scholarly journals Evaluation of a Method Using Three Genomic Guided Escherichia coli Markers for Phylogenetic Typing of E. coli Isolates of Various Genetic Backgrounds

2015 ◽  
Vol 53 (6) ◽  
pp. 1848-1853 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kouta Hamamoto ◽  
Shuhei Ueda ◽  
Yoshimasa Yamamoto ◽  
Itaru Hirai

Genotyping and characterization of bacterial isolates are essential steps in the identification and control of antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections. Recently, one novel genotyping method using three genomic guidedEscherichia colimarkers (GIG-EM),dinG,tonB, and dipeptide permease (DPP), was reported. Because GIG-EM has not been fully evaluated using clinical isolates, we assessed this typing method with 72E. colicollection of reference (ECOR) environmentalE. colireference strains and 63E. coliisolates of various genetic backgrounds. In this study, we designated 768 bp ofdinG, 745 bp oftonB, and 655 bp of DPP target sequences for use in the typing method. Concatenations of the processed marker sequences were used to draw GIG-EM phylogenetic trees.E. coliisolates with identical sequence types as identified by the conventional multilocus sequence typing (MLST) method were localized to the same branch of the GIG-EM phylogenetic tree. Sixteen clinicalE. coliisolates were utilized as test isolates without prior characterization by conventional MLST and phylogenetic grouping before GIG-EM typing. Of these, 14 clinical isolates were assigned to a branch including only isolates of a pandemic clone,E. coliB2-ST131-O25b, and these results were confirmed by conventional typing methods. Our results suggested that the GIG-EM typing method and its application to phylogenetic trees might be useful tools for the molecular characterization and determination of the genetic relationships amongE. coliisolates.

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Amit Gaurav ◽  
Varsha Gupta ◽  
Sandeep K. Shrivastava ◽  
Ranjana Pathania

AbstractThe increasing prevalence of antimicrobial resistance has become a global health problem. Acinetobacter baumannii is an important nosocomial pathogen due to its capacity to persist in the hospital environment. It has a high mortality rate and few treatment options. Antibiotic combinations can help to fight multi-drug resistant (MDR) bacterial infections, but they are rarely used in the clinics and mostly unexplored. The interaction between bacteriostatic and bactericidal antibiotics are mostly reported as antagonism based on the results obtained in the susceptible model laboratory strain Escherichia coli. However, in the present study, we report a synergistic interaction between nalidixic acid and tetracycline against clinical multi-drug resistant A. baumannii and E. coli. Here we provide mechanistic insight into this dichotomy. The synergistic combination was studied by checkerboard assay and time-kill curve analysis. We also elucidate the mechanism behind this synergy using several techniques such as fluorescence spectroscopy, flow cytometry, fluorescence microscopy, morphometric analysis, and real-time polymerase chain reaction. Nalidixic acid and tetracycline combination displayed synergy against most of the MDR clinical isolates of A. baumannii and E. coli but not against susceptible isolates. Finally, we demonstrate that this combination is also effective in vivo in an A. baumannii/Caenorhabditis elegans infection model (p < 0.001)


mBio ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dana Willner ◽  
Serene Low ◽  
Jason A. Steen ◽  
Narelle George ◽  
Graeme R. Nimmo ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTUrinary tract infections (UTIs) are one of the most commonly acquired bacterial infections in humans, and uropathogenicEscherichia colistrains are responsible for over 80% of all cases. The standard method for identification of uropathogens in clinical laboratories is cultivation, primarily using solid growth media under aerobic conditions, coupled with morphological and biochemical tests of typically a single isolate colony. However, these methods detect only culturable microorganisms, and characterization is phenotypic in nature. Here, we explored the genotypic identity of communities in acute uncomplicated UTIs from 50 individuals by using culture-independent amplicon pyrosequencing and whole-genome and metagenomic shotgun sequencing. Genus-level characterization of the UTI communities was achieved using the 16S rRNA gene (V8 region). Overall UTI community richness was very low in comparison to other human microbiomes. We strain-typedEscherichia-dominated UTIs using amplicon pyrosequencing of the fimbrial adhesin gene,fimH. There were nine highly abundantfimHtypes, and each UTI sample was dominated by a single type. Molecular analysis of the corresponding clinical isolates revealed that in the majority of cases the isolate was representative of the dominant taxon in the community at both the genus and the strain level. Shotgun sequencing was performed on a subset of eightE. coliurine UTI and isolate pairs. The majority of UTI microbial metagenomic sequences mapped to isolate genomes, confirming the results obtained using phylogenetic markers. We conclude that for the majority of acute uncomplicatedE. coli-mediated UTIs, single cultured isolates are diagnostic of the infection.IMPORTANCEIn clinical practice, the diagnosis and treatment of acute uncomplicated urinary tract infection (UTI) are based on analysis of a single bacterial isolate cultured from urine, and it is assumed that this isolate represents the dominant UTI pathogen. However, these methods detect only culturable bacteria, and the existence of multiple pathogens as well as strain diversity within a single infection is not examined. Here, we explored bacteria present in acute uncomplicated UTIs using culture-independent sequence-based methods.Escherichia coliwas the most common organism identified, and analysis ofE. colidominant UTI samples and their paired clinical isolates revealed that in the majority of infections the cultured isolate was representative of the dominant taxon at both the genus and the strain level. Our data demonstrate that in most cases single cultured isolates are diagnostic of UTI and are consistent with the notion of bottlenecks that limit strain diversity during UTI pathogenesis.


