Membrane vesicles derived from Enterococcus faecalis promote the co-transfer of important antibiotic resistance genes located on both plasmids and chromosomes. - Related Documents




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299801.0000Membrane vesicles derived from Enterococcus faecalis promote the co-transfer of important antibiotic resistance genes located on both plasmids and chromosomes. BACKGROUND: Bacterial membrane vesicles (BMVs) are novel vehicles of antibiotic resistance gene (ARG) transfer in Gram-negative bacteria, but their role in the spread of ARGs in Gram-positive bacteria has not been defined. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the role of MVs in the transmission of antimicrobial resistance in Gram-positive bacteria. METHODS: A linezolid-resistant Enterococcus faecalis CQ20 of swine origin was selected as the donor strain. Linezolid-susceptible E. faecalis SC032 of human origin, Enterococcus faecium BM4105 and Escherichia coli were selected as recipient strains. The presence of plasmids (pCQ20-1 and pCQ20-2) and an optrA-carrying transposon Tn6674 in CQ20, MVs and vesiculants was verified by WGS or PCR. MVs were isolated with density gradient centrifugation, and MV-mediated transformation was performed to assess the horizontal transferability of MVs. The MICs for CQ20 and its vesiculants were determined by the broth microdilution method. RESULTS: CQ20-derived MVs (CQ20-MV) were isolated, and PCR identified the presence of two plasmids and the optrA gene in the CQ20-MVs. MV-mediated transformation to E. faecalis SC032 and E. faecium BM4105 was successfully performed, and the WGS data also showed that both plasmids pCQ20-1 and pCQ20-2 and optrA-carrying transposon Tn6674 were transferred to E. faecalis SC032 and E. faecium BM4105, but failed for E. coli. Additionally, vesiculants that had acquired ARGs still had the ability to spread these genes via MVs. CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge, this is the first report of MV-mediated co-transfer of ARG-carrying plasmids and transposons in the Gram-positive bacterium E. faecium.202438109479
542310.9981Characterization of mobile genetic elements in multidrug-resistant Bacteroides fragilis isolates from different hospitals in the Netherlands. OBJECTIVES: Five human clinical multidrug-resistant (MDR) Bacteroides fragilis isolates, including resistance to meropenem and metronidazole, were recovered at different hospitals in the Netherlands between 2014 and 2020 and sent to the anaerobic reference laboratory for full characterization. METHODS: Isolates were recovered from a variety of clinical specimens from patients with unrelated backgrounds. Long- and short-read sequencing was performed, followed by a hybrid assembly to study the presence of mobile genetic elements (MGEs) and antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs). RESULTS: A cfxA gene was present on a transposon (Tn) similar to Tn4555 in two isolates. In two isolates a novel Tn was present with the cfxA gene. Four isolates harbored a nimE gene, located on a pBFS01_2 plasmid. One isolate contained a novel plasmid carrying a nimA gene with IS1168. The tetQ gene was present on novel conjugative transposons (CTns) belonging to the CTnDOT family. Two isolates harbored a novel plasmid with tetQ. Other ARGs in these isolates, but not on an MGE, were: cfiA, ermF, mef(EN2), and sul2. ARGs harboured differed between isolates and corresponded with the observed phenotypic resistance. CONCLUSIONS: Novel CTns, Tns, and plasmids were encountered in the five MDR B. fragilis isolates, complementing our knowledge on MDR and horizontal gene transfer in anaerobic bacteria.202337001724
599820.9981Complete genome sequence of a tetracycline-resistant Streptococcus mutans strain carrying the tet(M) gene. INTRODUCTION: Tetracyclines are widely used in dental treatment. Here, we report the genomic information of the tetracycline-resistant Streptococcus mutans strain, HSM45, for the first time. METHODS: Susceptibility to tetracycline was determined using the microdilution method. The complete genome sequence of HSM45 was determined and compared with public genome data. RESULTS: HSM45 was resistant to tetracycline. The tetracycline resistance gene tet(M) was carried by Tn916, a conjugative transposon that is widely found in Gram-positive bacteria. CONCLUSION: This study showed that S. mutans can acquire tetracycline resistance and it can also be a source of horizontal transfer of resistance genes.202540545135
