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

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.

2017 ◽  
Vol 83 (15) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Aminul Islam ◽  
Moydul Islam ◽  
Rashedul Hasan ◽  
M. Iqbal Hossain ◽  
Ashikun Nabi ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Resistance to carbapenem antibiotics through the production of New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase-1 (NDM-1) constitutes an emerging challenge in the treatment of bacterial infections. To monitor the possible source of the spread of these organisms in Dhaka, Bangladesh, we conducted a comparative analysis of wastewater samples from hospital-adjacent areas (HAR) and from community areas (COM), as well as public tap water samples, for the occurrence and characteristics of NDM-1-producing bacteria. Of 72 HAR samples tested, 51 (71%) samples were positive for NDM-1-producing bacteria, as evidenced by phenotypic tests and the presence of the bla NDM-1 gene, compared to 5 of 41 (12.1%) samples from COM samples (P < 0.001). All tap water samples were negative for NDM-1-producing bacteria. Klebsiella pneumoniae (44%) was the predominant bacterial species among bla NDM-1-positive isolates, followed by Escherichia coli (29%), Acinetobacter spp. (15%), and Enterobacter spp. (9%). These bacteria were also positive for one or more other antibiotic resistance genes, including bla CTX-M-1 (80%), bla CTX-M-15 (63%), bla TEM (76%), bla SHV (33%), bla CMY-2 (16%), bla OXA-48-like (2%), bla OXA-1 (53%), and bla OXA-47-like (60%) genes. Around 40% of the isolates contained a qnr gene, while 50% had 16S rRNA methylase genes. The majority of isolates hosted multiple plasmids, and plasmids of 30 to 50 MDa carrying bla NDM-1 were self-transmissible. Our results highlight a number of issues related to the characteristics and source of spread of multidrug-resistant bacteria as a potential public health threat. In view of the existing practice of discharging untreated liquid waste into the environment, hospitals in Dhaka city contribute to the potential dissemination of NDM-1-producing bacteria into the community. IMPORTANCE Infections caused by carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae are extremely difficult to manage due to their marked resistance to a wide range of antibiotics. NDM-1 is the most recently described carbapenemase, and the bla NDM-1 gene, which encodes NDM-1, is located on self-transmissible plasmids that also carry a considerable number of other antibiotic resistance genes. The present study shows a high prevalence of NDM-1-producing organisms in the wastewater samples from hospital-adjacent areas as a potential source for the spread of these organisms to community areas in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The study also examines the characteristics of the isolates and their potential to horizontally transmit the resistance determinants. The significance of our research is in identifying the mode of spread of multiple-antibiotic-resistant organisms, which will allow the development of containment measures, leading to broader impacts in reducing their spread to the community.


2013 ◽  
Vol 57 (4) ◽  
pp. 1850-1856 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. C. Cook ◽  
G. M. Dunny

ABSTRACTBiofilm growth causes increased average plasmid copy number as well as increased copy number heterogeneity inEnterococcus faecaliscells carrying plasmid pCF10. In this study, we examined whether biofilm growth affected the copy number and expression of antibiotic resistance determinants for several plasmids with diverse replication systems. Four differentE. faecalisplasmids, unrelated to pCF10, demonstrated increased copy number in biofilm cells. In biofilm cells, we also observed increased transcription of antibiotic resistance genes present on these plasmids. The increase in plasmid copy number correlated with increased plating efficiency on high concentrations of antibiotics. Single-cell analysis of strains carrying two different plasmids suggested that the increase in plasmid copy number associated with biofilm growth was restricted to a subpopulation of biofilm cells. Regrowth of harvested biofilm cells in liquid culture resulted in a rapid reduction of plasmid copy number to that observed in the planktonic state. These results suggest a possible mechanism by which biofilm growth could reduce susceptibility to antibiotics in clinical settings.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marinelle Rodrigues ◽  
Sara W. McBride ◽  
Karthik Hullahalli ◽  
Kelli L. Palmer ◽  
Breck A. Duerkop

