scholarly journals Evolution of resistance mechanisms and biological characteristics of rifampicin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains selected in vitro

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chong Wang ◽  
Renchi Fang ◽  
Beibei Zhou ◽  
Xuebin Tian ◽  
Xiucai Zhang ◽  
...  

Abstract Background We aimed to determine the evolutionary pathways of rifampicin resistance in Staphylococcus aureus, and the impact of resistance mutations in the rpoB gene on fitness. Methods Three clinical strains and one reference strain were used to select for rifampicin-resistant S. aureus variants. The mutations responsible for rifampicin resistance in all of the selected isolates in vitro were investigated by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and DNA sequencing. To compare the fitness cost of rpoB mutations against their corresponding original isolates, we performed bacterial growth curve assays, static biofilm assays, in vitro competition experiments and an infection model of Galleria mellonella larvae. Results We obtained four rifampicin-resistant S. aureus isolates that showed high levels of resistance to rifampicin with a minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 128 mg/L, and all isolates had a mutation at position 481 (H481F/Y) in RpoB. A broth microdilution assay indicated that mutation of H481F/Y did not affect susceptibility to common antibacterial drugs but slightly increased the vancomycin MIC. To identify the pathways involved in the development of rifampicin resistance, 32 variants (eight mutants for each strain) and four original isolates were selected for gene sequencing. Different generations of isolates were found to harbor various mutations sites. Compared with the corresponding original isolates, an in vitro fitness assay of the variant isolates showed that growth and virulence were reduced, with a statistically significantly decreased fitness, whereas the capacity for biofilm formation was elevated. Conclusions Our findings suggested that the acquisition of rifampicin resistance in S. aureus was dynamic and was associated with a significant fitness cost.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Weiliang Zeng ◽  
Tao Chen ◽  
Qing Wu ◽  
Ye Xu ◽  
Kaihang Yu ◽  
...  

Abstract BackgroundDaptomycin has broad-spectrum antibacterial activity against Gram-positive pathogens, but recent studies have revealed cases where daptomycin has failed to treat multidrug-resistant bacteria, such as vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium. However, the resistance evolution of E. faecium to daptomycin in vitro and fitness cost remain unclear. In this study, we sought to analyze the resistance development and mechanism of E. faecium to datomycin, and futher to investigate the relationship between daptomycin resistance and fitness cost.MethodsTo investigate the development of daptomycin resistance in E. faecium, 6 daptomycin-susceptible (DAP-S) clinical isolates, including 3 vancomycin-resistant E. faecium (VRE) and 3 vancomycin-susceptible E. faecium (VSE), were exposured to daptomycin in vitro by serial passage experiment. Then the different resistance mechanisms of daptomycin-resistant (DAP-R) mutants were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), cytochrome C binding assay and transmission electron microscopy. Furthermore, we also estimated the changes of fitness cost among each highly DAP-R mutants by bacterial growth curve measurement, in vitro competition experiments, infection model of Galleria mellonella larvae and biofilm formation assays.ResultsIn vitro, a total of 21 DAP-R mutants with minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 4 to 512 μg/mL were obtained, and these mutants carried more than one mutation of LiaFSR and YycFG system encoding genes. More positive charges were detected among highly DAP-R mutants than parent isolates, and the cell walls of SC1174-D and SC1762-D mutants were remarkly thicker than those of the parent isolates. In comparison with parent isolates, besides, the growth, competition ability and virulence were significantly reduced, while the biofilm formation capacity was markedly elevated among each highly DAP-R mutants.ConclusionsOur findings suggest that E. faecium isolates are able to rapidly acquire DAP resistance in vitro through different dynamic resistance mechanisms, which often accompany by significant fitness cost. Intriguingly, DAP and glycopeptide antibiotics may present collateral-sensitivity during E. faecium acquired DAP resistance in vitro.


2018 ◽  
Vol 62 (9) ◽  
Author(s):  
Melanie Roch ◽  
Maria Celeste Varela ◽  
Agustina Taglialegna ◽  
Warren E. Rose ◽  
Adriana E. Rosato

