scholarly journals Alterations of Metabolic and Lipid Profiles in Polymyxin-ResistantPseudomonas aeruginosa

2018 ◽  
Vol 62 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mei-Ling Han ◽  
Yan Zhu ◽  
Darren J. Creek ◽  
Yu-Wei Lin ◽  
Dovile Anderson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lipid A ◽  
Therapeutic Option ◽  
Polymyxin B ◽  
Multidrug Resistant ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Metabolomics Data ◽  
Content Type ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
High Level ◽  
Acyl Coenzyme A

ABSTRACTMultidrug-resistantPseudomonas aeruginosapresents a global medical challenge, and polymyxins are a key last-resort therapeutic option. Unfortunately, polymyxin resistance inP. aeruginosahas been increasingly reported. The present study was designed to define metabolic differences between paired polymyxin-susceptible and -resistantP. aeruginosastrains using untargeted metabolomics and lipidomics analyses. The metabolomes of wild-typeP. aeruginosastrain K ([PAK] polymyxin B MIC, 1 mg/liter) and its pairedpmrBmutant strains, PAKpmrB6and PAKpmrB12(polymyxin B MICs of 16 mg/liter and 64 mg/liter, respectively) were characterized using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, and metabolic differences were identified through multivariate and univariate statistics. PAKpmrB6and PAKpmrB12, which displayed lipid A modifications with 4-amino-4-deoxy-l-arabinose, showed significant perturbations in amino acid and carbohydrate metabolism, particularly the intermediate metabolites from 4-amino-4-deoxy-l-arabinose synthesis and the methionine salvage cycle pathways. The genomics result showed a premature termination (Y275stop) inspeE(encoding spermidine synthase) in PAKpmrB6, and metabolomics data revealed a decreased intracellular level of spermidine in PAKpmrB6compared to that in PAKpmrB12. Our results indicate that spermidine may play an important role in high-level polymyxin resistance inP. aeruginosa. Interestingly, bothpmrBmutants had decreased levels of phospholipids, fatty acids, and acyl-coenzyme A compared to those in the wild-type PAK. Moreover, the more resistant PAKpmrB12mutant exhibited much lower levels of phospholipids than the PAKpmrB6mutant, suggesting that the decreased phospholipid level was associated with polymyxin resistance. In summary, this study provides novel mechanistic information on polymyxin resistance inP. aeruginosaand highlights its impacts on bacterial metabolism.

scholarly journals Comparative Metabolomics and Transcriptomics Reveal Multiple Pathways Associated with Polymyxin Killing in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

mSystems ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mei-Ling Han ◽  
Yan Zhu ◽  
Darren J. Creek ◽  
Yu-Wei Lin ◽  
Alina D. Gutu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oxidative Stress ◽  
Pseudomonas Aeruginosa ◽  
Lipid A ◽  
Therapeutic Option ◽  
Polymyxin B ◽  
Multidrug Resistant ◽  
Central Carbon Metabolism ◽  
Dynamic Interactions ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Comparative Metabolomics