2015 ◽  
Vol 59 (3) ◽  
pp. 1718-1727 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elisabeth Thulin ◽  
Martin Sundqvist ◽  
Dan I. Andersson

ABSTRACTAmdinocillin (mecillinam) is a β-lactam antibiotic that is used mainly for the treatment of uncomplicated urinary tract infections. The objectives of this study were to identify mutations that confer amdinocillin resistance on laboratory-isolated mutants and clinical isolates ofEscherichia coliand to determine why amdinocillin resistance remains rare clinically even though resistance is easily selected in the laboratory. Under laboratory selection, frequencies of mutation to amdinocillin resistance varied from 8 × 10−8to 2 × 10−5per cell, depending on the concentration of amdinocillin used during selection. Several genes have been demonstrated to give amdinocillin resistance, but here eight novel genes previously unknown to be involved in amdinocillin resistance were identified. These genes encode functions involved in the respiratory chain, the ribosome, cysteine biosynthesis, tRNA synthesis, and pyrophosphate metabolism. The clinical isolates exhibited significantly greater fitness than the laboratory-isolated mutants and a different mutation spectrum. ThecysBgene was mutated (inactivated) in all of the clinical isolates, in contrast to the laboratory-isolated mutants, where mainly other types of more costly mutations were found. Our results suggest that the frequency of mutation to amdinocillin resistance is high because of the large mutational target (at least 38 genes). However, the majority of these resistant mutants have a low growth rate, reducing the probability that they are stably maintained in the bladder. Inactivation of thecysBgene and a resulting loss of cysteine biosynthesis are the major mechanism of amdinocillin resistance in clinical isolates ofE. coli.


2012 ◽  
Vol 78 (13) ◽  
pp. 4677-4682 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charlotte Valat ◽  
Frédéric Auvray ◽  
Karine Forest ◽  
Véronique Métayer ◽  
Emilie Gay ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTIn line with recent reports of extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs) inEscherichia coliisolates of highly virulent serotypes, such as O104:H4, we investigated the distribution of phylogroups (A, B1, B2, D) and virulence factor (VF)-encoding genes in 204 ESBL-producingE. coliisolates from diarrheic cattle. ESBL genes, VFs, and phylogroups were identified by PCR and a commercial DNA array (Alere, France). ESBL genes belonged mostly to the CTX-M-1 (65.7%) and CTX-M-9 (27.0%) groups, whereas those of the CTX-M-2 and TEM groups were much less represented (3.9% and 3.4%, respectively). One ESBL isolate wasstx1andeaepositive and belonged to a major enterohemorrhagicE. coli(EHEC) serotype (O111:H8). Two other isolates wereeaepositive butstxnegative; one of these had serotype O26:H11. ESBL isolates belonged mainly to phylogroup A (55.4%) and, to lesser extents, to phylogroups D (25.5%) and B1 (15.6%), whereas B2 strains were quasi-absent (1/204). The number of VFs was significantly higher in phylogroup B1 than in phylogroups A (P= 0.04) and D (P= 0.02). Almost all of the VFs detected were found in CTX-M-1 isolates, whereas only 64.3% and 33.3% of them were found in CTX-M-9 and CTX-M-2 isolates, respectively. These results indicated that the widespread dissemination of theblaCTX-Mgenes within theE. colipopulation from cattle still spared the subpopulation of EHEC/Shiga-toxigenicE. coli(STEC) isolates. In contrast to other reports on non-ESBL-producing isolates from domestic animals, B1 was not the main phylogroup identified. However, B1 was found to be the most virulent phylogroup, suggesting host-specific distribution of virulence determinants among phylogenetic groups.