ABSTRACT Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) acquisition in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients confers a clinical outcome worse than that in non-CF patients with an increased rate of declined lung function. Telavancin, an approved lipoglycopeptide used to treat infections due to S. aureus, has a dual mode of action causing inhibition of peptidoglycan synthesis and membrane depolarization. MRSA infections in CF patients remain an important problem with no foreseeable decline in prevalence rates. Although telavancin is currently in clinical use for the treatment of complicated skin infections and hospital-acquired pneumonia, the activity against S. aureus infections in CF patients has not been investigated. In this work, we studied the activity of telavancin against CF patient-derived S. aureus strains collected from geographically diverse CF centers in the United States. We found that the telavancin MIC90 was 0.06 μg/ml, 8-fold lower than the ceftaroline or daptomycin MIC90 and 25-fold lower than the linezolid and vancomycin MIC90. We demonstrate that telavancin at serum free concentrations has rapid bactericidal activity, with a decrease of more than 3 log10 CFU/ml being achieved during the first 4 to 6 h of treatment, performing better in this assay than vancomycin and ceftaroline, including against S. aureus strains resistant to ceftaroline. Telavancin resistance was infrequent (0.3%), although we found that it can occur in vitro in both CF- and non-CF patient-derived S. aureus strains by progressive passages with subinhibitory concentrations. Genetic analysis of telavancin-resistant in vitro mutants showed gene polymorphisms in cell wall and virulence genes and increased survival in a Galleria mellonella infection model. Thus, we conclude that telavancin represents a promising therapeutic option for infections in CF patients with potent in vitro activity and a low resistance development potential.


2018 ◽  
Vol 73 (6) ◽  
pp. 1604-1610 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sue C Nang ◽  
Faye C Morris ◽  
Michael J McDonald ◽  
Mei-Ling Han ◽  
Jiping Wang ◽  
...  

Abstract Objectives The discovery of mobile colistin resistance mcr-1, a plasmid-borne polymyxin resistance gene, highlights the potential for widespread resistance to the last-line polymyxins. In the present study, we investigated the impact of mcr-1 acquisition on polymyxin resistance and biological fitness in Klebsiella pneumoniae. Methods K. pneumoniae B5055 was used as the parental strain for the construction of strains carrying vector only (pBBR1MCS-5) and mcr-1 recombinant plasmids (pmcr-1). Plasmid stability was determined by serial passaging for 10 consecutive days in antibiotic-free LB broth, followed by patching on gentamicin-containing and antibiotic-free LB agar plates. Lipid A was analysed using LC–MS. The biological fitness was examined using an in vitro competition assay analysed with flow cytometry. The in vivo fitness cost of mcr-1 was evaluated in a neutropenic mouse thigh infection model. Results Increased polymyxin resistance was observed following acquisition of mcr-1 in K. pneumoniae B5055. The modification of lipid A with phosphoethanolamine following mcr-1 addition was demonstrated by lipid A profiling. The plasmid stability assay revealed the instability of the plasmid after acquiring mcr-1. Reduced in vitro biological fitness and in vivo growth were observed with the mcr-1-carrying K. pneumoniae strain. Conclusions Although mcr-1 confers a moderate level of polymyxin resistance, it is associated with a significant biological fitness cost in K. pneumoniae. This indicates that mcr-1-mediated resistance in K. pneumoniae could be attenuated by limiting the usage of polymyxins.


2004 ◽  
Vol 78 (14) ◽  
pp. 7545-7552 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Gerardo García-Lerma ◽  
Hamish MacInnes ◽  
Diane Bennett ◽  
Hillard Weinstock ◽  
Walid Heneine

ABSTRACT Drug-naive patients infected with drug-resistant human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) who initiate antiretroviral therapy show a shorter time to virologic failure than patients infected with wild-type (WT) viruses. Resistance-related HIV genotypes not commonly seen in treated patients, which likely result from reversion or loss of primary resistance mutations, have also been recognized in drug-naive persons. Little work has been done to characterize the patterns of mutations in these viruses and the frequency of occurrence, their association with phenotypic resistance, and their effect on fitness and evolution of resistance. Through the analysis of resistance mutations in 1082 newly diagnosed antiretroviral-naive persons from the United States, we found that 35 of 48 (72.9%) persons infected with HIV-1 containing thymidine analog mutations (TAMs) had viruses that lacked a primary mutation (T215Y/F, K70R, or Q151M). Of these viruses, 9 (25.7%) had only secondary TAMs (D67N, K219Q, M41L, or F77L), and all were found to be sensitive to zidovudine (AZT) and other drugs. To assess the impact of secondary TAMs on the evolution of AZT resistance, we generated recombinant viruses from cloned plasma-derived reverse transcriptase sequences. Two viruses had D67N, three had D67N and K219Q/E, and three were WT. Four site-directed mutants with D67N, K219Q, K219E, and D67N/K219Q were also made in HIV-1HXB2. In vitro selection of AZT resistance showed that viruses with D67N and/or K219Q/E acquired AZT resistance mutations more rapidly than WT viruses (36 days compared to 54 days; P = 0.003). To investigate the factors associated with the rapid selection of AZT mutations in these viruses, we evaluated fitness differences among HXB2WT and HXB2D67N or HXB2D67N/K219Q in the presence of AZT. Both HXB2D67N/K219Q and HXB2D67N were more fit than HXB2WT in the presence of either low or high AZT concentrations, likely reflecting low-level resistance to AZT that is not detectable by phenotypic testing. In the absence of AZT, the fitness cost conferred by D67N or K219Q was modest. Our results demonstrate that viruses with unique patterns of TAMs, including D67N and/or K219Q/E, are commonly found among newly diagnosed persons and illustrate the expanding diversity of revertant viruses in this population. The modest fitness cost conferred by D67N and K219Q supports persistence of these mutants in the untreated population and highlights the potential for secondary transmission. The faster evolution of these mutants toward AZT resistance is consistent with the higher viral fitness in the presence of AZT and shows that these viruses are phenotypically different from WT HIV-1. Our study emphasizes the need for clinical studies to better define the impact of these mutants on treatment responses and evolution of resistance.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara Amorim-Vaz ◽  
Alix T. Coste ◽  
Van Du T. Tran ◽  
Marco Pagni ◽  
Dominique Sanglard