ABSTRACT Polymyxins are a last-line therapy against multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa; however, resistance to polymyxins has been increasingly reported. Therefore, understanding the mechanisms of polymyxin activity and resistance is crucial for preserving their clinical usefulness. This study employed comparative metabolomics and transcriptomics to investigate the responses of polymyxin-susceptible P. aeruginosa PAK (polymyxin B MIC, 1 mg/liter) and its polymyxin-resistant pmrB mutant PAKpmrB6 (MIC, 16 mg/liter) to polymyxin B (4, 8, and 128 mg/liter) at 1, 4, and 24 h, respectively. Our results revealed that polymyxin B at 4 mg/liter induced different metabolic and transcriptomic responses between polymyxin-susceptible and -resistant P. aeruginosa. In strain PAK, polymyxin B significantly activated PmrAB and the mediated arn operon, leading to increased 4-amino-4-deoxy-L-arabinose (L-Ara4N) synthesis and the addition to lipid A. In contrast, polymyxin B did not increase lipid A modification in strain PAKpmrB6. Moreover, the syntheses of lipopolysaccharide and peptidoglycan were significantly decreased in strain PAK but increased in strain PAKpmrB6 due to polymyxin B treatment. In addition, 4 mg/liter polymyxin B significantly perturbed phospholipid and fatty acid levels and induced oxidative stress in strain PAK, but not in PAKpmrB6. Notably, the increased trehalose-6-phosphate levels indicate that polymyxin B potentially caused osmotic imbalance in both strains. Furthermore, 8 and 128 mg/liter polymyxin B significantly elevated lipoamino acid levels and decreased phospholipid levels but without dramatic changes in lipid A modification in wild-type and mutant strains, respectively. Overall, this systems study is the first to elucidate the complex and dynamic interactions of multiple cellular pathways associated with the polymyxin mode of action against P. aeruginosa. IMPORTANCE Pseudomonas aeruginosa has been highlighted by the recent WHO Global Priority Pathogen List due to multidrug resistance. Without new antibiotics, polymyxins remain a last-line therapeutic option for this difficult-to-treat pathogen. The emergence of polymyxin resistance highlights the growing threat to our already very limited antibiotic armamentarium and the urgency to understand the exact mechanisms of polymyxin activity and resistance. Integration of the correlative metabolomics and transcriptomics results in the present study discovered that polymyxin treatment caused significant perturbations in the biosynthesis of lipids, lipopolysaccharide, and peptidoglycan, central carbon metabolism, and oxidative stress. Importantly, lipid A modifications were surprisingly rapid in response to polymyxin treatment at clinically relevant concentrations. This is the first study to reveal the dynamics of polymyxin-induced cellular responses at the systems level, which highlights that combination therapy should be considered to minimize resistance to the last-line polymyxins. The results also provide much-needed mechanistic information which potentially benefits the discovery of new-generation polymyxins.

scholarly journals 2-Hydroxylation ofAcinetobacter baumanniiLipid A Contributes to Virulence

2019 ◽  
Vol 87 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Toby L. Bartholomew ◽  
Timothy J. Kidd ◽  
Joana Sá Pessoa ◽  
Raquel Conde Álvarez ◽  
José A. Bengoechea
Keyword(s):  
Protein Kinase ◽  
Lipid A ◽  
Galleria Mellonella ◽  
Inflammatory Responses ◽  
Polymyxin B ◽  
Interleukin 10 ◽  
Multidrug Resistant ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Wide Range

ABSTRACTAcinetobacter baumanniicauses a wide range of nosocomial infections. This pathogen is considered a threat to human health due to the increasingly frequent isolation of multidrug-resistant strains. There is a major gap in knowledge on the infection biology ofA. baumannii, and only a few virulence factors have been characterized, including lipopolysaccharide. The lipid A expressed byA. baumanniiis hepta-acylated and contains 2-hydroxylaurate. The late acyltransferases controlling the acylation of lipid A have been already characterized. Here, we report the characterization ofA. baumanniiLpxO, which encodes the enzyme responsible for the 2-hydroxylation of lipid A. By genetic methods and mass spectrometry, we demonstrate that LpxO catalyzes the 2-hydroxylation of the laurate transferred byA. baumanniiLpxL. LpxO-dependent lipid A 2-hydroxylation protectsA. baumanniifrom polymyxin B, colistin, and human β-defensin 3. LpxO contributes to the survival ofA. baumanniiin human whole blood and is required for pathogen survival in the waxmothGalleria mellonella. LpxO also protectsAcinetobacterfromG. mellonellaantimicrobial peptides and limits their expression. Further demonstrating the importance of LpxO-dependent modification in immune evasion, 2-hydroxylation of lipid A limits the activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase Jun N-terminal protein kinase to attenuate inflammatory responses. In addition, LpxO-controlled lipid A modification mediates the production of the anti-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-10 (IL-10) via the activation of the transcriptional factor CREB. IL-10 in turn limits the production of inflammatory cytokines followingA. baumanniiinfection. Altogether, our studies suggest that LpxO is a candidate for the development of anti-A. baumanniidrugs.

scholarly journals Lack of Lipid A Pyrophosphorylation and FunctionallptAReduces Inflammation by Neisseria Commensals

