scholarly journals A Function of SmeDEF, the Major Quinolone Resistance Determinant of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Is the Colonization of Plant Roots

2014 ◽  
Vol 80 (15) ◽  
pp. 4559-4565 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guillermo García-León ◽  
Alvaro Hernández ◽  
Sara Hernando-Amado ◽  
Peyman Alavi ◽  
Gabriele Berg ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTQuinolones are synthetic antibiotics, and the main cause of resistance to these antimicrobials is mutation of the genes encoding their targets. However, in contrast to the case for other organisms, such mutations have not been found in quinolone-resistantStenotrophomonas maltophiliaisolates, in which overproduction of the SmeDEF efflux pump is a major cause of quinolone resistance. SmeDEF is chromosomally encoded and highly conserved in all studiedS. maltophiliastrains; it is an ancient element that evolved over millions of years in this species. It thus seems unlikely that its main function would be resistance to quinolones, a family of synthetic antibiotics not present in natural environments until the last few decades. Expression of SmeDEF is tightly controlled by the transcriptional repressor SmeT. Our work shows that plant-produced flavonoids can bind to SmeT, releasing it fromsmeDEFandsmeToperators. Antibiotics extruded by SmeDEF do not impede the binding of SmeT to DNA. The fact that plant-produced flavonoids specifically inducesmeDEFexpression indicates that they arebona fideeffectors regulating expression of this resistance determinant. Expression of efflux pumps is usually downregulated unless their activity is needed. SincesmeDEFexpression is triggered by plant-produced flavonoids, we reasoned that this efflux pump may have a role in the colonization of plants byS. maltophilia. Our results showed that, indeed, deletion ofsmeEimpairsS. maltophiliacolonization of plant roots. Altogether, our results indicate that quinolone resistance is a recent function of SmeDEF and that colonization of plant roots is likely one original function of this efflux pump.

2020 ◽  
Vol 64 (12) ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Biagi ◽  
D. Lamm ◽  
K. Meyer ◽  
A. Vialichka ◽  
M. Jurkovic ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT The intrinsic L1 metallo- and L2 serine-β-lactamases in Stenotrophomonas maltophilia make it naturally multidrug resistant and difficult to treat. There is a need to identify novel treatment strategies for this pathogen, especially against isolates resistant to first-line agents. Aztreonam in combination with avibactam has demonstrated potential, although data on other aztreonam–β-lactamase inhibitor (BLI) combinations are lacking. Additionally, molecular mechanisms for reduced susceptibility to these combinations have not been explored. The objectives of this study were to evaluate and compare the in vitro activities and to understand the mechanisms of resistance to aztreonam in combination with avibactam, clavulanate, relebactam, and vaborbactam against S. maltophilia. A panel of 47 clinical S. maltophilia strains nonsusceptible to levofloxacin and/or trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole were tested against each aztreonam-BLI combination via broth microdilution, and 6 isolates were then evaluated in time-kill analyses. Three isolates with various aztreonam-BLI MICs were subjected to whole-genome sequencing and quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR. Avibactam restored aztreonam susceptibility in 98% of aztreonam-resistant isolates, compared to 61, 71, and 15% with clavulanate, relebactam, and vaborbactam, respectively. The addition of avibactam to aztreonam resulted in a ≥2-log10-CFU/ml decrease at 24 h versus aztreonam alone against 5/6 isolates compared to 1/6 with clavulanate, 4/6 with relebactam, and 2/6 with vaborbactam. Molecular analyses revealed that decreased susceptibility to aztreonam-avibactam was associated with increased expression of genes encoding L1 and L2, as well as the efflux pump (smeABC). Aztreonam-avibactam is the most promising BLI-combination against multidrug-resistant S. maltophilia. Decreased susceptibility may be due to the combination of overexpressed β-lactamases and efflux pumps. Further studies evaluating this combination against S. maltophilia are warranted.


Biology ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 105
Author(s):  
Olga M. Zając ◽  
Stefan Tyski ◽  
Agnieszka E. Laudy

An increase of nosocomial infections caused by Stenotrophomonas maltophilia strains has recently been observed all over the world. The isolation of these bacteria from the blood is of particular concern. In this study we performed the phenotypic and genotypic characterization of 94 S. maltophilia isolates, including isolates from patients hospitalized in a tertiary Warsaw hospital (n = 79) and from outpatients (n = 15). All isolates were found to be susceptible to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and minocycline, while 44/94 isolates demonstrated a reduction in susceptibility to levofloxacin. A large genetic variation was observed among the isolates tested by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. A clonal relationship with 100% similarity was observed between isolates within two sub-pulsotypes: the first included nine bloodstream isolates and the second involved six. Multilocus sequence typing showed two new sequence types (ST498 and ST499) deposited in public databases for molecular typing. Moreover, the presence of genes encoding ten different efflux pumps from the resistance-nodulation-division family and the ATP-binding cassette family was shown in the majority of the 94 isolates. The obtained knowledge about the prevalence of efflux pump genes in clinical S. maltophilia strains makes it possible to predict the scale of the risk of resistance emergence in strains as a result of gene overexpression.


