scholarly journals Characterization of a Pseudomonas aeruginosa Efflux Pump Contributing to Aminoglycoside Impermeability

1999 ◽  
Vol 43 (12) ◽  
pp. 2975-2983 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shannon Westbrock-Wadman ◽  
David R. Sherman ◽  
Mark J. Hickey ◽  
Silvija N. Coulter ◽  
Ya Qi Zhu ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Pseudomonas aeruginosa can employ many distinct mechanisms of resistance to aminoglycoside antibiotics; however, in cystic fibrosis patients, more than 90% of aminoglycoside-resistantP. aeruginosa isolates are of the impermeability phenotype. The precise molecular mechanisms that produce aminoglycoside impermeability-type resistance are yet to be elucidated. A subtractive hybridization technique was used to reveal gene expression differences between PAO1 and isogenic, spontaneous aminoglycoside-resistant mutants of the impermeability phenotype. Among the many genes found to be up-regulated in these laboratory mutants were the amrABgenes encoding a recently discovered efflux system. TheamrAB genes appear to be the same as the recently describedmexXY genes; however, the resistance profile that we see inP. aeruginosa is very different from that described forEscherichia coli with mexXY. Direct evidence for AmrAB involvement in aminoglycoside resistance was provided by the deletion of amrB in the PAO1-derived laboratory mutant, which resulted in the restoration of aminoglycoside sensitivity to a level nearly identical to that of the parent strain. Furthermore, transcription of the amrAB genes was shown to be up-regulated in P. aeruginosa clinical isolates displaying the impermeability phenotype compared to a genotypically matched sensitive clinical isolate from the same patient. This suggests the possibility that AmrAB-mediated efflux is a clinically relevant mechanism of aminoglycoside resistance. Although it is unlikely that hyperexpression of AmrAB is the sole mechanism conferring the impermeability phenotype, we believe that the Amr efflux system can contribute to a complex interaction of molecular events resulting in the aminoglycoside impermeability-type resistance phenotype.


1999 ◽  
Vol 43 (5) ◽  
pp. 1301-1303 ◽  
Author(s):  
Taiji Nakae ◽  
Akira Nakajima ◽  
Toshihisa Ono ◽  
Kohjiro Saito ◽  
Hiroshi Yoneyama

ABSTRACT We evaluated the roles of the MexAB-OprM efflux pump and β-lactamase in β-lactam resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa by constructing OprM-deficient, OprM basal level, and OprM fully expressed mutants from β-lactamase-negative, -inducible, and -overexpressed strains. We conclude that, with the notable exception of imipenem, the MexAB-OprM pump contributes significantly to β-lactam resistance in both β-lactamase-negative and β-lactamase-inducible strains, while the contribution of the MexAB-OprM efflux system is negligible in strains with overexpressed β-lactamase. Overexpression of the efflux pump alone contributes to the high level of β-lactam resistance in the absence of β-lactamase.





1998 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 65-71 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ramakrishnan Srikumar ◽  
Tatiana Kon ◽  
Naomasa Gotoh ◽  
Keith Poole

ABSTRACT The mexCD-oprJ and mexAB-oprM operons encode components of two distinct multidrug efflux pumps inPseudomonas aeruginosa. To assess the contribution of individual components to antibiotic resistance and substrate specificity, these operons and their component genes were cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. Western immunoblotting confirmed expression of the P. aeruginosa efflux pump components in E. coli strains expressing and deficient in the endogenous multidrug efflux system (AcrAB), although only the ΔacrAB strain, KZM120, demonstrated increased resistance to antibiotics in the presence of the P. aeruginosa efflux genes. E. coli KZM120 expressing MexAB-OprM showed increased resistance to quinolones, chloramphenicol, erythromycin, azithromycin, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), crystal violet, novobiocin, and, significantly, several β-lactams, which is reminiscent of the operation of this pump in P. aeruginosa. This confirmed previous suggestions that MexAB-OprM provides a direct contribution to β-lactam resistance via the efflux of this group of antibiotics. An increase in antibiotic resistance, however, was not observed when MexAB or OprM alone was expressed in KZM120. Thus, despite the fact that β-lactams act within the periplasm, OprM alone is insufficient to provide resistance to these agents. E. coli KZM120 expressing MexCD-OprJ also showed increased resistance to quinolones, chloramphenicol, macrolides, SDS, and crystal violet, though not to most β-lactams or novobiocin, again somewhat reminiscent of the antibiotic resistance profile of MexCD-OprJ-expressing strains ofP. aeruginosa. Surprisingly, E. coli KZM120 expressing MexCD alone also showed an increase in resistance to these agents, while an OprJ-expressing KZM120 failed to demonstrate any increase in antibiotic resistance. MexCD-mediated resistance, however, was absent in a tolC mutant of KZM120, indicating that MexCD functions in KZM120 in conjunction with TolC, the previously identified outer membrane component of the AcrAB-TolC efflux system. These data confirm that a tripartite efflux pump is necessary for the efflux of all substrate antibiotics and that the P. aeruginosa multidrug efflux pumps are functional and retain their substrate specificity in E. coli.