152030.9981Colistin resistance in Salmonella and Escherichia coli isolates from a pig farm in Great Britain. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to characterize colistin-resistant bacteria isolated from pigs on a farm in Great Britain following identification of a plasmid-borne colistin resistance mechanism in Escherichia coli from China. METHODS: Phenotypic antimicrobial susceptibility testing was undertaken by broth dilution and WGS was performed to detect the presence of genes encoding resistance and virulence. Transferable colistin resistance was investigated by conjugation. RESULTS: Two E. coli and one Salmonella Typhimurium variant Copenhagen were shown to be MDR, including resistance to colistin, with one E. coli and the Salmonella carrying the mcr-1 gene; all three harboured chromosomal mutations in genes conferring colistin resistance and both E. coli harboured β-lactamase resistance. The Salmonella mcr-1 plasmid was highly similar to pHNSHP45, from China, while the E. coli mcr-1 plasmid only had the ISApII and mcr-1 genes in common. The frequency of mcr-1 plasmid transfer by conjugation to recipient Enterobacteriaceae from Salmonella was low, lying between 10(-7) and 10(-9) cfu/recipient cfu. We were unable to demonstrate mcr-1 plasmid transfer from the E. coli. Plasmid profiling indicated transfer of multiple plasmids from the Salmonella resulting in some MDR transconjugants. CONCLUSIONS: Identification of the mcr-1 gene in Enterobacteriaceae from pigs confirms its presence in livestock in Great Britain. The results suggest dissemination of resistance through different horizontally transferable elements. The in vitro transfer of multiple plasmids carrying colistin and other resistances from the Salmonella isolate underlines the potential for wider dissemination and recombination.201627147305
586840.9980Evaluation of plasmid content and tetracycline resistance conjugative transfer in Enterococcus italicus strains of dairy origin. Five Enterococcus italicus strains harbouring tet genes responsible for the tetracycline resistance were subjected to plasmid profile determination studies. For four strains tested the profiles showed between three and six plasmid bands, the size of which ranged between 1.6 and 18.5 kb. Southern hybridization experiments associated tetS and tetK genes with chromosomal DNA in all strains and tetM gene with plasmids of around the same size (18.5 kb) in two of the tested strains. The ability of the new species to transfer tetM gene was studied by transfer experiments with the tetracycline-susceptible recipient strains E. faecalis JH2-2 and OG1RF; mobilization experiments were performed with E. faecalis JH 2-2 harbouring the conjugative plasmid pIP501as helper plasmid. The results obtained show that the new enterococcal species was able to acquire antibiotic resistance by conjugation, but not to transfer its plasmids to other bacteria. Further PCR and hybridization experiments carried out to assess the presence of mobilization sequences also suggest that the tetM plasmid from E. italicus is a non-mobilizable plasmid.200919484299
585250.9980A novel transposon, Tn6009, composed of a Tn916 element linked with a Staphylococcus aureus mer operon. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to characterize a novel conjugative transposon Tn6009 composed of a Tn916 linked to a Staphylococcus aureus mer operon in representative Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria isolated in Nigeria and Portugal. METHODS: Eighty-three Gram-positive and 34 Gram-negative bacteria were screened for the presence of the Tn6009 using DNA-DNA hybridization, PCR, hybridization of PCR products, sequencing and mating experiments by established procedures. RESULTS: Forty-three oral and 23 urine Gram-negative and Gram-positive isolates carried the Tn6009. Sequencing was performed to verify the direct linkage between the mer resistance genes and the tet(M) gene. A Nigerian Klebsiella pneumoniae, isolated from a urinary tract infection patient, and one commensal isolate from each of the other Tn6009-positive genera, Serratia liquefaciens, Pseudomonas sp., Enterococcus sp. and Streptococcus sp. isolated from the oral and urine samples of healthy Portuguese children, were able to act as donors and conjugally transfer the Tn6009 to the Enterococcus faecalis JH2-2 recipient, resulting in tetracycline- and mercury-resistant E. faecalis transconjugants. CONCLUSIONS: This study reports a novel non-composite conjugative transposon Tn6009 containing a Tn916 element linked to an S. aureus mer operon carrying genes coding for inorganic mercury resistance (merA), an organic mercury resistance (merB), a regulatory protein (merR) and a mercury transporter (merT). This transposon was identified in 66 isolates from two Gram-positive and three Gram-negative genera and is the first transposon in the Tn916 family to carry the Gram-positive mer genes directly linked to the tet(M) gene.200818583328
