period. Conclusion: The selected MDR Acinetobacter species carried the blaOXA-23 gene responsible for resistance to carbapenems, while molecular and clinical data analysis suggested horizontal transmission in ICUs. In addition, the PFGE typing of a diverse collection of MDR Acinetobacter species clones showed that isolates were related to no more than two patients, suggesting that no outbreak had occurred.

scholarly journals Genomic epidemiology of globalKlebsiella pneumoniaecarbapenemase (KPC)-producingEscherichia coli

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
N Stoesser ◽  
AE Sheppard ◽  
G Peirano ◽  
LW Anson ◽  
L Pankhurst ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Core Genome ◽  
Horizontal Transmission ◽  
Carbapenem Resistance ◽  
Resistance Mechanisms ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Genomic Epidemiology ◽  
Genetic Features ◽  
Human Infections ◽  
Sequence Types ◽  
Animal Reservoirs

ABSTRACTThe dissemination of carbapenem resistance inEscherichia colihas major implications for the management of common human infections.blaKPC,encoding a transmissible carbapenemase (KPC), has historically largely been associated withKlebsiella pneumoniae,a predominant plasmid (pKpQIL), and a specific transposable element (Tn4401,~10kb). Here we characterize the genetic features of the emergence ofblaKPCin globalE. coli,2008-2013, using both long-and short-read whole genome sequencing.Amongst 43/45 successfully sequencedblaKPC-E. colistrains, we identified high strain (n=21 sequence types, 18% of annotated genes in the core genome); plasmid (≥9 replicon types); andblaKPC-associated, mobile genetic element (MGE) diversity (50% not within complete Tn4401elements). We also found evidence of interspecies, regional and international plasmid spread. In several casesblaKPCwas found on high copy number, small Col-like plasmids, previously associated with horizontal transmission of resistance genes in the absence of antimicrobial selection pressures.E. coliis a common human pathogen, but also a commensal in a multiple environmental and animal reservoirs, and easily transmissible. The association ofblaKPCwith a range of MGEs previously linked to the successful spread of widely endemic resistance mechanisms (e.g.blaTEM,blaCTX-M) suggests that it is likely to become similarly prevalent.

scholarly journals A Novel Family of Acinetobacter Mega-Plasmids Are Disseminating Multi-Drug Resistance Across the Globe While Acquiring Location-Specific Accessory Genes

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Timothy M. Ghaly ◽  
Ian T. Paulsen ◽  
Ammara Sajjad ◽  
Sasha G. Tetu ◽  
Michael R. Gillings
Keyword(s):  
Drug Resistance ◽  
Antibiotic Resistance ◽  
Core Genome ◽  
Antibiotic Resistance Genes ◽  
Geographic Region ◽  
Multi Drug Resistance ◽  
Accessory Genome ◽  
Accessory Genes ◽  
Key Factor ◽  
Family Based

Acinetobacter species are emerging as major nosocomial pathogens, aided by their ability to acquire resistance to all classes of antibiotics. A key factor leading to their multi-drug resistance phenotypes is the acquisition of a wide variety of mobile genetic elements, particularly large conjugative plasmids. Here, we characterize a family of 21 multi-drug resistance mega-plasmids in 11 different Acinetobacter species isolated from various locations across the globe. The plasmid family exhibits a highly dynamic and diverse accessory genome, including 221 antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) that confer resistance to 13 classes of antibiotics. We show that plasmids isolated within the same geographic region are often evolutionarily divergent members of this family based on their core-genome, yet they exhibit a more similar accessory genome. Individual plasmids, therefore, can disseminate to different locations around the globe, where they then appear to acquire diverse sets of accessory genes from their local surroundings. Further, we show that plasmids from several geographic regions were enriched with location-specific functional traits. Together, our findings show that these mega-plasmids can transmit across species boundaries, have the capacity for global dissemination, can accumulate a diverse suite of location-specific accessory genes, and can confer multi-drug resistance phenotypes of significant concern for human health. We therefore highlight this previously undescribed plasmid family as a serious threat to healthcare systems worldwide. These findings also add to the growing concern that mega-plasmids are key disseminators of antibiotic resistance and require global surveillance.

scholarly journals Surgical Site Infection Following Caesarean Section by Acinetobacter Species: A Report from a Hyperendemic Setting in the Brazilian Amazon Region

