Characterizing and Overcoming Resistance to Aminomethylspectinomycins in Gram-negative Bacteria

Author(s):  
◽  
Nisha Das ◽  

Spectinomycin (SPC) is a broad-spectrum aminocyclitol antibiotic. Its use in agriculture has led to widespread resistance in enteric bacteria, necessitating the development of more effective analogs. Aminomethyl spectinomycins (amSPC) are modified spectinomycins with increased potency against many bacterial species. These species include Legionella pneumophila, which harbors a chromosomally encoded aminoglycoside modifying enzyme (AME). In this study, we follow up on this observation and examine the extent to which the amSPCs are substrates for AMEs through adenylation (ANTs) and phosphorylation (APH). APH(9)-Ia and ANT(3")(9) were expressed in E. coli BL21(DE3) and purified using the Ni-affinity chromatography. The ability of AMEs to modify and inactivate amSPCs has been examined by two unique biochemical assays, including an agar-based enzyme assay. Binding of APH (9)-Ia and ANT (3")(9) to spectinomycin and amSPCs has been studied using Thermal Denaturation assay and MicroScale Thermophoresis (MST). The microbiological role of these enzymes has been examined by minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) shifts using an arabinose inducible expression of APH (9)-Ia and ANT (3")(9) in E.coli K12 and JW ΔtolC strains. Our agar-based enzyme assay shows the inactivation of spectinomycin by APH(9)-Ia. Phosphorylated spectinomycin and adenylated spectinomycin products upon incubation with APH(9)-Ia and ANT(3",9), respectively, have been identified using MALDI-MS. APH(9)-Ia induction studies in E. coli tolC knock-out strains reveal a MIC increase against spectinomycin in the presence of 2% arabinose compared to no shift with amSPCs. ANT (3")(9) showed an increase in MIC against spectinomycin as well as amSPCs. In conclusion, amSPCs are not inactivated by APH (9)-Ia in vivo but are inactivated by ANT (3")(9). Most Gram-negative bacteria isolated in clinics possess one or more AMEs. By overcoming modification by AMEs, amSPCs can be a valuable tool in overcoming resistance in Gram-negative bacterial infections. We also conducted a high throughput screen of a polar small molecule library against two multi-drug resistant clinical isolates of Escherichia coli that encode aminoglycoside modifying enzyme for small molecule potentiators of amSPCs to yield 12 possible potentiating molecules that have been confirmed by dose-response analysis. Future work as a continuation of this project will involve further analysis of any existing synergy between the potentiating molecules and amSPCs and target validation of these potentiators.

2006 ◽  
Vol 73 (1) ◽  
pp. 156-163 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashish A. Sawant ◽  
Narasimha V. Hegde ◽  
Beth A. Straley ◽  
Sarah C. Donaldson ◽  
Brenda C. Love ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT A study was conducted to understand the descriptive and molecular epidemiology of antimicrobial-resistant gram-negative enteric bacteria in the feces of healthy lactating dairy cattle. Gram-negative enteric bacteria resistant to ampicillin, florfenicol, spectinomycin, and tetracycline were isolated from the feces of 35, 8, 5, and 42% of 213 lactating cattle on 74, 39, 9, 26, and 82% of 23 farms surveyed, respectively. Antimicrobial-resistant gram-negative bacteria accounted for 5 (florfenicol) to 14% (tetracycline) of total gram-negative enteric microflora. Nine bacterial species were isolated, of which Escherichia coli (87%) was the most predominant species. MICs showing reduced susceptibility to ampicillin, ceftiofur, chloramphenicol, florfenicol, spectinomycin, streptomycin, and tetracycline were observed in E. coli isolates. Isolates exhibited resistance to ampicillin (48%), ceftiofur (11%), chloramphenicol (20%), florfenicol (78%), spectinomycin (18%), and tetracycline (93%). Multidrug resistance (≥3 to 6 antimicrobials) was seen in 40% of E. coli isolates from healthy lactating cattle. Of 113 tetracycline-resistant E. coli isolates, tet(B) was the predominant resistance determinant and was detected in 93% of isolates, while the remaining 7% isolates carried the tet(A) determinant. DNA-DNA hybridization assays revealed that tet determinants were located on the chromosome. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis revealed that tetracycline-resistant E. coli isolates (n = 99 isolates) belonged to 60 subtypes, which is suggestive of a highly diverse population of tetracycline-resistant organisms. On most occasions, E. coli subtypes, although shared between cows within the herd, were confined mostly to a dairy herd. The findings of this study suggest that commensal enteric E. coli from healthy lactating cattle can be an important reservoir for tetracycline and perhaps other antimicrobial resistance determinants.