176560.9980Molecular Characterization of a Multidrug-Resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae Strain R46 Isolated from a Rabbit. To investigate the mechanisms of multiple resistance and the horizontal transfer of resistance genes in animal pathogens, we characterized the molecular structures of the resistance gene-related sequences in a multidrug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae strain R46 isolated from a rabbit. Molecular cloning was performed to clone the resistance genes, and minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were measured to determine the resistance characteristics of the cloned genes and related strains. A conjugation experiment was conducted to assess the transferability of the resistance plasmids. Sequencing and comparative genomic methods were used to analyze the structures of the resistance gene-related sequences. The K. pneumoniae R46 genome consisted of a chromosome and three resistance plasmids named pR46-27, pR46-42, and pR46-270, respectively. The whole genome encoded 34 antibiotic resistance genes including a newly identified chromosome-encoded florfenicol resistance gene named mdfA2. pR46-270, besides encoding 26 antibiotic resistance genes, carried four clusters of heavy metal resistance genes and several virulence-related genes or gene clusters. The plasmid-encoded resistance genes were mostly associated with mobile genetic elements. The plasmid with the most similarity to the floR gene-harboring plasmid pR46-27 was pCTXM-2271, a plasmid from Escherichia coli. The results of this work demonstrated that the plasmids with multidrug resistance genes were present in animal-derived bacteria and more florfenicol resistance genes such as mdfA2 could be present in bacterial populations. The resistance genes encoded on the plasmids may spread between the bacteria of different species or genera and cause the resistance dissemination.201931531339
565470.9980Role of membrane vesicles in the transmission of vancomycin resistance in Enterococcus faecium. Clonal transmission and horizontal gene transfer (HGT) contribute to the spread of vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) in global healthcare. Our study investigated vesiduction, a HGT mechanism via membrane vesicles (MVs), for vanA and vanB genes that determine vancomycin resistance. We isolated MVs for VRE of different sequence types (STs) and analysed them by nanoparticle tracking analysis. Selected MV samples were subjected to DNA sequence analysis. In resistance transfer experiments, vancomycin-susceptible enterococci were exposed to MVs and bacterial supernatants of VRE. Compared to bacteria grown in lysogeny broth (MVs/LB), cultivation under vancomycin stress (MVs/VAN) resulted in increased particle concentrations of up to 139-fold (ST80). As a key finding, we could show that VRE isolates of ST80 and ST117 produced remarkably more vesicles at subinhibitory antibiotic concentrations (approx. 9.2 × 10(11) particles/ml for ST80 and 2.4 × 10(11) particles/ml for ST117) than enterococci of other STs (range between 1.8 × 10(10) and 5.3 × 10(10) particles/ml). In those MV samples, the respective resistance genes vanA and vanB were completely verifiable using sequence analysis. Nevertheless, no vancomycin resistance transfer via MVs to vancomycin-susceptible Enterococcus faecium was phenotypically detectable. However, our results outline the potential of future research on ST-specific MV properties, promising new insights into VRE mechanisms.202438253607
158180.9980Large DNA fragment ISEc9-mediated transposition during natural transformation allows interspecies dissemination of antimicrobial resistance genes. PURPOSE: Antimicrobial resistance poses a significant global health challenge, contributing to a lack of effective therapeutic agents, especially against Gram-negative bacteria. Resistance dissemination is accelerated by horizontal gene transfer (HGT) mechanisms. The extended-spectrum beta lactamases CTX-M confer resistance to several beta-lactams, are usually embedded into plasmids and thought to be mainly disseminated by conjugation. However, an increasing number of isolates carry these enzyme-encoding genes in the chromosome, suggesting that they can spread by other means of HGT. In this study, we aimed to test the involvement of natural transformation in the chromosomal acquisition of a bla(CTX-M) gene. METHODS: Natural transformation assays were performed during motility on wet surfaces. Acquisition of foreign DNA by transformants was screened by antimicrobial susceptibility testing, polymerase-chain reaction (PCR) and whole genome sequencing (WGS). RESULTS: Acinetobacter baumannii A118, a naturally competent clinical strain, was transformed with naked DNA from Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium Sal25, which was isolated from swine meat. The transformation occurred at low frequency (2.7 × 10(- 8) ± 2.04 × 10(- 8) transformants per recipient) and bla(CTX-M) was acquired in one transformant, which was named ACI. WGS of the transformant revealed the acquisition of the bla(CTX-M-32) as part of a ca. 36 Kb DNA fragment through an ISEc9-mediated transposition event; various mobile genetic elements and other resistance genes were co-transferred. The bla(CTX-M-32) gene was subsequently transferred within A. baumannii at a higher frequency (1.8 × 10(- 6) ± 2.49 × 10(- 6) transformants per recipient). CONCLUSION: Our results highlight the importance of natural transformation events in the dissemination of antimicrobial resistance genes and mobile genetic elements between and within species.202540304893