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 743
Author(s):  
Blenda Gonçalves Cabral ◽  
Danielle Murici Brasiliense ◽  
Ismari Perini Furlaneto ◽  
Yan Corrêa Rodrigues ◽  
Karla Valéria Batista Lima
Keyword(s):  
Caesarean Section ◽  
Surgical Site Infection ◽  
Carbapenem Resistance ◽  
Brazilian Amazon ◽  
Amazon Region ◽  
Site Infection ◽  
Acinetobacter Species ◽  
Brazilian Amazon Region ◽  
Acinetobacter Spp ◽  
The Impact

Surgical site infection (SSI) following caesarean section is associated with increased morbidity, mortality, and significant health care costs. This study evaluated the epidemiological, clinical, and microbiological features of Acinetobacter spp. in women with SSIs who have undergone caesarean section at a referral hospital in the Brazilian Amazon region. This study included 69 women with post-caesarean SSI by Acinetobacter spp. admitted to the hospital between January 2012 and May 2015. The 69 Acinetobacter isolates were subjected to molecular species identification, antimicrobial susceptibility testing, detection of carbapenemase-encoding genes, and genotyping. The main complications of post-caesarean SSI by Acinetobacter were inadequate and prolonged antibiotic therapy, sepsis, prolonged hospitalization, and re-suture procedures. A. baumannii, A. nosocomialis and A. colistiniresistens species were identified among the isolates. Carbapenem resistance was associated with OXA-23-producing A. baumannii isolates and IMP-1-producing A. nosocomialis isolate. Patients with multidrug-resistant A. baumannii infection showed worse clinical courses. Dissemination of persistent epidemic clones was observed, and the main clonal complexes (CC) for A. baumannii were CC231 and CC236 (Oxford scheme) and CC1 and CC15 (Pasteur scheme). This is the first report of a long-term Acinetobacter spp. outbreak in women who underwent caesarean section at a Brazilian hospital. This study demonstrates the impact of multidrug resistance on the clinical course of post-caesarean infections.

scholarly journals CRISPR-Cas and Restriction-Modification Act Additively against Conjugative Antibiotic Resistance Plasmid Transfer in Enterococcus faecalis

mSphere ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Valerie J. Price ◽  
Wenwen Huo ◽  
Ardalan Sharifi ◽  
Kelli L. Palmer
Keyword(s):  
Antibiotic Resistance ◽  
High Risk ◽  
Enterococcus Faecalis ◽  
Resistance Genes ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Antibiotic Resistance Genes ◽  
Multidrug Resistant ◽  
Content Type ◽  
New Genes ◽  
Restriction Modification

ABSTRACT Enterococcus faecalis is a bacterium that normally inhabits the gastrointestinal tracts of humans and other animals. Although these bacteria are members of our native gut flora, they can cause life-threatening infections in hospitalized patients. Antibiotic resistance genes appear to be readily shared among high-risk E. faecalis strains, and multidrug resistance in these bacteria limits treatment options for infections. Here, we find that CRISPR-Cas and restriction-modification systems, which function as adaptive and innate immune systems in bacteria, significantly impact the spread of antibiotic resistance genes in E. faecalis populations. The loss of these systems in high-risk E. faecalis suggests that they are immunocompromised, a tradeoff that allows them to readily acquire new genes and adapt to new antibiotics. Enterococcus faecalis is an opportunistic pathogen and a leading cause of nosocomial infections. Conjugative pheromone-responsive plasmids are narrow-host-range mobile genetic elements (MGEs) that are rapid disseminators of antibiotic resistance in the faecalis species. Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)-Cas and restriction-modification confer acquired and innate immunity, respectively, against MGE acquisition in bacteria. Most multidrug-resistant E. faecalis isolates lack CRISPR-Cas and possess an orphan locus lacking cas genes, CRISPR2, that is of unknown function. Little is known about restriction-modification defense in E. faecalis. Here, we explore the hypothesis that multidrug-resistant E. faecalis strains are immunocompromised. We assessed MGE acquisition by E. faecalis T11, a strain closely related to the multidrug-resistant hospital isolate V583 but which lacks the ~620 kb of horizontally acquired genome content that characterizes V583. T11 possesses the E. faecalis CRISPR3-cas locus and a predicted restriction-modification system, neither of which occurs in V583. We demonstrate that CRISPR-Cas and restriction-modification together confer a 4-log reduction in acquisition of the pheromone-responsive plasmid pAM714 in biofilm matings. Additionally, we show that the orphan CRISPR2 locus is functional for genome defense against another pheromone-responsive plasmid, pCF10, only in the presence of cas9 derived from the E. faecalis CRISPR1-cas locus, which most multidrug-resistant E. faecalis isolates lack. Overall, our work demonstrated that the loss of only two loci led to a dramatic reduction in genome defense against a clinically relevant MGE, highlighting the critical importance of the E. faecalis accessory genome in modulating horizontal gene transfer. Our results rationalize the development of antimicrobial strategies that capitalize upon the immunocompromised status of multidrug-resistant E. faecalis. IMPORTANCE Enterococcus faecalis is a bacterium that normally inhabits the gastrointestinal tracts of humans and other animals. Although these bacteria are members of our native gut flora, they can cause life-threatening infections in hospitalized patients. Antibiotic resistance genes appear to be readily shared among high-risk E. faecalis strains, and multidrug resistance in these bacteria limits treatment options for infections. Here, we find that CRISPR-Cas and restriction-modification systems, which function as adaptive and innate immune systems in bacteria, significantly impact the spread of antibiotic resistance genes in E. faecalis populations. The loss of these systems in high-risk E. faecalis suggests that they are immunocompromised, a tradeoff that allows them to readily acquire new genes and adapt to new antibiotics.