2012 ◽  
Vol 80 (11) ◽  
pp. 4014-4026 ◽  
Author(s):  
Constance M. John ◽  
Mingfeng Liu ◽  
Nancy J. Phillips ◽  
Zhijie Yang ◽  
Courtney R. Funk ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Deletion Mutant ◽  
Lipid A ◽  
Polymyxin B ◽  
Toll Like Receptor ◽  
Inflammatory Signaling ◽  
Toll Like Receptor 4 ◽  
Bioinformatics Analyses ◽  
Monocytic Cells ◽  
Content Type ◽  
High Level

ABSTRACTThe interaction of the immune system withNeisseriacommensals remains poorly understood. We have previously shown that phosphoethanolamine on the lipid A portion of lipooligosaccharide (LOS) plays an important role in Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) signaling. For pathogenicNeisseria, phosphoethanolamine is added to lipid A by the phosphoethanolamine transferase specific for lipid A, which is encoded bylptA. Here, we report that Southern hybridizations and bioinformatics analyses of genomic sequences from all eight commensalNeisseriaspecies confirmed thatlptAwas absent in 15 of 17 strains examined but was present inN. lactamica. Mass spectrometry of lipid A and intact LOS revealed the lack of both pyrophosphorylation and phosphoethanolaminylation in lipid A of commensal species lackinglptA. Inflammatory signaling in human THP-1 monocytic cells was much greater with pathogenic than with commensalNeisseriastrains that lackedlptA, and greater sensitivity to polymyxin B was consistent with the absence of phosphoethanolamine. Unlike the other commensals, whole bacteria of twoN. lactamicacommensal strains had low inflammatory potential, whereas their lipid A had high-level pyrophosphorylation and phosphoethanolaminylation and induced high-level inflammatory signaling, supporting previous studies indicating that this species uses mechanisms other than altering lipid A to support commensalism. A meningococcallptAdeletion mutant had reduced inflammatory potential, further illustrating the importance of lipid A pyrophosphorylation and phosphoethanolaminylation in the bioactivity of LOS. Overall, our results indicate that lack of pyrophosphorylation and phosphoethanolaminylation of lipid A contributes to the immune privilege of most commensalNeisseriastrains by reducing the inflammatory potential of LOS.

scholarly journals Adaptive and Mutational Responses to Peptide Dendrimer Antimicrobials in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

2020 ◽  
Vol 64 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fatma Ben Jeddou ◽  
Léna Falconnet ◽  
Alexandre Luscher ◽  
Thissa Siriwardena ◽  
Jean-Louis Reymond ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pseudomonas Aeruginosa ◽  
Lipid A ◽  
Polymyxin B ◽  
Multidrug Resistant ◽  
Sensor Kinase ◽  
Loss Of Function ◽  
Adaptive Responses ◽  
Kinase Gene ◽  
Polyamine Biosynthesis ◽  
Content Type

ABSTRACT Colistin (polymyxin E) is a last-resort antibiotic against multidrug-resistant isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. However, the nephro-toxicity of colistin limits its use, spurring the interest in novel antimicrobial peptides (AMP). Here, we show that the synthetic AMP-dendrimer G3KL (MW 4,531.38 Da, 15 positive charges, MIC = 8 mg/liter) showed faster killing than polymyxin B (Pmx-B) with no detectable resistance selection in P. aeruginosa strain PA14. Spontaneous mutants selected on Pmx-B, harboring loss of function mutations in the PhoQ sensor kinase gene, showed increased Pmx-B MICs and arnB operon expression (4-amino-l-arabinose addition to lipid A), but remained susceptible to dendrimers. Two mutants carrying a missense mutation in the periplasmic loop of the PmrB sensor kinase showed increased MICs for Pmx-B (8-fold) and G3KL (4-fold) but not for the dendrimer T7 (MW 4,885.64 Da, 16 positive charges, MIC = 8 mg/liter). The pmrB mutants showed increased expression of the arnB operon as well as of the speD2-speE2-PA4775 operon, located upstream of pmrAB, and involved in polyamine biosynthesis. Exogenous supplementation with the polyamines spermine and norspermine increased G3KL and T7 MICs in a phoQ mutant background but not in the PA14 wild type. This suggests that both addition of 4-amino-l-arabinose and secretion of polyamines are required to reduce susceptibility to dendrimers, probably neutralizing the negative charges present on the lipid A and the 2-keto-3-deoxyoctulosonic acid (KDO) sugars of the lipopolysaccharide (LPS), respectively. We further show by transcriptome analysis that the dendrimers G3KL and T7 induce adaptive responses through the CprRS two-component system in PA14.