301290.9980Characterization of the IncA/C plasmid pSCEC2 from Escherichia coli of swine origin that harbours the multiresistance gene cfr. OBJECTIVES: To determine the complete nucleotide sequence of the multidrug resistance plasmid pSCEC2, isolated from a porcine Escherichia coli strain, and to analyse it with particular reference to the cfr gene region. METHODS: Plasmid pSCEC2 was purified from its E. coli J53 transconjugant and then sequenced using the 454 GS-FLX System. After draft assembly, predicted gaps were closed by PCR with subsequent sequencing of the amplicons. RESULTS: Plasmid pSCEC2 is 135 615 bp in size and contains 200 open reading frames for proteins of ≥100 amino acids. Analysis of the sequence of pSCEC2 revealed two resistance gene segments. The 4.4 kb cfr-containing segment is flanked by two IS256 elements in the same orientation, which are believed to be involved in the dissemination of the rRNA methylase gene cfr. The other segment harbours the resistance genes floR, tet(A)-tetR, strA/strB and sul2, which have previously been found on other IncA/C plasmids. Except for these two resistance gene regions, the pSCEC2 backbone displayed >99% nucleotide sequence identity to that of other IncA/C family plasmids isolated in France, Chile and the USA. CONCLUSIONS: The cfr gene was identified on an IncA/C plasmid, which is well known for its broad host range and transfer and maintenance properties. The location on such a plasmid will further accelerate the dissemination of cfr and co-located resistance genes among different Gram-negative bacteria. The genetic context of cfr on plasmid pSCEC2 underlines the complexity of cfr transfer events and confirms the role that insertion sequences play in the spread of cfr.201424013193
3009100.9979Identification of a novel conjugative plasmid carrying the multiresistance gene cfr in Proteus vulgaris isolated from swine origin in China. The multiresistance gene cfr has a broad host range encompassing both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, and can be located on the chromosomes or on plasmids. In this study, a novel conjugative plasmid carrying cfr, designated as pPvSC3, was characterized in a Proteus vulgaris strain isolated from swine in China. Plasmid pPvSC3 is 284,528 bp in size and harbors 10 other antimicrobial resistance genes, making it a novel plasmid that differs from all known plasmids due to its unique backbone and repA gene. BLAST analysis of the plasmid sequence shows no significant homology to any known plasmid backbone, but shows high level homology to Providencia rettgeri strain CCBH11880 Contig_9, a strain isolated from surgical wound in Brazil, 2014. There are two resistance-determining regions in pPvSC3, a cfr-containing region and a multidrug-resistant (MDR) region. The cfr-containing region is flanked by IS26, which could be looped out via IS26-mediated recombination. The MDR region harbors 10 antimicrobial resistance genes carried by various DNA segments that originated from various sources. Plasmid pPvSC3 could be successfully transferred to Escherichia coli by conjugation. In summary, we have characterized a novel conjugative plasmid pPvSC3 carrying the multiresistance gene cfr and 10 other antimicrobial resistance genes, and consider that this novel type of plasmid deserves attention.201931499097
5461110.9979Molecular characteristics and comparative genomics analysis of a clinical Enterococcus casseliflavus with a resistance plasmid. PURPOSE: The aim of this work was to investigate the molecular characterization of a clinical Enterococcus casseliflavus strain with a resistance plasmid. MATERIALS AND METHODS: En. casseliflavus EC369 was isolated from a patient in a hospital in southern China. The minimum inhibitory concentration was found by means of the agar dilution method to determine the antimicrobial susceptibilities of the strains. Whole-genome sequencing and comparative genomics analysis were performed to analyze the mechanism of antibiotic resistance and the horizontal gene transfer of the resistance gene-related mobile genetic elements. RESULTS: En. casseliflavus EC369 showed resistance to erythromycin, kanamycin, and streptomycin, but was susceptible to