scholarly journals Molecular characterization of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter species in an Irish university hospital: predominance of Acinetobacter genomic species 3

2009 ◽  
Vol 58 (2) ◽  
pp. 209-216 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. W. Boo ◽  
F. Walsh ◽  
B. Crowley
Keyword(s):  
Antimicrobial Agents ◽  
Carbapenem Resistance ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
University Hospital ◽  
Pathology Laboratory ◽  
Acinetobacter Species ◽  
Infection Control Measures ◽  
Carbapenem Resistant ◽  
Genomic Species ◽  
Central Pathology

A 30 month prospective study of Acinetobacter species encountered in the Central Pathology Laboratory of St James's Hospital, Dublin, Ireland, was conducted to investigate the prevalence and molecular epidemiology of carbapenem resistance in such isolates. Acinetobacter genomic species 3 (AG3) was found to be the predominant Acinetobacter species (45/114, 39 %) in our institution. A total of 11 % of all Acinetobacter species (12/114) and 22 % of AG3 isolates (10/45) were carbapenem resistant. Carbapenem resistance was mediated by Ambler class D β-lactamase OXA-23 in all 12 isolates, with insertion sequence ISAba1 found upstream of bla OXA-23. ISAba1 was also found upstream of bla ADC-25, which encodes the enzyme AmpC, in an Acinetobacter baumannii isolate, and upstream of the aminoglycoside-acetyltransferase-encoding gene aacC2 in three AG3 isolates. Inter-species plasmidic transfer was most likely involved in the emergence and spread of bla OXA-23 among the Acinetobacter isolates within our institution. The emergence of carbapenem resistance was associated not only with prior carbapenem use but also with the use of other antimicrobial agents, most notably β-lactam/β-lactamase-inhibitor combinations. The study demonstrated the emerging trend of carbapenem resistance in the wider context of the Acinetobacter genus, and reiterated the paramount importance of the prudent use of antimicrobial agents, stringent infection control measures and resistance surveillance of pathogens.

scholarly journals Antibiogram Profile of Acinetobacterbaumannii Recovered from Selected Freshwater Resources in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa

Pathogens ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 1110
Author(s):  
Mary Ayobami Adewoyin ◽  
Kingsley Ehi Ebomah ◽  
Anthony Ifeanyi Okoh
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Antibiotic Resistance ◽  
Antibiotic Resistance Genes ◽  
Food Plants ◽  
Diffusion Method ◽  
Eastern Cape Province ◽  
Eastern Cape ◽  
Freshwater Resources ◽  
Acinetobacter Species ◽  
Hospital Environments