scholarly journals Serratia marcescensarn, a PhoP-Regulated Locus Necessary for Polymyxin B Resistance

2014 ◽  
Vol 58 (9) ◽  
pp. 5181-5190 ◽  
Author(s):  
Quei Yen Lin ◽  
Yi-Lin Tsai ◽  
Ming-Che Liu ◽  
Wei-Cheng Lin ◽  
Po-Ren Hsueh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Type Strain ◽  
Wild Type Strain ◽  
Response Regulator ◽  
Challenge Test ◽  
Polymyxin B ◽  
Resistant Bacteria ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Mobility Shift ◽  
Content Type ◽  
In The Wild

ABSTRACTPolymyxins, which are increasingly being used to treat infections caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria, perform poorly againstSerratia marcescens. To investigate the underlying mechanisms, Tn5mutagenesis was performed and two mutants exhibiting increased polymyxin B (PB) susceptibility were isolated. The mutants were found to have Tn5inserted into thearnBandarnCgenes. In other bacteria,arnBandarnCbelong to the seven-genearnoperon, which is involved in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) modification. LPSs ofarnmutants had greater PB-binding abilities than that of wild-type LPS. Further, we identified PhoP, a bacterial two-component response regulator, as a regulator of PB susceptibility inS. marcescens. By the reporter assay, we found PB- and low-Mg2+-induced expression ofphoPandarnin the wild-type strain but not in thephoPmutant. Complementation of thephoPmutant with the full-lengthphoPgene restored the PB MIC and induction by PB and low Mg2+levels, as in the wild type. An electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) further demonstrated that PhoP bound directly to thearnpromoter. The PB challenge test confirmed that pretreatment with PB and low Mg2+levels protectedS. marcescensfrom a PB challenge in the wild-type strain but not in thephoPmutant. Real-time reverse transcriptase-PCR also indicated that PB serves as a signal to regulate expression ofugd, a gene required for LPS modification, inS. marcescensthrough a PhoP-dependent pathway. Finally, we found that PB-resistant clinical isolates displayed greater expression ofarnAupon exposure to PB than did susceptible isolates. This is the first report to describe the role ofS. marcescensarnin PB resistance and its modulation by PB and Mg2+through the PhoP protein.

scholarly journals PmrD Is Required for Modifications to Escherichia coli Endotoxin That Promote Antimicrobial Resistance

2015 ◽  
Vol 59 (4) ◽  
pp. 2051-2061 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erica J. Rubin ◽  
Carmen M. Herrera ◽  
Alexander A. Crofts ◽  
M. Stephen Trent
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Protein Interactions ◽  
Lipid A ◽  
Bacterial Resistance ◽  
Functional Divergence ◽  
Polymyxin B ◽  
Growth Conditions ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Content Type ◽  
E Coli

ABSTRACTInSalmonella enterica, PmrD is a connector protein that links the two-component systems PhoP-PhoQ and PmrA-PmrB. WhileEscherichia coliencodes a PmrD homolog, it is thought to be incapable of connecting PhoPQ and PmrAB in this organism due to functional divergence from theS. entericaprotein. However, our laboratory previously observed that low concentrations of Mg2+, a PhoPQ-activating signal, leads to the induction of PmrAB-dependent lipid A modifications in wild-typeE. coli(C. M. Herrera, J. V. Hankins, and M. S. Trent, Mol Microbiol 76:1444–1460, 2010,http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2958.2010.07150.x). These modifications include phosphoethanolamine (pEtN) and 4-amino-4-deoxy-l-arabinose (l-Ara4N), which promote bacterial resistance to cationic antimicrobial peptides (CAMPs) when affixed to lipid A. Here, we demonstrate thatpmrDis required for modification of the lipid A domain ofE. colilipopolysaccharide (LPS) under low-Mg2+growth conditions. Further, RNA sequencing shows thatE. colipmrDinfluences the expression ofpmrAand its downstream targets, including genes coding for the modification enzymes that transfer pEtN andl-Ara4N to the lipid A molecule. In line with these findings, apmrDmutant is dramatically impaired in survival compared with the wild-type strain when exposed to the CAMP polymyxin B. Notably, we also reveal the presence of an unknown factor or system capable of activatingpmrDto promote lipid A modification in the absence of the PhoPQ system. These results illuminate a more complex network of protein interactions surrounding activation of PhoPQ and PmrAB inE. colithan previously understood.