vancomycin, ampicillin, and streptothricin and other antimicrobials. There were six resistance genes (aph3', ant6, bla, sat4, and two ermBs) carried by a transposon identified on the plasmid pEC369 and a complete resistance gene cluster of vancomycin and a tet (M) gene encoded on the chromosome. This is the first complete plasmid sequence reported in clinically isolated En. casseliflavus. The plasmid with the greatest sequence identity with pEC369 was the plasmid of Enterococcus sp. FDAARGOS_375, followed by the plasmids of Enterococcus faecium strains F12085 and pRE25, whereas the sequence with the greatest identity to the resistance genes carrying a transposon of pEC369 was on the chromosome of Staphylococcus aureus strain GD1677. CONCLUSION: The resistance profiles of En. casseliflavus EC369 might contribute to the resistance genes encoded on the plasmid. The fact that the most similar sequence to the transposon carrying resistance genes of pEC369 was encoded in the chromosome of a S. aureus strain provides insights into the mechanism of dissemination of multidrug resistance between bacteria of different species or genera through horizontal gene transfer.201830464559
5986120.9979Transferable fluoroquinolone resistance in Enterobacteriaceae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from hemocultures. BACKGROUND: The main mechanisms causing high-level resistance to fluoroquinolones (FQ) are encoded chromosomally; that includes mutations in genes coding DNA-gyrase, but overexpression of efflux pumps contributes to increased minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of FQ as well. However, genes responsible for FQ-resistance may be harboured in transferable/conjugative plasmids. For some time, there was an assumption that resistance to FQ cannot be transferable in conjugation due to their synthetic origin, until 1998, when plasmid-mediated resistance transmission in Klebsiella pneumoniae was proved. We aimed to detect the occurrence of transferable FQ-resistance among Gram- negative bacteria isolated from patients in Czech and Slovak hospitals. METHODS: In this study, we tested 236 clinical isolates of Gram-negative bacteria for transferable resistance. Among relevant isolates we performed PCR detection of transferable fluoroquinolone genes (qnr). RESULTS: We have observed transfer of determinants of cephalosporin-resistance, aminoglycoside resistance as well as FQ-resistance (in 10 cases; 4.24%) not only intra-species but inter-species too. The presence of qnr gene was detected in two isolates of forty tested (5%). We have also observed that determinants of cephalosporin-resistance and aminoglycoside-resistance were linked to those of FQ-resistance and were transferred en block in conjugation. CONCLUSION: We have proved that resistance to fluoroquinolones can be transferred horizontally via conjugation among Gram-negative bacteria of different species and is associated with resistance to other antibiotics.201424844110
5845130.9979Crystallization and first data collection of the putative transfer protein TraN from the Gram-positive conjugative plasmid pIP501. Conjugative plasmid transfer is the most important route for the spread of resistance and virulence genes among bacteria. Consequently, bacteria carrying conjugative plasmids are a substantial threat to human health, especially hospitalized patients. Whilst detailed information about the process has been obtained for Gram-negative type-4 secretion systems, little is known about the corresponding mechanisms in Gram-positive (G+) bacteria. The successful purification and crystallization of the putative transfer protein TraN from the G+ conjugative model plasmid pIP501 of Enterococcus faecalis are presented. Native crystals diffracted to 1.8 Å resolution on a synchrotron beamline. The crystals belonged to space group P2(1), with unit-cell parameters a=32.88, b=54.94, c=57.71 Å, β=91.89° and two molecules per asymmetric unit.201223143259
5867140.9979Molecular analysis of florfenicol-resistant Pasteurella multocida isolates in Germany. OBJECTIVES: Three florfenicol-resistant Pasteurella multocida isolates from Germany, two from swine and one from a calf, were investigated for the genetics and transferability of florfenicol resistance. METHODS: The isolates were investigated for susceptibility to antimicrobial agents and plasmid content. Florfenicol resistance plasmids carrying the gene floR were identified by transformation and PCR. Plasmids were mapped, and a novel plasmid type was sequenced completely. PFGE served to determine the clonality of the isolates. RESULTS: In one porcine and the bovine P. multocida isolate, florfenicol resistance was associated with the plasmid pCCK381 previously described in a bovine P. multocida isolate from the UK. The remaining porcine isolate harboured a new type of