Acinetobacter species have been found in a variety of environments, including soil, food, plants, hospital environments and water. Acinetobacter baumannii is an opportunistic and emerging waterborne pathogen. It has been implicated in several nosocomial infections that demonstrate resistance to commonly administered antibiotics. We investigated phenotypic antibiotic resistance (PAR) and relevant antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in A. baumannii isolated from three freshwater resources in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa; A. baumannii (410) was confirmed by the recA and gyrB genes of 844 suspected Acinetobacter species in the water samples. The PAR of the confirmed isolates was assessed using a panel of 11 antibiotics by the disc diffusion method, while ARGs were investigated in isolates exhibiting PAR. The A. baumannii isolates were resistant to piperacillin-tazobactam (11.2%), ceftazidime (12%), cefotaxime (18.8%), cefepime (8.8%), imipenem (2.7%), meropenem (4.15%), amikacin (2.4%), gentamicin (8.8%), tetracycline (16.8%), ciprofloxacin (11%) and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (20.5%). For multidrug resistance (MDR), two isolates were resistant to all antibiotics and 28 isolates were resistant to imipenem and meropenem. Moreover, β-lactamases blaTEM (64.4%) and blaOXA-51 (28.70%) as well as sulphonamides sul1 (37.1%) and sul2 (49.4%) were common ARGs. Overall, PAR and ARGs had positive correlations (r) in all rivers. Detection of MDR-A. baumannii in freshwater resources could be linked to possible wastewater discharge from the nearby animal farms, indicating potential implications for public health.

Whole-genome analysis of Pandoraea species strains from cystic fibrosis patients

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (16) ◽  
pp. 1357-1367
Author(s):  
Jumamurat R Bayjanov ◽  
Miquel B Ekkelenkamp ◽  
Malbert RC Rogers ◽  
Rafael Cantón ◽  
Barry J Benaissa-Trouw ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cystic Fibrosis ◽  
Core Genome ◽  
Genetic Characterization ◽  
Novel Species ◽  
Antibiotic Resistance Genes ◽  
Whole Genome Sequence ◽  
Whole Genome ◽  
Whole Genome Analysis ◽  
Acquired Antibiotic Resistance

Aim: Genetic characterization of Pandoraea strains recovered from cystic fibrosis patients. Materials & methods: The whole-genome sequence of 12 Pandoraea strains was determined using Illumina technology. The position of the strains within the genus Pandoraea was analyzed using selected partial gene sequences, core genome multi-locus sequence typing and average nucleotide identity analysis. Furthermore, the sequences were annotated. Results: The results show that some strains previously identified as Pandoraea pnomenusa, Pandoraea sputorum, Pandoraea oxalativorans and Pandoraea pulmonicola belong to novel species. The strains did not harbor acquired antibiotic resistance genes but encoded an OXA-type ß-lactamase. Conclusion: The taxonomy of the genus Pandoraea needs to be revised.

scholarly journals Geography Shapes the Population Genomics of Salmonella enterica Dublin

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 2220-2231 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gavin J Fenske ◽  
Anil Thachil ◽  
Patrick L McDonough ◽  
Amy Glaser ◽  
Joy Scaria
Keyword(s):  
Population Structure ◽  
Salmonella Enterica ◽  
Core Genome ◽  
Population Genomics ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Antibiotic Resistance Genes ◽  
Virulence Plasmid ◽  
Ancestral State ◽  
Secretion Systems ◽  
Data Set

Abstract Salmonella enterica serotype Dublin (S. Dublin) is a bovine-adapted serotype that can cause serious systemic infections in humans. Despite the increasing prevalence of human infections and the negative impact on agricultural processes, little is known about the population structure of the serotype. To this end, we compiled a manually curated data set comprising of 880 S. Dublin genomes. Core genome phylogeny and ancestral state reconstruction revealed that region-specific clades dominate the global population structure of S. Dublin. Strains of S. Dublin in the UK are genomically distinct from US, Brazilian, and African strains. The geographical partitioning impacts the composition of the core genome as well as the ancillary genome. Antibiotic resistance genes are almost exclusively found in US genomes and are mediated by an IncA/C2 plasmid. Phage content and the S. Dublin virulence plasmid were strongly conserved in the serotype. Comparison of S. Dublin to a closely related serotype, S. enterica serotype Enteritidis, revealed that S. Dublin contains 82 serotype specific genes that are not found in S. Enteritidis. Said genes encode metabolic functions involved in the uptake and catabolism of carbohydrates and virulence genes associated with type VI secretion systems and fimbria assembly respectively.

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