2015 ◽  
Vol 59 (8) ◽  
pp. 4817-4825 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xinlong He ◽  
Feng Lu ◽  
Fenglai Yuan ◽  
Donglin Jiang ◽  
Peng Zhao ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTChronic wound infections are associated with biofilm formation, which in turn has been correlated with drug resistance. However, the mechanism by which bacteria form biofilms in clinical environments is not clearly understood. This study was designed to investigate the biofilm formation potency ofAcinetobacter baumanniiand the potential association of biofilm formation with genes encoding efflux pumps, quorum-sensing regulators, and outer membrane proteins. A total of 48 clinically isolatedA. baumanniistrains, identified by enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus (ERIC)-PCR as types A-II, A-III, and A-IV, were analyzed. Three representative strains, which were designatedA. baumanniiABR2, ABR11, and ABS17, were used to evaluate antimicrobial susceptibility, biofilm inducibility, and gene transcription (abaI,adeB,adeG,adeJ,carO, andompA). A significant increase in the MICs of different classes of antibiotics was observed in the biofilm cells. The formation of a biofilm was significantly induced in all the representative strains exposed to levofloxacin. The levels of gene transcription varied between bacterial genotypes, antibiotics, and antibiotic concentrations. The upregulation ofadeGcorrelated with biofilm induction. The consistent upregulation ofadeGandabaIwas detected in A-III-typeA. baumanniiin response to levofloxacin and meropenem (1/8 to 1/2× the MIC), conditions which resulted in the greatest extent of biofilm induction. This study demonstrates a potential role of the AdeFGH efflux pump in the synthesis and transport of autoinducer molecules during biofilm formation, suggesting a link between low-dose antimicrobial therapy and a high risk of biofilm infections caused byA. baumannii. This study provides useful information for the development of antibiofilm strategies.


2020 ◽  
Vol 65 (1) ◽  
pp. e01284-20
Author(s):  
Punyawee Dulyayangkul ◽  
Karina Calvopiña ◽  
Kate J. Heesom ◽  
Matthew B. Avison

ABSTRACTFluoroquinolone resistance in Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is multifactorial, but the most significant factor is overproduction of efflux pumps, particularly SmeDEF, following mutation. Here, we report that mutations in the glycosyl transferase gene smlt0622 in S. maltophilia K279a mutant K M6 cause constitutive activation of SmeDEF production, leading to elevated levofloxacin MIC. Selection of a levofloxacin-resistant K M6 derivative, K M6 LEVr, allowed identification of a novel two-component regulatory system, Smlt2645/6 (renamed SmaRS). The sensor kinase Smlt2646 (SmaS) is activated by mutation in K M6 LEVr causing overproduction of two novel ABC transporters and the known aminoglycoside efflux pump SmeYZ. Overproduction of one ABC transporter, Smlt1651-4 (renamed SmaCDEF), causes levofloxacin resistance in K M6 LEVr. Overproduction of the other ABC transporter, Smlt2642/3 (renamed SmaAB), and SmeYZ both contribute to the elevated amikacin MIC against K M6 LEVr. Accordingly, we have identified two novel ABC transporters associated with antimicrobial drug resistance in S. maltophilia and two novel regulatory systems whose mutation causes resistance to levofloxacin, clinically important as a promising drug for monotherapy against this highly resistant pathogen.


2018 ◽  
Vol 62 (9) ◽  
Author(s):  
María Pérez-Varela ◽  
Jordi Corral ◽  
Jesús Aranda ◽  
Jordi Barbé

ABSTRACTAcinetobacter baumanniihas emerged as an important multidrug-resistant nosocomial pathogen. In previous work, we identified a putative MFS transporter, AU097_RS17040, involved in the pathogenicity ofA. baumannii(M. Pérez-Varela, J. Corral, J. A. Vallejo, S. Rumbo-Feal, G. Bou, J. Aranda, and J. Barbé, Infect Immun 85:e00327-17, 2017,https://doi.org/10.1128/IAI.00327-17). In this study, we analyzed the susceptibility to diverse antimicrobial agents ofA. baumanniicells defective in this transporter, referred to as AbaQ. Our results showed that AbaQ is mainly involved in the extrusion of quinolone-type drugs inA. baumannii.