floR-carrying plasmid, the 10 226 bp plasmid pCCK1900. Complete sequence analysis identified an RSF1010-like plasmid backbone with the mobilization genes mobA, mobB and mobC, the plasmid replication genes repA, repB and repC, the sulphonamide resistance gene sul2 and the streptomycin resistance genes strA and strB. The floR gene area was integrated into a region downstream of strB, which exhibited homology to the floR flanking regions found in various bacteria. PFGE revealed that the floR-carrying P. multocida strains from Germany were unrelated and also different from the UK strain. CONCLUSIONS: After the UK and France, floR-mediated florfenicol resistance has now also been identified in target bacteria from Germany. PFGE data and the analysis of plasmids strongly suggested that the spread of florfenicol resistance is due to the horizontal transfer of plasmids rather than the clonal dissemination of a resistant P. multocida isolate.200818786941
2002150.9979IncHI1 plasmids mediated the tet(X4) gene spread in Enterobacteriaceae in porcine. The tigecycline resistance gene tet(X4) was widespread in various bacteria. However, limited information about the plasmid harboring the tet(X4) gene spread among the different species is available. Here, we investigated the transmission mechanisms of the tet(X4) gene spread among bacteria in a pig farm. The tet(X4) positive Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Enterobacter cloacae and Enterobacter hormaeche were identified in the same farm. The whole genome sequencing (WGS) analysis showed that the K. pneumoniae belonged to ST727 (n = 11) and ST3830 (n = 1), E. cloacae and E. hormaeche belonged to ST524 (n = 1) and ST1862 (n = 1). All tet(X4) genes were located on the IncHI1 plasmids that could be conjugatively transferred into the recipient E. coli C600 at 30°C. Moreover, a fusion plasmid was identified that the IncHI1 plasmid recombined with the IncN plasmid mediated by ISCR2 during the conjugation from strains B12L to C600 (pB12L-EC-1). The fusion plasmid also has been discovered in a K. pneumoniae (K1L) that could provide more opportunities to spread antimicrobial resistance genes. The tet(X4) plasmids in these bacteria are derived from the same plasmid with a similar structure. Moreover, all the IncHI1 plasmids harboring the tet(X4) gene in GenBank belonged to the pST17, the newly defined pMLST. The antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed by broth microdilution method showing the transconjugants acquired the most antimicrobial resistance from the donor strains. Taken together, this report provides evidence that IncHI1/pST17 is an important carrier for the tet(X4) spread in Enterobacteriaceae species, and these transmission mechanisms may perform in the environment.202337065147
5479160.9978Novel linezolid resistance plasmids in Enterococcus from food animals in the USA. OBJECTIVES: To sequence the genomes and determine the genetic mechanisms for linezolid resistance identified in three strains of Enterococcus isolated from cattle and swine caecal contents as part of the US National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS) surveillance programme. METHODS: Broth microdilution was used for in vitro antimicrobial susceptibility testing to assess linezolid resistance. Resistance mechanisms and plasmid types were identified from data generated by WGS on Illumina® and PacBio® platforms. Conjugation experiments were performed to determine whether identified mechanisms were transmissible. RESULTS: Linezolid resistance plasmids containing optrA were identified in two Enterococcus faecalis isolates and one Enterococcus faecium. The E. faecium isolate also carried the linezolid resistance gene cfr on the same plasmid as optrA. The linezolid resistance plasmids had various combinations of additional resistance genes conferring resistance to phenicols (fexA), aminoglycosides [spc and aph(3')-III] and macrolides [erm(A) and erm(B)]. One of the plasmids was confirmed to be transmissible by conjugation, resulting in linezolid resistance in the transconjugant. CONCLUSIONS: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first identification of linezolid resistance in the USA in bacteria isolated from food animals. The oxazolidinone class of antibiotics is not used in food animals in the USA, but the genes responsible for resistance were identified on plasmids with other resistance markers, indicating that there may be co-selection for these plasmids due to the use of different antimicrobials. The transmissibility of one of the plasmids demonstrated the potential for linezolid resistance to spread horizontally. Additional surveillance is necessary to determine whether similar plasmids are present in human strains of Enterococcus.201830272180