2012 ◽  
Vol 56 (9) ◽  
pp. 4771-4778 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bartolomé Moyá ◽  
Alejandro Beceiro ◽  
Gabriel Cabot ◽  
Carlos Juan ◽  
Laura Zamorano ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTWe investigated the mechanisms leading toPseudomonas aeruginosapan-β-lactam resistance (PBLR) development during the treatment of nosocomial infections, with a particular focus on the modification of penicillin-binding protein (PBP) profiles and imipenem, ceftazidime, and ceftolozane (former CXA-101) PBP binding affinities. For this purpose, six clonally related pairs of sequential susceptible-PBLR isolates were studied. The presence ofoprD,ampD, anddacBmutations was explored by PCR followed by sequencing and the expression ofampCand efflux pump genes by real-time reverse transcription-PCR. The fluorescent penicillin Bocillin FL was used to determine PBP profiles in membrane preparations from all pairs, and 50% inhibitory concentrations (IC50s) of ceftolozane, ceftazidime, and imipenem were analyzed in 3 of them. Although a certain increase was noted (0 to 5 2-fold dilutions), the MICs of ceftolozane were ≤4 μg/ml in all PBLR isolates. All 6 PBLR isolates lacked OprD and overexpressedampCand one or several efflux pumps, particularlymexBand/ormexY. Additionally, 5 of them showed modified PBP profiles, including a modified pattern (n= 1) or diminished expression (n= 1) of PBP1a and a lack of PBP4 expression (n= 4), which correlated with AmpC overexpression driven bydacBmutation. Analysis of the essential PBP IC50s revealed significant variation of PBP1a/b binding affinities, both within each susceptible-PBLR pair and across the different pairs. Moreover, despite the absence of significant differences in gene expression or sequence, a clear tendency toward increased PBP2 (imipenem) and PBP3 (ceftazidime, ceftolozane, imipenem) IC50s was noted in PBLR isolates. Thus, our results suggest that in addition to AmpC, efflux pumps, and OprD, the modification of PBP patterns appears to play a role in thein vivoemergence of PBLR strains, which still conserve certain susceptibility to the new antipseudomonal cephalosporin ceftolozane.



2001 ◽  
Vol 183 (18) ◽  
pp. 5213-5222 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thilo Köhler ◽  
Christian van Delden ◽  
Lasta Kocjancic Curty ◽  
Mehri Michea Hamzehpour ◽  
Jean-Claude Pechere

ABSTRACT Intrinsic and acquired antibiotic resistance of the nosocomial pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa is mediated mainly by the expression of several efflux pumps of broad substrate specificity. Here we report that nfxC type mutants, overexpressing the MexEF-OprN efflux system, produce lower levels of extracellular virulence factors than the susceptible wild type. These include pyocyanin, elastase, and rhamnolipids, three factors controlled by the las and rhl quorum-sensing systems of P. aeruginosa. In agreement with these observations are the decreased transcription of the elastase genelasB and the rhamnosyltransferase genesrhlAB measured in nfxC type mutants. Expression of the lasR and rhlR regulator genes was not affected in the nfxC type mutant. In contrast, transcription of the C4-homoserine lactone (C4-HSL) autoinducer synthase gene rhlI was reduced by 50% in the nfxC type mutant relative to that in the wild type. This correlates with a similar decrease in C4-HSL levels detected in supernatants of the nfxC type mutant. Transcription of an rhlAB-lacZ fusion could be partially restored by the addition of synthetic C4-HSL andPseudomonas quinolone signal (PQS). It is proposed that the MexEF-OprN efflux pump affects intracellular PQS levels.



2013 ◽  
Vol 58 (1) ◽  
pp. 221-228 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sophie Guénard ◽  
Cédric Muller ◽  
Laura Monlezun ◽  
Philippe Benas ◽  
Isabelle Broutin ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTConstitutive overproduction of the pump MexXY-OprM is recognized as a major cause of resistance to aminoglycosides, fluoroquinolones, and zwitterionic cephalosporins inPseudomonas aeruginosa. In this study, 57 clonally unrelated strains recovered from non-cystic fibrosis patients were analyzed to characterize the mutations resulting in upregulation of themexXYoperon. Forty-four (77.2%) of the strains, classified asagrZmutants were found to harbor mutations inactivating the local repressor gene (mexZ) of themexXYoperon (n= 33; 57.9%) or introducing amino acid substitutions in its product, MexZ (n= 11; 19.3%). These sequence variations, which mapped in the dimerization domain, the DNA binding domain, or the rest of the MexZ structure, mostly affected amino acid positions conserved in TetR-like regulators. The 13 remaining MexXY-OprM strains (22.8%) contained intactmexZgenes encoding wild-type MexZ proteins. Eight (14.0%) of these isolates, classified asagrW1mutants, overexpressed the gene PA5471, which codes for the MexZ antirepressor AmrZ, with 5 strains exhibiting growth defects at 37°C and 44°C, consistent with mutations impairing ribosome activity. Interestingly, oneagrW1mutant appeared to harbor a 7-bp deletion in the coding sequence of the leader peptide, PA5471.1, involved in ribosome-dependent, translational attenuation of PA5471 expression. Finally, DNA sequencing and complementation experiments revealed that 5 (8.8%) strains, classified asagrW2mutants, harbored single amino acid variations in the sensor histidine kinase of ParRS, a two-component system known to positively controlmexXYexpression. Collectively, these results demonstrate that clinical strains ofP. aeruginosaexploit different regulatory circuitries to mutationally overproduce the MexXY-OprM pump and become multidrug resistant, which accounts for the high prevalence of MexXY-OprM mutants in the clinical setting.