1996 ◽  
Vol 40 (8) ◽  
pp. 1801-1805 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Vaara ◽  
M Porro

A synthetic peptide, KFFKFFKFFK [corrected], consisting of cationic lysine residues and hydrophobic phenylalanine residues was found to sensitize gram-negative bacteria to hydrophobic and amphipathic antibiotics. At a concentration of 3 micrograms/ml, it decreased the MIC of rifampin for smooth, encapsulated Escherichia coli by a factor of 300. Other susceptible bacterial species included Enterobacter cloacae, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Salmonella typhimurium, but Pseudomonas aeruginosa was resistant. Similar results were obtained with another synthetic peptide, IKFLKFLKFLK [corrected]. The fractional inhibitory concentration indices for the synergism of these peptides with rifampin, erythromycin, fusidic acid, and novobiocin were very close to those determined for the previously characterized potent outer-membrane-disorganizing agents polymyxin B nonapeptide and deacylpolymyxin B. KFFKFFKFFK [corrected] had direct activity against the gram-positive organism Micrococcus strain ML36, was strongly hemolytic, and was as active on polymyxin-resistant E. coli mutants as on their parent. These three attributes made KFFKFFKFFK [corrected] different from polymyxin derivatives and similar to cationic detergents, such as cetylpyridinium chloride. However, whereas the MIC of cetylpyridinium chloride for E. coli is low (0.5 to 4 micrograms/ml), that of KFFKFFKFFK [corrected] is much higher (30 to 100 micrograms/ml). Other groups of synthetic peptides studied included polymyxin-like peptides with an intrachain disulfide bridge. Their synergism with antibiotics was less marked. Still other peptides, including KEKEKEKEKE and KKKKKKFLFL, lacked any synergism with the probe antibiotics.


2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Flora T. Mambe ◽  
Jean Na-Iya ◽  
Ghislain W. Fotso ◽  
Fred Ashu ◽  
Bathélémy Ngameni ◽  
...  

The present study aimed to assess the in vitro antibacterial and antibiotic modifying activities of methanol extracts prepared from the leaf (APL) and bark (APB) of Acacia polyacantha, fractions (APLa-d) and compounds isolated from APL against a panel of multidrug resistant (MDR) Gram-negative bacteria. Leaf extract was subjected to column chromatography for compounds isolation; antibacterial assays were performed on samples alone and with an efflux pump inhibitor (EPI), respectively, and several antibiotics on the tested bacteria. The phytochemical investigation of APL led to the isolation of stigmasterol (1), β-amyrin (2), 3-O-β-D-glucopyranosylstigmasterol (3), 3-O-methyl-D-chiro-inositol (4), epicatechin (5), quercetin-3-O-glucoside (6), 3-O-[β-D-xylopyranosyl-(1→4)-β-D-galactopyranosyl]-oleanolic acid (7), and 3-O-[β-galactopyranosyl-(1→4)-β-D-galactopyranosyl]-oleanolic acid (8). APL and APB had minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) values ≤ 1024 μg/mL on 73.3% and 46.7% of the tested bacteria, respectively. APLb and APLd were effective against 88.9% of tested bacterial species with compound 8 showing the highest activity inhibiting 88.9% of tested bacteria. The EPI, phenylalanine-arginine-β-naphthylamide (PAßN), strongly improved the activity of APL, APLb, APLd, and compound 8 on all tested bacteria. Synergistic effects were obtained when APL and compounds 7 and 8 were combined with erythromycin (ERY), gentamycin (GEN), ciprofloxacin (CIP), and norfloxacin (NOR). The present study demonstrates the antibacterial potential of Acacia polyacantha and its constituents to combat bacterial infections alone or in combination with EPI.


PeerJ ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. e3168 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diana Machado ◽  
Laura Fernandes ◽  
Sofia S. Costa ◽  
Rolando Cannalire ◽  
Giuseppe Manfroni ◽  
...  

Efflux pump inhibitors are of great interest since their use as adjuvants of bacterial chemotherapy can increase the intracellular concentrations of the antibiotics and assist in the battle against the rising of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. In this work, we have described the mode of action of the 2-phenylquinoline efflux inhibitor (4-(2-(piperazin-1-yl)ethoxy)-2-(4-propoxyphenyl) quinolone – PQQ4R), againstEscherichia coli,by studding its efflux inhibitory ability, its synergistic activity in combination with antibiotics, and compared its effects with the inhibitors phenyl-arginine-β-naphthylamide (PAβN) and chlorpromazine (CPZ). The results showed that PQQ4R acts synergistically, in a concentration dependent manner, with antibiotics known to be subject to efflux inE. colireducing their MIC in correlation with the inhibition of their efflux. Real-time fluorometry assays demonstrated that PQQ4R at sub-inhibitory concentrations promote the intracellular accumulation of ethidium bromide inhibiting its efflux similarly to PAβN or CPZ, well-known and described efflux pump inhibitors for Gram-negative bacteria and whose clinical usage is limited by their levels of toxicity at clinical and bacteriological effective concentrations. The time-kill studies showed that PQQ4R, at bactericidal concentrations, has a rapid antimicrobial activity associated with a fast decrease of the intracellular ATP levels. The results also indicated that the mode of action of PQQ4R involves the destabilization of theE. coliinner membrane potential and ATP production impairment, ultimately leading to efflux pump inhibition by interference with the energy required by the efflux systems. At bactericidal concentrations, membrane permeabilization increases and finally ATP is totally depleted leading to cell death. Since drug resistance mediated by the activity of efflux pumps depends largely on the proton motive force (PMF), dissipaters of PMF such as PQQ4R, can be regarded as future adjuvants of conventional therapy againstE. coliand other Gram-negative bacteria, especially their multidrug resistant forms. Their major limitation is the high toxicity for human cells at the concentrations needed to be effective against bacteria. Their future molecular optimization to improve the efflux inhibitory properties and reduce relative toxicity will optimize their potential for clinical usage against multi-drug resistant bacterial infections due to efflux.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Winnie Thabisa Ramaloko ◽  
John Osei Sekyere

Gram-negative bacteria (GNB) continue to develop resistance against important antibiotics including last-resort ones such as carbapenems and polymyxins. An analysis of GNB with co-resistance to carbapenems and polymyxins from a One Health perspective is presented. Data of species name, country, source of isolation, resistance genes (ARGs), plasmid type, clones, and mobile genetic elements (MGEs) were deduced from 129 articles from January 2016 to March 2021. Available genomes and plasmids were obtained from PATRIC and NCBI. Resistomes and methylomes were analysed using BAcWGSTdb and REBASE whilst Kaptive was used to predict capsule typing. Plasmids and other MEGs were identified using MGE Finder and ResFinder. Phylogenetic analyses were done using RAxML and annotated with MEGA 7. A total of 877 isolates, 32 genomes and 44 plasmid sequences were analysed. Most of these isolates were reported in Asian countries and were isolated from clinical, animal, and environmental sources. Colistin resistance was mostly mediated by mgrB inactivation, while OXA-48/181 was the most reported carbapenemase. IncX and IncI were the most common plasmids hosting carbapenemases and mcr genes. The isolates were co-resistant to other antibiotics, with floR (chloramphenicol) and fosA3 (fosfomycin) being common; E. coli ST156 and K. pneumoniae ST258 strains were common globally. Virulence genes and capsular KL-types were also detected. Type I, II, III and IV restriction modification systems were detected, comprising various MTases and restriction enzymes. The escalation of highly resistant isolates drains the economy due to untreatable bacterial infections, which leads to increasing global mortality rates and healthcare costs.


2021 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 153-162
Author(s):  
Nader A. Nemr ◽  
Rania M. Kishk ◽  
Mohammed Abdou ◽  
Hassnaa Nassar ◽  
Noha M Abu bakr Elsaid ◽  
...  

Background: Urinary tract infection (UTI) is considered one of the most common bacterial infections seen in health care. To our knowledge, there is no available antimicrobial resistance surveillance system for monitoring of community-acquired UTIs (CA- UTIs) in our country. Objectives: we aimed to discuss the bacterial pattern and resistance profile of CA-UTIs in Ismailia, Egypt. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 400 patients suffering from symptoms of acute UTIs. Urine specimens were collected by clean-catch mid-stream method, examined microscopically and inoculated immediately on blood agar and MacConkey's agar plates. Colony counting, isolation and identification of the urinary pathogens were performed by the conventional biochemical tests according to the isolated organism. Antibiotic susceptibility testing was performed by Kirby Bauer disk diffusion method. Interpretation was performed according to Clinical Laboratory Standard Institute (CLSI) guidelines. Results: out of 400 specimens, 136 of them revealed no bacterial growth or insignificant bacteriuria. Most of participants with UTI were females (81.8%) (p=0.008) and 54.5% of them were married (P=0.1). Gram negative bacteria were more common than Gram positive representing 66 % and 34% respectively. E. coli was the most common isolated organism (39%) followed by S. aureus (32%), K. Pneumoniae and Pseudomonas (10.5% for each), Proteus (6%) and Enterococci (2%). E. coli isolates showed the highest susceptibility to imipenem, meropenem, amikacin, nitrofurantoin, levofloxacin and ciprofloxacin. Most of our patients were diabetics (64.8%) (p=0.004). The mean ± SD of HbA1c was 6.4±2.0 with 4 to 12.6 range, S.E was 0.1 and 95% C.I was 6.2- 6.7. The highest mean ± SD of HbA1c was in S. aureus infections. Conclusion: Gram negative bacteria were most common than Gram positive with predominance of E. coli with significant relation to the presence of diabetes.


Nanomaterials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 2012
Author(s):  
Anju Pandey ◽  
Asmita Devkota ◽  
Zeinab Yadegari ◽  
Korsi Dumenyo ◽  
Ali Taheri

While multi-drug resistance in bacteria is an emerging concern in public health, using carbon dots (CDs) as a new source of antimicrobial activity is gaining popularity due to their antimicrobial and non-toxic properties. Here we prepared carbon dots from citric acid and β-alanine and demonstrated their ability to inhibit the growth of diverse groups of Gram-negative bacteria, including E. coli, Salmonella, Pseudomonas, Agrobacterium, and Pectobacterium species. Carbon dots were prepared using a one-pot, three-minute synthesis process in a commercial microwave oven (700 W). The antibacterial activity of these CDs was studied using the well-diffusion method, and their minimal inhibitory concentration was determined by exposing bacterial cells for 20 h to different concentrations of CDs ranging from 0.5 to 10 mg/mL. Our finding indicates that these CDs can be an effective alternative to commercially available antibiotics. We also demonstrated the minimum incubation time required for complete inhibition of bacterial growth, which varied depending on bacterial species. With 15-min incubation time, A. tumefaciens and P. aeruginosa were the most sensitive strains, whereas E. coli and S. enterica were the most resistant bacterial strains requiring over 20 h incubation with CDs.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (15) ◽  
pp. 7959
Author(s):  
Federica Armas ◽  
Adriana Di Stasi ◽  
Mario Mardirossian ◽  
Antonello A. Romani ◽  
Monica Benincasa ◽  
...  

The emergence of multidrug-resistant bacteria is a worldwide health problem. Antimicrobial peptides have been recognized as potential alternatives to conventional antibiotics, but still require optimization. The proline-rich antimicrobial peptide Bac7(1-16) is active against only a limited number of Gram-negative bacteria. It kills bacteria by inhibiting protein synthesis after its internalization, which is mainly supported by the bacterial transporter SbmA. In this study, we tested two different lipidated forms of Bac7(1-16) with the aim of extending its activity against those bacterial species that lack SbmA. We linked a C12-alkyl chain or an ultrashort cationic lipopeptide Lp-I to the C-terminus of Bac7(1-16). Both the lipidated Bac-C12 and Bac-Lp-I forms acquired activity at low micromolar MIC values against several Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Moreover, unlike Bac7(1-16), Bac-C12, and Bac-Lp-I did not select resistant mutants in E. coli after 14 times of exposure to sub-MIC concentrations of the respective peptide. We demonstrated that the extended spectrum of activity and absence of de novo resistance are likely related to the acquired capability of the peptides to permeabilize cell membranes. These results indicate that C-terminal lipidation of a short proline-rich peptide profoundly alters its function and mode of action and provides useful insights into the design of novel broad-spectrum antibacterial agents.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura E. Williams ◽  
Nicole Cullen ◽  
Joseph A. DeGiorgis ◽  
Karla J. Martinez ◽  
Justina Mellone ◽  
...  