scholarly journals Characterization of the Polymyxin B Resistome of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

2012 ◽  
Vol 57 (1) ◽  
pp. 110-119 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucía Fernández ◽  
Carolina Álvarez-Ortega ◽  
Irith Wiegand ◽  
Jorge Olivares ◽  
Dana Kocíncová ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pseudomonas Aeruginosa ◽  
Lipid A ◽  
Resistant Mutant ◽  
Polymyxin B ◽  
Intrinsic Resistance ◽  
Western Blots ◽  
Content Type ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Almost All

ABSTRACTMultidrug resistance inPseudomonas aeruginosais increasingly becoming a threat for human health. Indeed, some strains are resistant to almost all currently available antibiotics, leaving very limited choices for antimicrobial therapy. In many such cases, polymyxins are the only available option, although as their utilization increases so does the isolation of resistant strains. In this study, we screened a comprehensive PA14 mutant library to identify genes involved in changes of susceptibility to polymyxin B inP. aeruginosa. Surprisingly, our screening revealed that the polymyxin B resistome of this microorganism is fairly small. Thus, only one resistant mutant and 17 different susceptibility/intrinsic resistance determinants were identified. Among the susceptible mutants, a significant number carried transposon insertions in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-related genes. LPS analysis revealed that four of these mutants (galU,lptC,wapR, andssg) had an altered banding profile in SDS-polyacrylamide gels and Western blots, with three of them exhibiting LPS core truncation and lack of O-antigen decoration. Further characterization of these four mutants showed that their increased susceptibility to polymyxin B was partly due to increased basal outer membrane permeability. Additionally, these mutants also lacked the aminoarabinose-substituted lipid A species observed in the wild type upon growth in low magnesium. Overall, our results emphasize the importance of LPS integrity and lipid A modification in resistance to polymyxins inP. aeruginosa, highlighting the relevance of characterizing the genes that affect biosynthesis of cell surface structures in this pathogen to follow the evolution of peptide resistance in the clinic.

scholarly journals Mutations in fbiD (Rv2983) as a Novel Determinant of Resistance to Pretomanid and Delamanid in Mycobacterium tuberculosis

2020 ◽  
Vol 65 (1) ◽  
pp. e01948-20
Author(s):  
Dalin Rifat ◽  
Si-Yang Li ◽  
Thomas Ioerger ◽  
Keshav Shah ◽  
Jean-Philippe Lanoix ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mycobacterium Tuberculosis ◽  
Clinical Evidence ◽  
Clinical Samples ◽  
Loss Of Function ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Solid Media ◽  
High Level ◽  
Level Resistance

ABSTRACTThe nitroimidazole prodrugs delamanid and pretomanid comprise one of only two new antimicrobial classes approved to treat tuberculosis (TB) in 50 years. Prior in vitro studies suggest a relatively low barrier to nitroimidazole resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis, but clinical evidence is limited to date. We selected pretomanid-resistant M. tuberculosis mutants in two mouse models of TB using a range of pretomanid doses. The frequency of spontaneous resistance was approximately 10−5 CFU. Whole-genome sequencing of 161 resistant isolates from 47 mice revealed 99 unique mutations, of which 91% occurred in 1 of 5 genes previously associated with nitroimidazole activation and resistance, namely, fbiC (56%), fbiA (15%), ddn (12%), fgd (4%), and fbiB (4%). Nearly all mutations were unique to a single mouse and not previously identified. The remaining 9% of resistant mutants harbored mutations in Rv2983 (fbiD), a gene not previously associated with nitroimidazole resistance but recently shown to be a guanylyltransferase necessary for cofactor F420 synthesis. Most mutants exhibited high-level resistance to pretomanid and delamanid, although Rv2983 and fbiB mutants exhibited high-level pretomanid resistance but relatively small changes in delamanid susceptibility. Complementing an Rv2983 mutant with wild-type Rv2983 restored susceptibility to pretomanid and delamanid. By quantifying intracellular F420 and its precursor Fo in overexpressing and loss-of-function mutants, we provide further evidence that Rv2983 is necessary for F420 biosynthesis. Finally, Rv2983 mutants and other F420H2-deficient mutants displayed hypersusceptibility to some antibiotics and to concentrations of malachite green found in solid media used to isolate and propagate mycobacteria from clinical samples.