AbstractThe innovation of new therapies to combat multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria is being outpaced by the continued rise of MDR bacterial infections. Of particular concern are hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) recalcitrant to antibiotic therapies. The Gram-positive intestinal pathobiontEnterococcus faecalisis associated with HAIs and some strains are MDR. Therefore, novel strategies to controlE. faecalispopulations are needed. We previously characterized anE. faecalisType II CRISPR-Cas system and demonstrated its utility in the sequence-specific removal of antibiotic resistance determinants. Here we present work describing the adaption of this CRISPR-Cas system into a constitutively expressed module encoded on a pheromone-responsive conjugative plasmid that efficiently transfers toE. faecalisfor the selective removal of antibiotic resistance genes. Usingin vitrocompetition assays, we show that these CRISPR-Cas-encoding delivery plasmids, or CRISPR-Cas antimicrobials, can reduce the occurrence of antibiotic resistance in enterococcal populations in a sequence-specific manner. Furthermore, we demonstrate that deployment of CRISPR-Cas antimicrobials in the murine intestine reduces the occurrence of antibiotic-resistantE. faecalisby several orders of magnitude. Finally, we show thatE. faecalisdonor strains harboring CRISPR-Cas antimicrobials are immune to uptake of antibiotic resistance determinantsin vivo. Our results demonstrate that conjugative delivery of CRISPR-Cas antimicrobials may be adaptable for future deployment from probiotic bacteria for exact targeting of defined MDR bacteria or for precision engineering of polymicrobial communities in the mammalian intestine.ImportanceCRISPR-Cas nucleic acid targeting systems hold promise for the amelioration of multidrug-resistant enterococci, yet the utility of such tools in the context of the intestinal environment where enterococci reside is understudied. We describe the development of a CRISPR-Cas antimicrobial, deployed on a conjugative plasmid, for the targeted removal of antibiotic resistance genes from intestinalEnterococcus faecalis. We demonstrate that CRISPR-Cas targeting reduces antibiotic resistance ofE. faecalisby several orders of magnitude in the intestine. Although barriers exist that influence the penetrance of the conjugative CRISPR-Cas antimicrobial among target recipientE. faecaliscells, the removal of antibiotic resistance genes inE. faecalisupon uptake of the CRISPR-Cas antimicrobial is absolute. In addition, cells that obtain the CRISPR-Cas antimicrobial are immunized against the acquisition of new antibiotic resistance genes. This study suggests a potential path toward plasmid based CRISPR-Cas therapies in the intestine.


2011 ◽  
Vol 55 (10) ◽  
pp. 4506-4512 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hua Zhou ◽  
Tongwu Zhang ◽  
Dongliang Yu ◽  
Borui Pi ◽  
Qing Yang ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTWe previously reported that the multidrug-resistant (MDR)Acinetobacter baumanniistrain MDR-ZJ06, belonging to European clone II, was widely spread in China. In this study, we report the whole-genome sequence of this clinically important strain. A 38.6-kb AbaR-type genomic resistance island (AbaR22) was identified in MDR-ZJ06. AbaR22 has a structure similar to those of the resistance islands found inA. baumanniistrains AYE and AB0057, but it contained only a few antibiotic resistance genes. The region of resistant gene accumulation as previously described was not found in AbaR22. In the chromosome of the strain MDR-ZJ06, we identified the geneblaoxa-23in a composite transposon (Tn2009). Tn2009shared the backbone with otherA. baumanniitransponsons that harborblaoxa-23, but it was bracketed by two ISAba1elements which were transcribed in the same orientation. MDR-ZJ06 also expressed thearmAgene on its plasmid pZJ06, and this gene has the same genetic environment as thearmAgene of theEnterobacteriaceae. These results suggest variability of resistance acquisition even in closely relatedA. baumanniistrains.


mSphere ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristian Ruiz ◽  
Ashley McCarley ◽  
Manuel Luis Espejo ◽  
Kerry K. Cooper ◽  
Dana E. Harmon