mBio ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Calvin Ho-Fung Lau ◽  
Daniel Hughes ◽  
Keith Poole

ABSTRACTThe resistance-nodulation-division (RND) family multidrug efflux system MexXY-OprM is a major determinant of aminoglycoside resistance inPseudomonas aeruginosa, although the details of aminoglycoside recognition and export by MexY, the substrate-binding RND component of this efflux system, have not been elucidated. To identify regions/residues of MexY important for aminoglycoside resistance, plasmid-bornemexYwas mutagenized and mutations that impaired MexY-promoted aminoglycoside (streptomycin) resistance were identified in a ΔmexYstrain ofP. aeruginosa. Sixty-one streptomycin-sensitivemexYmutants were recovered; among these, 7 unique mutations that yielded wild-type levels of MexY expression were identified. These mutations compromised resistance to additional aminoglycosides and to other antimicrobials and occurred in both the transmembrane and periplasmic regions of the protein. Mapping of the mutated residues onto a 3-dimensional structure of MexY modeled onEscherichia coliAcrB revealed that these tended to occur in regions implicated in general pump operation (transmembrane domain) and MexY trimer assembly (docking domain) and, thus, did not provide insights into aminoglycoside recognition. A region corresponding to a proximal binding pocket connected to a periplasm-linked cleft, part of a drug export pathway of AcrB, was identified in MexY and proposed to play a role in aminoglycoside recognition. To test this, selected residues (K79, D133, and Y613) within this pocket were mutagenized and the impact on aminoglycoside resistance was assessed. Mutations of D133 and Y613 compromised aminoglycoside resistance, while, surprisingly, the K79 mutation enhanced aminoglycoside resistance, confirming a role for this putative proximal binding pocket in aminoglycoside recognition and export.IMPORTANCEBacterial RND pumps do not typically accommodate highly hydrophilic agents such as aminoglycosides, and it is unclear how those, such as MexY, which accommodate these unique substrates, do so. The results presented here indicate that aminoglycosides are likely not captured and exported by this RND pump component in a unique manner but rather utilize a previously defined export pathway that involves a proximal drug-binding pocket that is also implicated in the export of nonaminoglycosides. The observation, too, that a mutation in this pocket enhances MexY-mediated aminoglycoside resistance (K79A), an indication that it is not optimally designed to accommodate these agents, lends further support to earlier proposals that antimicrobials are not the intended pump substrates.



2002 ◽  
Vol 184 (18) ◽  
pp. 5036-5044 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rungtip Chuanchuen ◽  
Craig T. Narasaki ◽  
Herbert P. Schweizer

ABSTRACT Using the biocide triclosan as a selective agent, several triclosan-resistant mutants of a susceptible Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain were isolated. Cloning and characterization of a DNA fragment conferring triclosan resistance from one of these mutants revealed a hitherto uncharacterized efflux system of the resistance nodulation cell division (RND) family, which was named MexJK and which is encoded by the mexJK operon. Expression of this operon is negatively regulated by the product of mexL, a gene located upstream of and transcribed divergently from mexJK. The triclosan-resistant mutant contained a single nucleotide change in mexL, which caused an amino acid change in the putative helix-turn-helix domain of MexL. The MexL protein belongs to the TetR family of repressor proteins. The MexJK system effluxed tetracycline and erythromycin but only in the presence of the outer membrane protein channel OprM; OprJ and OprN did not function with MexJK. Triclosan efflux required neither of the outer membrane protein channels tested but necessitated the MexJ membrane fusion protein and the MexK inner membrane RND transporter. The results presented in this study suggest that MexJK may function as a two-component RND pump for triclosan efflux but must associate with OprM to form a tripartite antibiotic efflux system. Furthermore, the results confirm that triclosan is an excellent tool for the study of RND multidrug efflux systems and that this popular biocide therefore readily selects mutants which are cross-resistant with antibiotics.



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