scholarly journals Transcriptome Analysis Provides Insights into the Mechanism of Astaxanthin Enrichment in a Mutant of the Ridgetail White Prawn Exopalaemon carinicauda

Genes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 618
Author(s):  
Yue Jin ◽  
Shihao Li ◽  
Yang Yu ◽  
Chengsong Zhang ◽  
Xiaojun Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Transcriptome Analysis ◽  
Underlying Mechanism ◽  
Biological Processes ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Expression Levels ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Cuticle Proteins ◽  
Apolipoprotein D ◽  
High Level ◽  
Lower Expression

A mutant of the ridgetail white prawn, which exhibited rare orange-red body color with a higher level of free astaxanthin (ASTX) concentration than that in the wild-type prawn, was obtained in our lab. In order to understand the underlying mechanism for the existence of a high level of free astaxanthin, transcriptome analysis was performed to identify the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the mutant and wild-type prawns. A total of 78,224 unigenes were obtained, and 1863 were identified as DEGs, in which 902 unigenes showed higher expression levels, while 961 unigenes presented lower expression levels in the mutant in comparison with the wild-type prawns. Based on Gene Ontology analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis, as well as further investigation of annotated DEGs, we found that the biological processes related to astaxanthin binding, transport, and metabolism presented significant differences between the mutant and the wild-type prawns. Some genes related to these processes, including crustacyanin, apolipoprotein D (ApoD), cathepsin, and cuticle proteins, were identified as DEGs between the two types of prawns. These data may provide important information for us to understand the molecular mechanism of the existence of a high level of free astaxanthin in the prawn.

scholarly journals ArmA Methyltransferase in a Monophasic Salmonella enterica Isolate from Food

2011 ◽  
Vol 55 (11) ◽  
pp. 5262-5266 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sophie A. Granier ◽  
Laura Hidalgo ◽  
Alvaro San Millan ◽  
Jose Antonio Escudero ◽  
Belen Gutierrez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
16S Rrna ◽  
Salmonella Enterica ◽  
Multidrug Resistant ◽  
Broad Host Range ◽  
En Bloc ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Route Of Transmission ◽  
Amoxicillin Clavulanate ◽  
High Level ◽  
Level Resistance

ABSTRACTThe 16S rRNA methyltransferase ArmA is a worldwide emerging determinant that confers high-level resistance to most clinically relevant aminoglycosides. We report here the identification and characterization of a multidrug-resistantSalmonella entericasubspecies I.4,12:i:− isolate recovered from chicken meat sampled in a supermarket on February 2009 in La Reunion, a French island in the Indian Ocean. Susceptibility testing showed an unusually high-level resistance to gentamicin, as well as to ampicillin, expanded-spectrum cephalosporins and amoxicillin-clavulanate. Molecular analysis of the 16S rRNA methyltransferases revealed presence of thearmAgene, together withblaTEM-1,blaCMY-2, andblaCTX-M-3. All of these genes could be transferreden blocthrough conjugation intoEscherichia coliat a frequency of 10−5CFU/donor. Replicon typing and S1 pulsed-field gel electrophoresis revealed that thearmAgene was borne on an ∼150-kb broad-host-range IncP plasmid, pB1010. To elucidate howarmAhad integrated in pB1010, a PCR mapping strategy was developed for Tn1548, the genetic platform forarmA.The gene was embedded in a Tn1548-like structure, albeit with a deletion of the macrolide resistance genes, and an IS26was inserted within themelgene. To our knowledge, this is the first report of ArmA methyltransferase in food, showing a novel route of transmission for this resistance determinant. Further surveillance in food-borne bacteria will be crucial to determine the role of food in the spread of 16S rRNA methyltransferase genes worldwide.

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