ABSTRACT The Gram-negative bacterium Cupriavidus gilardii is an emerging multidrug-resistant pathogen found in many environments. However, little is known about this species or its antibiotic resistance mechanisms. We used biochemical tests, antibiotic susceptibility experiments, and whole-genome sequencing to characterize an environmental C. gilardii isolate. Like clinical isolates, this isolate was resistant to meropenem, gentamicin, and other antibiotics. Resistance to these antibiotics appeared to be related to the large number of intrinsic antibiotic resistance genes found in this isolate. As determined by comparative genomics, this resistome was also well conserved in the only two other C. gilardii strains sequenced to date. The intrinsic resistome of C. gilardii did not include the colistin resistance gene mcr-5, which was in a transposon present only in one strain. The intrinsic resistome of C. gilardii was comprised of (i) many multidrug efflux pumps, such as a homolog of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa MexAB-OprM pump that may be involved in resistance to meropenem, other β-lactams, and aminoglycosides; (ii) a novel β-lactamase (OXA-837) that decreases susceptibility to ampicillin but not to other β-lactams tested; (iii) a new aminoglycoside 3-N-acetyltransferase [AAC(3)-IVb, AacC10] that decreases susceptibility to gentamicin and tobramycin; and (iv) a novel partially conserved aminoglycoside 3ʺ-adenylyltransferase [ANT(3ʺ)-Ib, AadA32] that decreases susceptibility to spectinomycin and streptomycin. These findings provide the first mechanistic insight into the intrinsic resistance of C. gilardii to multiple antibiotics and its ability to become resistant to an increasing number of drugs during therapy. IMPORTANCE Cupriavidus gilardii is a bacterium that is gaining increasing attention both as an infectious agent and because of its potential use in the detoxification of toxic compounds and other biotechnological applications. In recent years, however, there has been an increasing number of reported infections, some of them fatal, caused by C. gilardii. These infections are hard to treat because this bacterium is naturally resistant to many antibiotics, including last-resort antibiotics, such as carbapenems. Moreover, this bacterium often becomes resistant to additional antibiotics during therapy. However, little is known about C. gilardii and its antibiotic resistance mechanisms. The significance of our research is in providing, for the first time, whole-genome information about the natural antibiotic resistance genes found in this bacterium and their conservation among different C. gilardii strains. This information may provide new insights into the appropriate use of antibiotics in combating infections caused by this emerging pathogen.


mSphere ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Valerie J. Price ◽  
Sara W. McBride ◽  
Karthik Hullahalli ◽  
Anushila Chatterjee ◽  
Breck A. Duerkop ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT CRISPR-Cas systems are barriers to horizontal gene transfer (HGT) in bacteria. Little is known about CRISPR-Cas interactions with conjugative plasmids, and studies investigating CRISPR-Cas/plasmid interactions in in vivo models relevant to infectious disease are lacking. These are significant gaps in knowledge because conjugative plasmids disseminate antibiotic resistance genes among pathogens in vivo, and it is essential to identify strategies to reduce the spread of these elements. We use enterococci as models to understand the interactions of CRISPR-Cas with conjugative plasmids. Enterococcus faecalis is a native colonizer of the mammalian intestine and harbors pheromone-responsive plasmids (PRPs). PRPs mediate inter- and intraspecies transfer of antibiotic resistance genes. We assessed E. faecalis CRISPR-Cas anti-PRP activity in the mouse intestine and under different in vitro conditions. We observed striking differences in CRISPR-Cas efficiency in vitro versus in vivo. With few exceptions, CRISPR-Cas blocked intestinal PRP dissemination, while in vitro, the PRP frequently escaped CRISPR-Cas defense. Our results further the understanding of CRISPR-Cas biology by demonstrating that standard in vitro experiments do not adequately model the in vivo antiplasmid activity of CRISPR-Cas. Additionally, our work identifies several variables that impact the apparent in vitro antiplasmid activity of CRISPR-Cas, including planktonic versus biofilm settings, different donor-to-recipient ratios, production of a plasmid-encoded bacteriocin, and the time point at which matings are sampled. Our results are clinically significant because they demonstrate that barriers to HGT encoded by normal (healthy) human microbiota can have significant impacts on in vivo antibiotic resistance dissemination. IMPORTANCE CRISPR-Cas is a type of immune system in bacteria that is hypothesized to be a natural impediment to the spread of antibiotic resistance genes. In this study, we directly assessed the impact of CRISPR-Cas on antibiotic resistance dissemination in the mammalian intestine and under different in vitro conditions. We observed a robust effect of CRISPR-Cas on in vivo but not in vitro dissemination of antibiotic resistance plasmids in the native mammalian intestinal colonizer Enterococcus faecalis. We conclude that standard in vitro experiments currently do not appropriately model the in vivo conditions where antibiotic resistance dissemination occurs between E. faecalis strains in the intestine. Moreover, our results demonstrate that CRISPR-Cas present in native members of the mammalian intestinal microbiota can block the spread of antibiotic resistance plasmids.