Candida albicans is a commensal of human mucosae, but also one of the most common fungal pathogens of humans. Systemic infections caused by this fungus, mostly affecting immunocompromised patients, are associated to fatality rates as high as 50% despite the available treatments. In order to improve this situation, it is necessary to fully understand how C. albicans is able to cause disease and how it copes with the host defenses. Our previous studies have revealed the importance of the C. albicans gene MBF1 in virulence and ability to colonize internal organs of mammalian and insect hosts. MBF1 encodes a putative transcriptional regulator, and as such it likely has an impact in the regulation of C. albicans gene expression during host infection. Here, recent advances in RNA-seq technologies were used to obtain a detailed analysis of the impact of MBF1 on C. albicans gene expression both in vitro and during infection. MBF1 was involved in the regulation of several genes with a role in glycolysis and response to stress, particularly to nutritional stress. We also investigated whether an interaction existed between MBF1 and GCN4, a master regulator of response to starvation, and found that both genes were needed for resistance to amino acid starvation, suggesting some level of interaction between the two. Reinforcing this idea, we showed that the proteins encoded by both genes could interact. Consistent with the role of MBF1 in virulence, we also established that GCN4 was necessary for virulence in the mouse model of systemic infection as well as in the Galleria mellonella infection model.


2016 ◽  
Vol 84 (6) ◽  
pp. 1917-1929 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carolyn B. Ibberson ◽  
Corey P. Parlet ◽  
Jakub Kwiecinski ◽  
Heidi A. Crosby ◽  
David K. Meyerholz ◽  
...  

Staphylococcus aureusis a leading cause of chronic biofilm infections. Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a large glycosaminoglycan abundant in mammalian tissues that has been shown to enhance biofilm formation in multiple Gram-positive pathogens. We observed that HA accumulated in anS. aureusbiofilm infection using a murine implant-associated infection model and that HA levels increased in a mutant strain lacking hyaluronidase (HysA).S. aureussecretes HysA in order to cleave HA during infection. Throughin vitrobiofilm studies with HA, thehysAmutant was found to accumulate increased biofilm biomass compared to the wild type, and confocal microscopy showed that HA is incorporated into the biofilm matrix. Exogenous addition of purified HysA enzyme dispersed HA-containing biofilms, while catalytically inactive enzyme had no impact. Additionally, induction ofhysAexpression prevented biofilm formation and also dispersed an established biofilm in the presence of HA. These observations were corroborated in the implant model, where there was decreased dissemination from anhysAmutant biofilm infection compared to theS. aureuswild type. Histopathology demonstrated that infection with anhysAmutant caused significantly reduced distribution of tissue inflammation compared to wild-type infection. To extend these studies, the impact of HA andS. aureusHysA on biofilm-like aggregates found in joint infections was examined. We found that HA contributes to the formation of synovial fluid aggregates, and HysA can disrupt aggregate formation. Taken together, these studies demonstrate that HA is a relevant component of theS. aureusbiofilm matrix and HysA is important for dissemination from a biofilm infection.


2004 ◽  
Vol 48 (12) ◽  
pp. 4733-4744 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey J. Campion ◽  
Patrick J. McNamara ◽  
Martin E. Evans