2012 ◽  
Vol 57 (1) ◽  
pp. 189-195 ◽  
Author(s):  
Migla Miskinyte ◽  
Isabel Gordo

ABSTRACTMutations causing antibiotic resistance usually incur a fitness cost in the absence of antibiotics. The magnitude of such costs is known to vary with the environment. Little is known about the fitness effects of antibiotic resistance mutations when bacteria confront the host's immune system. Here, we study the fitness effects of mutations in therpoB,rpsL, andgyrAgenes, which confer resistance to rifampin, streptomycin, and nalidixic acid, respectively. These antibiotics are frequently used in the treatment of bacterial infections. We measured two important fitness traits—growth rate and survival ability—of 12Escherichia coliK-12 strains, each carrying a single resistance mutation, in the presence of macrophages. Strikingly, we found that 67% of the mutants survived better than the susceptible bacteria in the intracellular niche of the phagocytic cells. In particular, allE. colistreptomycin-resistant mutants exhibited an intracellular advantage. On the other hand, 42% of the mutants incurred a high fitness cost when the bacteria were allowed to divide outside of macrophages. This study shows that single nonsynonymous changes affecting fundamental processes in the cell can contribute to prolonged survival ofE. coliin the context of an infection.


2011 ◽  
Vol 78 (2) ◽  
pp. 455-463 ◽  
Author(s):  
Craig T. Parker ◽  
Jennifer L. Kyle ◽  
Steven Huynh ◽  
Michelle Q. Carter ◽  
Maria T. Brandl ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTIn 2006, a large outbreak ofEscherichia coliO157:H7 was linked to the consumption of ready-to-eat bagged baby spinach in the United States. The likely sources of preharvest spinach contamination were soil and water that became contaminated via cattle or feral pigs in the proximity of the spinach fields. In this study, we compared the transcriptional profiles of 12E. coliO157:H7 isolates that possess the same two-enzyme pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) profile and are related temporally or geographically to the above outbreak. TheseE. coliO157:H7 isolates included three clinical isolates, five isolates from separate bags of spinach, and single isolates from pasture soil, river water, cow feces, and a feral pig. The three clinical isolates and two spinach bag isolates grown in cultures to stationary phase showed decreased expression of many σS-regulated genes, includinggadA,osmE,osmY, andkatE, compared with the soil, water, cow, feral pig, and the other three spinach bag isolates. The decreased expression of these σS-regulated genes was correlated with the decreased resistance of the isolates to acid stress, osmotic stress, and oxidative stress but increases in scavenging ability. We also observed that intraisolate variability was much more pronounced among the clinical and spinach isolates than among the environmental isolates. Together, the transcriptional and phenotypic differences of the spinach outbreak isolates ofE. coliO157:H7 support the hypothesis that some variants within the spinach bag retained characteristics of the preharvest isolates, whereas other variants with altered gene expression and phenotypes infected the human host.


2014 ◽  
Vol 63 (2) ◽  
pp. 263-270 ◽  
Author(s):  
Toyotaka Sato ◽  
Shin-ichi Yokota ◽  
Torahiko Okubo ◽  
Masaru Usui ◽  
Nobuhiro Fujii ◽  
...  

This study aimed to investigate the genetic association between fluoroquinolone (FQ) and/or cephalosporin (CEP) resistance in Escherichia coli isolates from dogs, and the risk to human health. We characterized E. coli clinical isolates, derived from faecal samples of dogs attending veterinary hospitals, using phylogenetic grouping, determination of virulence factor (VF) prevalence, multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and O serotyping. The D group was the dominant phylogenetic group among strains resistant to FQ and/or CEP. In contrast, the dominant group among susceptible strains was group B2. Group D strains showed a significantly higher prevalence of VFs than strains belonging to groups A and B1, and were resistant to significantly more antimicrobials than group B2 strains. The phylogenetic distribution of FQ–CEP-resistant E. coli groups (FQ–CEPRECs) and FQ-resistant groups was significantly correlated (r = 0.98), but FQ–CEPRECs and CEP-resistant E. coli groups were not correlated (r = 0.58). Data from PFGE, O serotype and MLST analyses indicated that the majority of FQ-resistant strains derived from a particular lineage of phylogenetic group D: serotype O1 and sequence type (ST) 648. Some D-O1-ST648 strains carried bla CMY-2, showed multidrug resistance and possessed a higher prevalence of the VFs kspMT, ompT and PAI compared with other group D strains. Our data indicate that the emergence of FQ-CEP-resistant E. coli is based primarily on FQ-resistant E. coli. Moreover, as strains of the D-O1-ST648 lineage have been found in clinical isolates derived from humans at a relatively high frequency, our findings indicate that the spreading of D-O1-ST648 strains may cause serious difficulties in both veterinary and human clinical fields in the future.


