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987200.9446pCTX-M3-Structure, Function, and Evolution of a Multi-Resistance Conjugative Plasmid of a Broad Recipient Range. pCTX-M3 is the archetypic member of the IncM incompatibility group of conjugative plasmids (recently referred to as IncM2). It is responsible for the worldwide dissemination of numerous antibiotic resistance genes, including those coding for extended-spectrum β-lactamases and conferring resistance to aminoglycosides. The IncM plasmids acquired during evolution diverse mobile genetic elements found in one or two multiple resistance regions, MRR(s), grouping antibiotic resistance genes as well as mobile genetic elements or their remnants. The IncM plasmids can be found in bacteria inhabiting various environments. The information on the structure and biology of pCTX-M3 is integrated in this review. It focuses on the functional modules of pCTX-M3 responsible for its replication, stable maintenance, and conjugative transfer, indicating that the host range of the pCTX-M3 replicon is limited to representatives of the family Enterobacteriaceae (Enterobacterales ord. nov.), while the range of recipients of its conjugation system is wide, comprising Alpha-, Beta-, and Gammaproteobacteria, and also Firmicutes.202133925677
302010.9430Combining sequencing approaches to fully resolve a carbapenemase-encoding megaplasmid in a Pseudomonas shirazica clinical strain. Horizontal transfer of plasmids plays a pivotal role in dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes and emergence of multidrug-resistant bacteria. