scholarly journals How to Evaluate Non-Growing Cells—Current Strategies for Determining Antimicrobial Resistance of VBNC Bacteria

Antibiotics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 115
Author(s):  
Susanne Fleischmann ◽  
Christian Robben ◽  
Thomas Alter ◽  
Peter Rossmanith ◽  
Patrick Mester
Keyword(s):  
Antimicrobial Resistance ◽  
Defense Mechanisms ◽  
Pathogenic Bacteria ◽  
Traditional Culture ◽  
Resistance Mechanisms ◽  
Vbnc State ◽  
Hygiene Practices ◽  
Vbnc Bacteria ◽  
Experimental Approaches ◽  
Methodological Approaches

Thanks to the achievements in sanitation, hygiene practices, and antibiotics, we have considerably improved in our ongoing battle against pathogenic bacteria. However, with our increasing knowledge about the complex bacterial lifestyles and cycles and their plethora of defense mechanisms, it is clear that the fight is far from over. One of these resistance mechanisms that has received increasing attention is the ability to enter a dormancy state termed viable but non-culturable (VBNC). Bacteria that enter the VBNC state, either through unfavorable environmental conditions or through potentially lethal stress, lose their ability to grow on standard enrichment media, but show a drastically increased tolerance against antimicrobials including antibiotics. The inability to utilize traditional culture-based methods represents a considerable experimental hurdle to investigate their increased antimicrobial resistance and impedes the development and evaluation of effective treatments or interventions against bacteria in the VBNC state. Although experimental approaches were developed to detect and quantify VBNCs, only a few have been utilized for antimicrobial resistance screening and this review aims to provide an overview of possible methodological approaches.

scholarly journals Antimicrobial resistance and metallo-beta-lactamase producing among commensal Escherichia coli isolates from healthy children of Khuzestan and Fars provinces; Iran 

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fahimeh Mahmoodi ◽  
Seyedeh Elham Rezatofighi ◽  
Mohammad Reza Akhoond
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Antimicrobial Resistance ◽  
Pathogenic Bacteria ◽  
Gastrointestinal Diseases ◽  
Resistance Mechanisms ◽  
Multi Drug Resistance ◽  
Healthy Children ◽  
Great Ability ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Plasmid Profiling

Abstract Background: The emergence of metallo-β-lactamase (MBL)-producing isolates is alarming since they carry mobile genetic elements with great ability to spread; therefore, early detection of these isolates, particularly their reservoir, is crucial to prevent their inter- and intra-care setting dissemination and establish suitable antimicrobial therapies. The current study was designed to evaluate the frequency of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), MBL producers and identification of MBL resistance genes in Escherichia coli strains isolated from fecal samples of the healthy children under three years old. A total of 412 fecal E. coli isolates were collected from October 2017 to December 2018. The study population included healthy infants and children aged <3 years who did not exhibit symptoms of any diseases, especially gastrointestinal diseases. E. coli isolates were assessed to determine the pattern of AMR. E. coli isolates were assessed to determine the pattern of AMR, the production of extended spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) and MBL by phenotypic methods. Carbapenem-resistant isolates were investigated for the presence of MBL and carbapenemase genes, plasmid profiling, and the ability of conjugation.Results: In sum, AMR, multi-drug resistance (MDR) and ESBL production were observed in more than 54.9%, 36.2% and 11.7% of commensal E. coli isolates, respectively. Out of six isolates resistant to imipenem and meropenem, four isolates were phenotypically detected as MBL producers. Two and one E. coli strains carried the blaNDM-1 and blaVIM-2 genes, respectively and were able to transmit imipenem resistance through conjugation. Conclusion: Our findings showed that children not exposed to antibiotics can be colonized by E. coli isolates resistant to the commonly used antimicrobial compounds and can be a good indicator for the occurrence and prevalence of AMR in the community. These bacteria can act as a potential reservoir of AMR genes including MBL genes of pathogenic bacteria and lead to the dissemination of resistance mechanisms to other bacteria.

scholarly journals Representing Genetic Determinants in Bacterial GWAS with Compacted De Bruijn Graphs

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Magali Jaillard ◽  
Maud Tournoud ◽  
Leandro Lima ◽  
Vincent Lacroix ◽  
Jean-Baptiste Veyrieras ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Antimicrobial Resistance ◽  
Pathogenic Bacteria ◽  
Resistance Mechanisms ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Genetic Determinants ◽  
De Bruijn Graphs ◽  
De Bruijn ◽  
Marker Discovery ◽  
Core Genes

AbstractMotivationAntimicrobial resistance has become a major worldwide public health concern, calling for a better characterization of existing and novel resistance mechanisms. GWAS methods applied to bacterial genomes have shown encouraging results for new genetic marker discovery. Most existing approaches either look at SNPs obtained by sequence alignment or consider sets of kmers, whose presence in the genome is associated with the phenotype of interest. While the former approach can only be performed when genomes are similar enough for an alignment to make sense, the latter can lead to redundant descriptions and to results which are hard to interpret.ResultsWe propose an alignment-free GWAS method detecting haplotypes of variable length associated to resistance, using compacted De Bruijn graphs. Our representation is flexible enough to deal with very plastic genomes subject to gene transfers while drastically reducing the number of features to explore compared to kmers, without loss of information. It accomodates polymorphisms in core genes, accessory genes and noncoding regions. Using our representation in a GWAS leads to the selection of a small number of entities which are easier to visualize and interpret than fixed-length kmers. We illustrate the benefit of our approach by describing known as well as potential novel determinants of antimicrobial resistance in P. aeruginosa, a pathogenic bacteria with a highly plastic genome.Availability and implementationThe code and data used in the experiments will be made available upon acceptance of this [email protected]

scholarly journals Characterization of Triclosan-Resistant Mutants Reveals Multiple Antimicrobial Resistance Mechanisms in Rhodospirillum rubrum S1H

2010 ◽  
Vol 76 (10) ◽  
pp. 3116-3123 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benny F. G. Pycke ◽  
Aurélie Crabbé ◽  
Willy Verstraete ◽  
Natalie Leys
Keyword(s):  
Antimicrobial Resistance ◽  
Point Mutation ◽  
Defense Mechanisms ◽  
Rhodospirillum Rubrum ◽  
Efflux Pump ◽  
Resistance Mechanisms ◽  
Cross Resistance ◽  
Cell Permeabilization ◽  
Initial Exposure ◽  
Low Level

ABSTRACT Antimicrobial resistance mechanisms were identified in 11 spontaneous high- and low-level triclosan resistance (Tcsr) mutants of Rhodospirillum rubrum S1H by genotyping complemented with transcriptional analyses, antibiotic resistance screening, and membrane permeability analyses. High-end Tcsr (MIC = 8 mg/liter) was the result of a FabI1(G98V) mutation. This point mutation led to an even higher level of Tcsr (MIC ≥ 16 mg/liter) in combination with constitutive upregulation of mexB and mexF efflux pump homologs. Hence, a mechanistic synergy of constitutive efflux pump expression and a FabI1 point mutation could prevent TCS-induced cell permeabilization, which was shown to occur between 4 and 8 mg/liter TCS in the R. rubrum S1H parent strain. Low-level Tcsr mutants constitutively upregulated the emrAB, mexAB, and/or mexF homolog. The mutants that overexpressed emrAB also derepressed the micropollutant-upregulated factors mufA1 and mufM. In some cases, low-level Tcsr decreased innate resistance to ampicillin and tetracycline, while in others, a triclosan-induced antibiotic cross-resistance was shown for chloramphenicol and carbenicillin. This study showed that the TCS resistance degree is dependent of the initial exposure concentration in Rhodospirillum rubrum S1H and that similar resistance degrees can be the result of different defense mechanisms, which all have distinct antibiotic cross-resistance profiles.

scholarly journals Antimicrobial resistance and metallo-beta-lactamase producing among commensal Escherichia coli isolates from healthy children of Khuzestan and Fars provinces; Iran

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fahimeh Mahmoodi ◽  
Seyedeh Elham Rezatofighi ◽  
Mohammad Reza Akhoond
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Antimicrobial Resistance ◽  
Pathogenic Bacteria ◽  
Gastrointestinal Diseases ◽  
Resistance Mechanisms ◽  
Multi Drug Resistance ◽  
Healthy Children ◽  
Great Ability ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Plasmid Profiling

Abstract Background The emergence of metallo-β-lactamase (MBL)-producing isolates is alarming since they carry mobile genetic elements with great ability to spread; therefore, early detection of these isolates, particularly their reservoir, is crucial to prevent their inter- and intra-care setting dissemination and establish suitable antimicrobial therapies. The current study was designed to evaluate the frequency of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), MBL producers and identification of MBL resistance genes in Escherichia coli strains isolated from fecal samples of the healthy children under 3 years old. A total of 412 fecal E. coli isolates were collected from October 2017 to December 2018. The study population included healthy infants and children aged < 3 years who did not exhibit symptoms of any diseases, especially gastrointestinal diseases. E. coli isolates were assessed to determine the pattern of AMR. E. coli isolates were assessed to determine the pattern of AMR, the production of extended spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) and MBL by phenotypic methods. Carbapenem-resistant isolates were investigated for the presence of MBL and carbapenemase genes, plasmid profiling, and the ability of conjugation. Results In sum, AMR, multi-drug resistance (MDR) and ESBL production were observed in more than 54.9, 36.2 and 11.7% of commensal E. coli isolates, respectively. Out of six isolates resistant to imipenem and meropenem, four isolates were phenotypically detected as MBL producers. Two and one E. coli strains carried the blaNDM-1 and blaVIM-2 genes, respectively and were able to transmit imipenem resistance through conjugation. Conclusion Our findings showed that children not exposed to antibiotics can be colonized by E. coli isolates resistant to the commonly used antimicrobial compounds and can be a good indicator for the occurrence and prevalence of AMR in the community. These bacteria can act as a potential reservoir of AMR genes including MBL genes of pathogenic bacteria and lead to the dissemination of resistance mechanisms to other bacteria.

scholarly journals The Viable But Nonculturable State ofRalstonia solanacearum May Be Involved in Long-Term Survival and Plant Infection

2001 ◽  
Vol 67 (9) ◽  
pp. 3866-3872 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian E. Grey ◽  
Todd R. Steck
Keyword(s):  
Pathogenic Bacteria ◽  
Physiological Status ◽  
Cupric Sulfate ◽  
Vbnc State ◽  
In Planta ◽  
Term Survival ◽  
Viable But Nonculturable ◽  
Plant Infection ◽  
Nonculturable State ◽  
Vbnc Bacteria

ABSTRACT The role of the dormant-like viable but nonculturable (VBNC) condition in the etiology of bacterial infection was examined using a plant system. The plant-pathogenic bacterium Ralstonia solanacearum was first shown to enter into the VBNC state both in response to cupric sulfate when in a saline solution and when placed in autoclaved soil. To determine if the VBNC condition is related to pathogenesis, the physiological status of bacteria recovered from different regions of inoculated tomato plants was determined at different stages of infection. The fraction of in planta bacteria that were VBNC increased during infection and became greater than 99% by the late stage of disease. The possibility that soil-dwelling VBNC bacteria may resuscitate and infect plants was also examined. When tomato seeds were germinated in sterile soil that contained VBNC but no detectable culturable forms of R. solanacearumcells, resuscitation was observed to occur in soil adjacent to plant roots; these resuscitated bacteria were able to infect plants. This is the first report of R. solanacearum entering the VBNC state and of resuscitation of any VBNC plant-pathogenic bacteria and provides evidence that the VBNC state may be involved in explaining the persistent nature of some infections.

scholarly journals Antimicrobial resistance and metallo-beta-lactamase producing among commensal Escherichia coli isolates from healthy children of Khuzestan and Fars provinces; Iran

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fahimeh Mahmoodi ◽  
Seyedeh Elham Rezatofighi ◽  
Mohammad Reza Akhoond
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Antimicrobial Resistance ◽  
Pathogenic Bacteria ◽  
Gastrointestinal Diseases ◽  
Resistance Mechanisms ◽  
Multi Drug Resistance ◽  
Healthy Children ◽  
Great Ability ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Plasmid Profiling

Abstract Background: The emergence of metallo-β-lactamase (MBL)-producing isolates is alarming since they carry mobile genetic elements with great ability to spread; therefore, early detection of these isolates, particularly their reservoir, is crucial to prevent their inter- and intra-care setting dissemination and establish suitable antimicrobial therapies. The current study was designed to evaluate the frequency of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), MBL producers and identification of MBL resistance genes in Escherichia coli strains isolated from fecal samples of the healthy children under three years old.Methods: A total of 412 fecal E. coli isolates were collected from October 2017 to December 2018. The study population included healthy infants and children aged <3 years who did not exhibit symptoms of any diseases, especially gastrointestinal diseases. E. coli isolates were assessed to determine the pattern of AMR. E. coli isolates were assessed to determine the pattern of AMR, the production of extended spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) and MBL by phenotypic methods. Carbapenem-resistant isolates were investigated for the presence of MBL and carbapenemase genes, plasmid profiling, and the ability of conjugation.Results: In sum, AMR, multi-drug resistance (MDR) and ESBL production were observed in more than 54.9%, 36.2% and 11.7% of commensal E. coli isolates, respectively. Out of six isolates resistant to imipenem and meropenem, four isolates were phenotypically detected as MBL producers. Two and one E. coli strains carried the blaNDM-1 and blaVIM-2 genes, respectively and were able to transmit imipenem resistance through conjugation. Conclusion: Our findings showed that children not exposed to antibiotics can be colonized by E. coli isolates resistant to the commonly used antimicrobial compounds and can be a good indicator for the occurrence and prevalence of AMR in the community. These bacteria can act as a potential reservoir of AMR genes including MBL genes of pathogenic bacteria and lead to the dissemination of resistance mechanisms to other bacteria.

scholarly journals Viable but Nonculturable Bacteria: Food Safety and Public Health Perspective

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Md. Fakruddin ◽  
Khanjada Shahnewaj Bin Mannan ◽  
Stewart Andrews
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Food Safety ◽  
Pathogenic Bacteria ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Human Pathogens ◽  
Vbnc State ◽  
Public Health Perspective ◽  
Viable But Nonculturable ◽  
Vbnc Bacteria ◽  
Adverse Environmental Conditions

The viable but nonculturable (VBNC) state is a unique survival strategy of many bacteria in the environment in response to adverse environmental conditions. VBNC bacteria cannot be cultured on routine microbiological media, but they remain viable and retain virulence. The VBNC bacteria can be resuscitated when provided with appropriate conditions. A good number of bacteria including many human pathogens have been reported to enter the VBNC state. Though there have been disputes on the existence of VBNC in the past, extensive molecular studies have resolved most of them, and VBNC has been accepted as a distinct survival state. VBNC pathogenic bacteria are considered a threat to public health and food safety due to their nondetectability through conventional food and water testing methods. A number of disease outbreaks have been reported where VBNC bacteria have been implicated as the causative agent. Further molecular and combinatorial research is needed to tackle the threat posed by VBNC bacteria with regard to public health and food safety.

Emerging Antimicrobial Resistance Among Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) in a Tertiary Care Centre in North India

JMS SKIMS ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 48-49
Author(s):  
Javaid Ahmad Bhat ◽  
Shariq Rashid Masoodi
Keyword(s):  
Staphylococcus Aureus ◽  
Antimicrobial Resistance ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Resistance Mechanisms ◽  
North India ◽  
Global Public Health ◽  
Care Centre ◽  
Tertiary Care Centre ◽  
Effective Prevention ◽  
Mupirocin Resistance

Apropos to the article by Dr Bali, titled “Mupirocin resistance in clinical isolates of methicillin-sensitive and resistant Staphylococcus aureus in a tertiary care centre of North India” (1), the authors have raised important issue of emerging antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Antimicrobial resistance is an increasingly serious threat to global public health that requires action across all government sectors and society. As per WHO, AMR lurks the effective prevention and management of an ever-increasing spectrum of infections caused by bacteria, parasites, fungi and viruses. Novel resistance mechanisms are emerging and spreading globally, threatening the man’s ability to treat common infectious diseases.