ABSTRACT The development of novel antibacterial agents is decreasing despite increasing resistance to presently available agents among common pathogens. Insights into relationships between pharmacodynamics and resistance may provide ways to optimize the use of existing agents. The evolution of resistance was examined in two ciprofloxacin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus strains exposed to in vitro-simulated clinical and experimental ciprofloxacin pharmacokinetic profiles for 96 h. As the average steady-state concentration (C avg ss) increased, the rate of killing approached a maximum, and the rate of regrowth decreased. The enrichment of subpopulations with mutations in grlA and low-level ciprofloxacin resistance also varied depending on the pharmacokinetic environment. A regimen producing values for C avg ss slightly above the MIC selected resistant variants with grlA mutations that did not evolve to higher levels of resistance. Clinical regimens which provided values for C avg ss intermediate to the MIC and mutant prevention concentration (MPC) resulted in the emergence of subpopulations with gyrA mutations and higher levels of resistance. A regimen producing values for C avg ss close to the MPC selected grlA mutants, but the appearance of subpopulations with higher levels of resistance was diminished. A regimen designed to maintain ciprofloxacin concentrations entirely above the MPC appeared to eradicate low-level resistant variants in the inoculum and prevent the emergence of higher levels of resistance. There was no relationship between the time that ciprofloxacin concentrations remained between the MIC and the MPC and the degree of resistance or the presence or type of ciprofloxacin-resistance mutations that appeared in grlA or gyrA. Regimens designed to eradicate low-level resistant variants in S. aureus populations may prevent the emergence of higher levels of fluoroquinolone resistance.


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Isana Maria de Souza Feitosa Lima ◽  
Adrielle Zagmignan ◽  
Deivid Martins Santos ◽  
Hermerson Sousa Maia ◽  
Lucas dos Santos Silva ◽  
...  

AbstractStaphylococcus aureus is recognized as an important pathogen causing a wide spectrum of diseases. Here we examined the antimicrobial effects of the lectin isolated from leaves of Schinus terebinthifolia Raddi (SteLL) against S. aureus using in vitro assays and an infection model based on Galleria mellonella larvae. The actions of SteLL on mice macrophages and S. aureus-infected macrophages were also evaluated. SteLL at 16 µg/mL (8 × MIC) increased cell mass and DNA content of S. aureus in relation to untreated bacteria, suggesting that SteLL impairs cell division. Unlike ciprofloxacin, SteLL did not induce the expression of recA, crucial for DNA repair through SOS response. The antimicrobial action of SteLL was partially inhibited by 50 mM N-acetylglucosamine. SteLL reduced staphyloxathin production and increased ciprofloxacin activity towards S. aureus. This lectin also improved the survival of G. mellonella larvae infected with S. aureus. Furthermore, SteLL induced the release of cytokines (IL-6, IL-10, IL-17A, and TNF-α), nitric oxide and superoxide anion by macrophagens. The lectin improved the bactericidal action of macrophages towards S. aureus; while the expression of IL-17A and IFN-γ was downregulated in infected macrophages. These evidences suggest SteLL as important lead molecule in the development of anti-infective agents against S. aureus.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrej Trauner ◽  
Amir Banaei-Esfahani ◽  
Sebastian M. Gygli ◽  
Philipp Warmer ◽  
Julia Feldmann ◽  
...  

SummaryAntimicrobial resistance poses a threat to global health and the economy. It is widely accepted that, in the absence of antibiotics, drug resistance mutations carry a fitness cost. In the case of rifampicin resistance in fast-growing bacteria, this cost stems from a reduced transcription rate of the RNA polymerase resulting in slower ribosome biosynthesis. However, this relationship does not apply in the slow-growingMycobacterium tuberculosis, where the true mechanism of fitness cost of rifampicin resistance as well as the impact of compensatory evolution remain unknown. Here we show, using global transcriptomic and proteomic profiling of selectedM. tuberculosismutants and clinical strains, that the fitness cost of rifampicin resistance inM. tuberculosisis the result of the physiological burden caused by aberrant gene expression. We further show that the perceived burden can be increased, effectively suppressing the emergence of drug resistance.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Diana P. Pires ◽  
Rodrigo Monteiro ◽  
Dalila Mil-Homens ◽  
Arsénio Fialho ◽  
Timothy K. Lu ◽  
...  

AbstractIn the era where antibiotic resistance is considered one of the major worldwide concerns, bacteriophages have emerged as a promising therapeutic approach to deal with this problem. Genetically engineered bacteriophages can enable enhanced anti-bacterial functionalities, but require cloning additional genes into the phage genomes, which might be challenging due to the DNA encapsulation capacity of a phage. To tackle this issue, we designed and assembled for the first time synthetic phages with smaller genomes by knocking out up to 48% of the genes encoding hypothetical proteins from the genome of the newly isolated Pseudomonas aeruginosa phage vB_PaeP_PE3. The antibacterial efficacy of the wild-type and the synthetic phages was assessed in vitro as well as in vivo using a Galleria mellonella infection model. Overall, both in vitro and in vivo studies revealed that the knock-outs made in phage genome do not impair the antibacterial properties of the synthetic phages, indicating that this could be a good strategy to clear space from phage genomes in order to enable the introduction of other genes of interest that can potentiate the future treatment of P. aeruginosa infections.


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