2011 ◽  
Vol 55 (12) ◽  
pp. 5826-5833 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chao-Hsien Chen ◽  
Chiang-Ching Huang ◽  
Tsao-Chuen Chung ◽  
Rouh-Mei Hu ◽  
Yi-Wei Huang ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTKJ09C, a multidrug-resistant mutant ofStenotrophomonas maltophiliaKJ, was generated byin vitroselection with chloramphenicol. The multidrug-resistant phenotype of KJ09C was attributed to overexpression of a resistance nodulation division (RND)-type efflux system encoded by an operon consisting of five genes:smeU1,smeV,smeW,smeU2, andsmeX. Proteins encoded bysmeV,smeW, andsmeXwere similar to the membrane fusion protein, RND transporter, and outer membrane protein, respectively, of known RND-type systems. The proteins encoded bysmeU1andsmeU2were found to belong to the family of short-chain dehydrogenases/reductases. Mutant KJ09C exhibited increased resistance to chloramphenicol, quinolones, and tetracyclines and susceptibility to aminoglycosides; susceptibility to β-lactams and erythromycin was not affected. The expression of thesmeU1-V-W-U2-Xoperon was regulated by the divergently transcribed LysR-type regulator genesmeRv. Overexpression of the SmeVWX pump contributed to the acquired resistance to chloramphenicol, quinolones, and tetracyclines. Inactivation ofsmeVandsmeWcompletely abolished the activity of the SmeVWX pump, whereas inactivation ofsmeXalone decreased the activity of the SmeVWX pump. The enhanced aminoglycoside susceptibility observed in KJ09C resulted from SmeX overexpression.


2017 ◽  
Vol 62 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chao-Jung Wu ◽  
Tsu-Ting Chiu ◽  
Yi-Tsung Lin ◽  
Yi-Wei Huang ◽  
Li-Hua Li ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Overexpression of resistance-nodulation-division (RND)-type efflux pumps is an important mechanism for bacteria to combat antimicrobials. RND efflux pumps are also critical for bacterial physiology, such as oxidative stress tolerance. Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, a multidrug-resistant opportunistic pathogen, harbors eight RND-type efflux pump operons. Of these, the smeU1VWU2X operon is unique for its possession of two additional genes, smeU1 and smeU2, which encode proteins of the short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase (SDR) family. Overexpression of the SmeVWX pump is known to contribute to the acquired resistance to chloramphenicol, quinolone, and tetracycline; however, SmeU1 and SmeU2 are little involved in this phenotype. In the study described in this article, we further linked the smeU1VWU2X operon to oxidative stress alleviation and sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim (SXT)-resistant mutant occurrence. The smeU1VWU2X operon was inducibly expressed upon challenge with menadione (MD), plumbagin (PL), and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), as verified by the use of the chromosomal smeU1VWU2X-xylE transcriptional fusion construct and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). The MD-mediated smeU1VWU2X upexpression was totally dependent on SoxR and partially relied on SmeRv but was less relevant to OxyR. SmeRv, but not SoxR and OxyR, played a regulatory role in the H2O2-mediated smeU1VWU2X upexpression. The significance of smeU1VWU2X upexpression was investigated with respect to oxidative stress alleviation and SXT-resistant mutant occurrence. Overexpression of the smeU1VWU2X operon contributed to the alleviation of MD-mediated oxidative stress. Of the encoded proteins, the SmeVWX pump and SmeU2, rather than SmeU1, participated in MD tolerance. Furthermore, we also demonstrated that the MD-mediated expression of the smeU1VWU2X operon decreased the SXT resistance frequency when S. maltophilia was grown in a reactive oxygen species (ROS)-rich environment.


2012 ◽  
Vol 57 (1) ◽  
pp. 655-657 ◽  
Author(s):  
Virginia C. Gould ◽  
Aki Okazaki ◽  
Matthew B. Avison

ABSTRACTAStenotrophomonas maltophiliamutant that coordinately hyper-expresses three resistance nodulation division-type efflux pump genes,smeZ,smeJ, andsmeK, has been identified. SmeZ is responsible for elevating aminoglycoside MICs; SmeJ and SmeK are jointly responsible for elevating tetracycline, minocycline, and ciprofloxacin MICs and conferring levofloxacin resistance. One clinical isolate with this same phenotype was identified from a sample of six, and the isolate also coordinately hyper-expressessmeZandsmeJK, confirming the clinical relevance of our findings.


2019 ◽  
Vol 64 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Karina Calvopiña ◽  
Punyawee Dulyayangkul ◽  
Matthew B. Avison

ABSTRACT Aminoglycoside resistance in Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is multifactorial, but the most significant mechanism is overproduction of the SmeYZ efflux system. By studying laboratory-selected mutants and clinical isolates, we show here that damage to the 50S ribosomal protein L1 (RplA) activates SmeYZ production. We also show that gentamicin and minocycline, which target the ribosome, induce expression of smeYZ. These findings explain the role of SmeYZ in both intrinsic and mutationally acquired aminoglycoside resistance.


2014 ◽  
Vol 59 (1) ◽  
pp. 724-726 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth A. Ohneck ◽  
Maira Goytia ◽  
Corinne E. Rouquette-Loughlin ◽  
Sandeep J. Joseph ◽  
Timothy D. Read ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTThe global consequence of drug efflux gene overexpression in bacteria has not been specifically analyzed because strains showing high-level expression typically have mutations in genes encoding regulatory proteins that control other genes. Results from a transcriptional profiling study performed with a strain ofNeisseria gonorrhoeaethat is capable of high-level transcription of themtrCDEefflux pump operon independently of control by cognate regulatory proteins revealed that its overexpression has ramifications for systems other than drug efflux.


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