AbstractThe range of naturally occurring variation in the ability ofBdellovibriostrains to attack and kill Gram-negative bacteria is not well understood. Defining phenotypic and associated genotypic variation amongBdellovibriowill clarify how divergent lineages within this genus impact microbial communities and will inform development of predatory bacteria as biocontrol agents to combat bacterial infections. We isolatedBdellovibriosp. NC01 from soil and compared its genome and predatory phenotypes toB. bacteriovorustype strain HD100. Based on analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences and average amino acid identity, NC01 belongs to a different species than HD100. Genome-wide comparisons and individual gene analyses indicated that eight NC01 genome regions were likely acquired by horizontal gene transfer (HGT), further supporting an important role for HGT inBdellovibriogenome evolution. Within these regions, multiple protein-coding sequences were assigned predicted functions related to transcriptional regulation and transport; however, most were annotated as hypothetical proteins. Compared to HD100, NC01 has a limited prey range and killsE. coliML35 less efficiently. Whereas HD100 drastically reduces the ML35 population and then maintains low prey population density, NC01 causes a smaller reduction in ML35, after which the prey population recovers, accompanied by a decrease in NC01. In addition, NC01 forms turbid plaques on lawns of ML35, in contrast to clear plaques formed by HD100. Characterizing variation in interactions betweenBdellovibrioand Gram-negative bacteria, such as observed with NC01 and HD100, is important for understanding the ecological significance of predatory bacteria and evaluating their effectiveness in clinical applications.ImportanceBdellovibrioattack and kill Gram-negative bacteria; however, not allBdellovibriostrains are equally efficient at killing the same Gram-negative bacteria. Defining howBdellovibriovary in predatory phenotypes and how this phenotypic variation relates to differences in genotype is important for understanding the ecological significance of predatory bacteria and evaluating their effectiveness in biocontrol of bacterial infections. We determined variation in genome content and predatory phenotypes, including prey range and predation efficiency, betweenBdellovibriosp. NC01 isolated from soil andB. bacteriovorustype strain HD100. NC01 is phylogenetically divergent from HD100, with eight regions of unique gene content likely acquired by horizontal gene transfer. Compared to HD100, the prey range of NC01 is limited, and it was less efficient at killing a strain ofE. coli. These differences may have important implications for how each strain impacts microbial communities in different environments and for the effectiveness of each in clinical applications.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 2024
Author(s):  
Kamaleldin B. Said ◽  
Ahmed Alsolami ◽  
Amany M. Khalifa ◽  
Nuha A. Khalil ◽  
Soha Moursi ◽  
...  

The devastating nosocomial resistance is an on-going global concern. Surveillance of resistance is crucial for efficient patient care. This study was aimed to conduct a surveillance in four major Ha’il Hospitals from September to December 2020. Using a multipoint program, records of 621 non-duplicate Gram-negative cultures were tested across 21 drugs belonging to different categories. Major species were Klebsiella pneumoniae (n = 187, 30%), E. coli (n = 151, 24.5%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa, (n = 84, 13.6%), Acinetobacter baumannii (n = 82, 13.3%), and Proteus mirabilis (n = 46, 7%). Based on recent resistance classifications, A. baumanni, P. aeruginosa, and enteric bacteria were defined as pan-resistant, extremely resistant, and multi-drug resistant, respectively. A. baumannii (35%) and K. pneumoniae (23%) dominated among coinfections in SARS-CoV2 patients. The “other Gram-negative bacteria” (n = 77, 12.5%) from diverse sources showed unique species-specific resistance patterns, while sharing a common Gram-negative resistance profile. Among these, Providencia stuartii was reported for the first time in Ha’il. In addition, specimen source, age, and gender differences played significant roles in susceptibility. Overall infection rates were 30% in ICU, 17.5% in medical wards, and 13.5% in COVID-19 zones, mostly in male (59%) senior (54%) patients. In ICU, infections were caused by P. mirabilis (52%), A. baumannii (49%), P. aeruginosa (41%), K. pneumoniae (24%), and E. coli (21%), and most of the respiratory infections were caused by carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii and K. pneumoniae and UTI by K. pneumoniae and E. coli. While impressive IC, hospital performances, and alternative treatment options still exist, the spread of resistant Gram-negative bacteria is concerning especially in geriatric patients. The high selective SARS-CoV2 coinfection by A. baumannii and K. pneumoniae, unlike the low global rates, warrants further vertical studies. Attributes of resistances are multifactorial in Saudi Arabia because of its global partnership as the largest economic and pilgrimage hub with close social and cultural ties in the region, especially during conflicts and political unrests. However, introduction of advanced inter-laboratory networks for genome-based surveillances is expected to reduce nosocomial resistances.


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