4494170.9978A mobile restriction modification system consisting of methylases on the IncA/C plasmid. BACKGROUND: IncA/C plasmids play important roles in the development and dissemination of multidrug resistance in bacteria. These plasmids carry three methylase genes, two of which show cytosine specificity. The effects of such a plasmid on the host methylome were observed by single-molecule, real-time (SMRT) and bisulfite sequencing in this work. RESULTS: The results showed that the numbers of methylation sites on the host chromosomes were changed, as were the sequences recognized by MTase. The host chromosomes were completely remodified by the plasmid with a methylation pattern different from that of the host itself. When the three dcm genes were deleted, the transferability of the plasmid into other Vibrio cholerae and Escherichia coli strains was lost. During deletion of the dcm genes, except for the wild-type strains and the targeted deletion strains, 18.7%~ 38.5% of the clones lost the IncA/C plasmid and changed from erythromycin-, azithromycin- and tetracycline-resistant strains to strains that were sensitive to these antibiotics. CONCLUSIONS: Methylation of the IncA/C plasmid was a new mobile restriction modification (RM) barrier against foreign DNA. By actively changing the host's methylation pattern, the plasmid crossed the barrier of the host's RM system, and this might be the simplest and most universal method by which plasmids acquire a broad host range. Elimination of plasmids by destruction of plasmid stability could be a new effective strategy to address bacterial multidrug resistance.201931182978
5850180.9978Gram-positive merA gene in gram-negative oral and urine bacteria. Clinical mercury resistant (Hg(r)) Gram-negative bacteria carrying Gram-positive mercury reductase (merA)-like genes were characterized using DNA-DNA hybridization, PCR and sequencing. A PCR assay was developed which discriminated between the merA genes related to Staphylococcus and those related to the Bacillus/Streptococcus merA genes by the difference in size of the PCR product. DNA sequence analysis correlated with the PCR assay. The merA genes from Acinetobacter junii, Enterobacter cloacae and Escherichia coli were sequenced and shared 98-99% identical nucleotide (nt) and 99.6-100% amino acid identity with the Staphylococcus aureus MerA protein. A fourth merA gene, from Pantoeae agglomerans, was partially sequenced (60%) and had 99% identical nt and 100% amino acid identity with the Streptococcus oralis MerA protein. All the Hg(r) Gram-negative bacteria transferred their Gram-positive merA genes to a Gram-positive Enterococcus faecalis recipient with the resulting transconjugants expressing mercury resistance. These Gram-positive merA genes join Gram-positive tetracycline resistance and Gram-positive macrolide resistance genes in their association with mobile elements which are able to transfer and express in Gram-negative bacteria.200415358427
5866190.9978tet(L)-mediated tetracycline resistance in bovine Mannheimia and Pasteurella isolates. OBJECTIVES: Tetracycline-resistant Mannheimia and Pasteurella isolates, which were negative for the tetracycline resistance genes (tet) commonly detected among these bacteria, were investigated for other tet genes present and their location. METHODS: Mannheimia and Pasteurella isolates were investigated for their MICs of tetracycline and their plasmid content. Identification of tet genes was achieved by PCR. Plasmids mediating tetracycline resistance were identified by transformation and hybridization experiments. Plasmid pCCK3259 from Mannheimia haemolytica was sequenced completely and analysed for its structure and organization. RESULTS: All tetracycline-resistant isolates carried the gene tet(L) either on plasmids or on the chromosome. Two M. haemolytica isolates and one Mannheimia glucosida isolate harboured a common 5.3 kb tet(L) plasmid, designated pCCK3259. This plasmid was similar to the tet(B)-carrying tetracycline resistance plasmid pHS-Tet from Haemophilus parasuis and the streptomycin/spectinomycin resistance plasmid pCCK647 from Pasteurella multocida in the parts coding for mobilization functions. The tet(L) gene was closely related to that of the Geobacillus stearothermophilus plasmid pTB19. However, the translational attenuator responsible for the tetracycline-inducible expression of tet(L) was missing in plasmid pCCK3259. A recombination site was identified downstream of tet(L), which might explain the integration of the tet(L) gene region into a basic pCCK3259 replicon. CONCLUSION: A tet(L) gene was shown for the first time to be responsible for tetracycline resistance in Mannheimia and Pasteurella isolates. This report demonstrates a lateral transfer of a tetracycline efflux gene in Gram-negative bovine respiratory tract pathogens, probably originating from Gram-positive bacteria.200515972309