2019 ◽  
Vol 63 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Masaru Usui ◽  
Hayato Yokoo ◽  
Yutaka Tamura ◽  
Chie Nakajima ◽  
Yasuhiko Suzuki ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Formation of bacterial biofilms is a major health threat due to their high levels of tolerance to multiple antibiotics and the presence of persisters responsible for infection relapses. We previously showed that a combination of starvation and induction of SOS response in biofilm led to increased levels of persisters and biofilm tolerance to fluoroquinolones. In this study, we hypothesized that inhibition of the SOS response may be an effective strategy to target biofilms and fluoroquinolone persister cells. We tested the survival of Escherichia coli biofilms to different classes of antibiotics in starved and nonstarved conditions and in the presence of zinc acetate, a SOS response inhibitor. We showed that zinc acetate potentiates, albeit moderately, the activity of fluoroquinolones against E. coli persisters in starved biofilms. The efficacy of zinc acetate to increase fluoroquinolone activity, particularly that of tosufloxacin, suggests that such a combination may be a potential strategy for treating biofilm-related bacterial infections.


2015 ◽  
Vol 59 (9) ◽  
pp. 5331-5339 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah M. Drawz ◽  
Stephen Porter ◽  
Michael A. Kuskowski ◽  
Brian Johnston ◽  
Connie Clabots ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTEscherichia colisequence type 13 (ST131), an emergent cause of multidrug-resistant extraintestinal infections, has important phylogenetic subsets, notably theH30 andH30Rx subclones, with distinctive resistance profiles and, possibly, clinical associations. To clarify the local prevalence of these ST131 subclones and their associations with antimicrobial resistance, ecological source, and virulence traits, we extensively characterized 233 consecutiveE. coliclinical isolates (July and August 2013) from the University of Minnesota Medical Center-Fairview Infectious Diseases and Diagnostic Laboratory, Minneapolis, MN, which serves three adjacent facilities (a children's hospital and low- and high-acuity adult facilities). ST131 accounted for 26% of the study isolates (more than any other clonal group), was distributed similarly by facility, and was closely associated with ciprofloxacin resistance and extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) production. TheH30 andH30Rx subclones accounted for most ST131 isolates and for the association of ST131 with fluoroquinolone resistance and ESBL production. Unlike ST131per se, these subclones were distributed differentially by hospital, being most prevalent at the high-acuity adult facility and were absent from the children's hospital. The virulence gene profiles of ST131 and its subclones were distinctive and more extensive than those of other fluoroquinolone-resistant or ESBL-producing isolates. Within ST131,blaCTX-M-15was confined toH30Rx isolates and otherblaCTX-Mvariants to non-RxH30 isolates. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis documented a predominance of globally distributed pulsotypes and no local outbreak pattern. These findings help clarify the epidemiology, ecology, and bacterial correlates of theH30 andH30Rx ST131 subclones by documenting a high overall prevalence but significant segregation by facility, strong associations with fluoroquinolone resistance and specific ESBL variants, and distinctive virulence gene associations that may confer fitness advantages over other resistantE. coli.


2017 ◽  
Vol 56 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Aaron E. Lucas ◽  
Ryota Ito ◽  
Mustapha M. Mustapha ◽  
Christi L. McElheny ◽  
Roberta T. Mettus ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTFosfomycin maintains activity against mostEscherichia coliclinical isolates, but the growth ofE. colicolonies within the zone of inhibition around the fosfomycin disk is occasionally observed upon susceptibility testing. We aimed to estimate the frequency of such nonsusceptible inner colony mutants and identify the underlying resistance mechanisms. Disk diffusion testing of fosfomycin was performed on 649 multidrug-resistantE. coliclinical isolates collected between 2011 and 2015. For those producing inner colonies inside the susceptible range, the parental strains and their representative inner colony mutants were subjected to MIC testing, whole-genome sequencing, reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR), and carbohydrate utilization studies. Of the 649E. coliclinical isolates, 5 (0.8%) consistently produced nonsusceptible inner colonies. Whole-genome sequencing revealed the deletion ofuhpTencoding hexose-6-phosphate antiporter in 4 of theE. coliinner colony mutants, while the remaining mutant contained a nonsense mutation inuhpA. The expression ofuhpTwas absent in the mutant strains withuhpTdeletion and was not inducible in the strain with theuhpAmutation, unlike in its parental strain. All 5 inner colony mutants had reduced growth on minimal medium supplemented with glucose-6-phosphate. In conclusion, fosfomycin-nonsusceptible inner colony mutants can occur due to the loss of function or induction of UhpT but are rare among multidrug-resistantE. coliclinical strains. Considering that these mutants carry high biological costs, we suggest that fosfomycin susceptibility of strains that generate inner colony mutants can be interpreted on the basis of the zone of inhibition without accounting for the inner colonies.


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