2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (34) ◽  
Author(s):  
Catrina Olivera ◽  
Jasna Rakonjac

ABSTRACT We report the complete genome of a multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli strain isolated from a New Zealand patient with a history of hospitalization in India. The strain, carrying eight plasmids, harbors chromosome-encoded nfsA and nfsB mutations, which cause nitrofuran resistance, and class C β-lactamase (blaEC) and plasmid-encoded blaNDM-1, blaCTX-M-15, and blaCMY-6, as well as other antibiotic resistance genes.


2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (11) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sridevi Devadas ◽  
Subha Bhassu ◽  
Tze Chiew Christie Soo ◽  
Fatimah M. Yusoff ◽  
Mohamed Shariff

We sequenced the genome of Vibrio parahaemolyticus strain ST17.P5-S1, isolated from Penaeus vannamei cultured in the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia. The strain contains several antibiotic resistance genes and a plasmid encoding the Photorhabdus insect-related (Pir) toxin-like genes, pirAvp and pirBvp, associated with acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease (AHPND).


2013 ◽  
Vol 80 (4) ◽  
pp. 1482-1488 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jing Yang ◽  
Chao Wang ◽  
Jinyu Wu ◽  
Li Liu ◽  
Gang Zhang ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTThe genusExiguobacteriumcan adapt readily to, and survive in, diverse environments. Our study demonstrated thatExiguobacteriumsp. strain S3-2, isolated from marine sediment, is resistant to five antibiotics. The plasmid pMC1 in this strain carries seven putative resistance genes. We functionally characterized these resistance genes inEscherichia coli, and genes encoding dihydrofolate reductase and macrolide phosphotransferase were considered novel resistance genes based on their low similarities to known resistance genes. The plasmid G+C content distribution was highly heterogeneous. Only the G+C content of one block, which shared significant similarity with a plasmid fromExiguobacterium arabatum, fit well with the mean G+C content of the host. The remainder of the plasmid was composed of mobile elements with a markedly lower G+C ratio than the host. Interestingly, five mobile elements located on pMC1 showed significant similarities to sequences found in pathogens. Our data provided an example of the link between resistance genes in strains from the environment and the clinic and revealed the aggregation of antibiotic resistance genes in bacteria isolated from fish farms.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cui Li ◽  
Yulong Wang ◽  
Yufeng Gao ◽  
Chao Li ◽  
Boheng Ma ◽  
...  

Although knowledge of the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)-Cas system has been applied in many research areas, comprehensive studies of this system in Salmonella, particularly in analysis of antibiotic resistance, have not been reported. In this work, 75 Salmonella isolates obtained from broilers or broilers products were characterized to determine their antimicrobial susceptibilities, antibiotic resistance gene profiles, and CRISPR array diversities, and genotyping was explored. In total, 80.00% (60/75) of the strains were multidrug resistant, and the main pattern observed in the isolates was CN-AZM-AMP-AMC-CAZ-CIP-ATM-TE-SXT-FOS-C. The resistance genes of streptomycin (aadA), phenicol (floR-like and catB3-like), β-lactams (blaTEM, blaOXA, and blaCTX), tetracycline [tet(A)-like], and sulfonamides (sul1 and sul2) appeared at higher frequencies among the corresponding resistant isolates. Subsequently, we analyzed the CRISPR arrays and found 517 unique spacer sequences and 31 unique direct repeat sequences. Based on the CRISPR spacer sequences, we developed a novel typing method, CRISPR locus three spacer sequences typing (CLTSST), to help identify sources of Salmonella outbreaks especially correlated with epidemiological data. Compared with multi-locus sequence typing (MLST), conventional CRISPR typing (CCT), and CRISPR locus spacer pair typing (CLSPT), discrimination using CLTSST was weaker than that using CCT but stronger than that using MLST and CLSPT. In addition, we also found that there were no close correlations between CRISPR loci and antibiotics but had close correlations between CRISPR loci and antibiotic resistance genes in Salmonella isolates.


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