Antibiotics Application Strategies to Control Biofilm Formation in Pathogenic Bacteria

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 270-286 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fazlurrahman Khan ◽  
Dung T.N. Pham ◽  
Sandra F. Oloketuyi ◽  
Young-Mog Kim
Keyword(s):  
Biofilm Formation ◽  
Pathogenic Bacteria ◽  
Extracellular Polymeric Substances ◽  
Quorum Quenching ◽  
Resistance Mechanisms ◽  
Bacterial Biofilm ◽  
Bacterial Cells ◽  
High Concentration ◽  
Biofilm Inhibition ◽  
Abiotic Surfaces

Background: The establishment of a biofilm by most pathogenic bacteria has been known as one of the resistance mechanisms against antibiotics. A biofilm is a structural component where the bacterial community adheres to the biotic or abiotic surfaces by the help of Extracellular Polymeric Substances (EPS) produced by bacterial cells. The biofilm matrix possesses the ability to resist several adverse environmental factors, including the effect of antibiotics. Therefore, the resistance of bacterial biofilm-forming cells could be increased up to 1000 times than the planktonic cells, hence requiring a significantly high concentration of antibiotics for treatment. Methods: Up to the present, several methodologies employing antibiotics as an anti-biofilm, antivirulence or quorum quenching agent have been developed for biofilm inhibition and eradication of a pre-formed mature biofilm. Results: Among the anti-biofilm strategies being tested, the sub-minimal inhibitory concentration of several antibiotics either alone or in combination has been shown to inhibit biofilm formation and down-regulate the production of virulence factors. The combinatorial strategies include (1) combination of multiple antibiotics, (2) combination of antibiotics with non-antibiotic agents and (3) loading of antibiotics onto a carrier. Conclusion: The present review paper describes the role of several antibiotics as biofilm inhibitors and also the alternative strategies adopted for applications in eradicating and inhibiting the formation of biofilm by pathogenic bacteria.

Antimicrobial properties of actively purified secondary metabolites isolated from different marine organisms

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nilushi Indika Bamunu Arachchige ◽  
Fazlurrahman Khan ◽  
Young-Mog Kim
Keyword(s):  
Secondary Metabolites ◽  
Pathogenic Bacteria ◽  
Antimicrobial Agents ◽  
Bacterial Species ◽  
Antimicrobial Properties ◽  
Antimicrobial Effect ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Resistance Mechanisms ◽  
Marine Organisms ◽  
Antimicrobial Compounds

Background: The treatment of infection caused by pathogenic bacteria becomes one of the serious concerns globally. The failure in the treatment was found due to the exhibition of multiple resistance mechanisms against the antimicrobial agents. Emergence of resistant bacterial species has also been observed due to prolong treatment using conventional antibiotics. To combat these problems, several alternative strategies have been employed using biological and chemically synthesized compounds as antibacterial agents. Marine organisms considered as one of the potential sources for the isolation of bioactive compounds due to the easily available, cost-effective, and eco-friendly. Methods: The online search methodology was adapted for the collection of information related to the antimicrobial properties of marine-derived compounds. These compound has been isolated and purified by different purification techniques, and their structure also characterized. Furthermore, the antibacterial activities have been reported by using broth microdilution as well as disc diffusion assays. Results: The present review paper describes the antimicrobial effect of diverse secondary metabolites which are isolated and purified from the different marine organisms. The structural elucidation of each secondary metabolite has also been done in the present paper, which will help for the in silico designing of the novel and potent antimicrobial compounds. Conclusion: A thorough literature search has been made and summarizes the list of antimicrobial compounds that are isolated from both prokaryotic and eukaryotic marine organisms. The information obtained from the present paper will be helpful for the application of marine compounds as antimicrobial agents against different antibiotic-resistant human pathogenic bacteria.

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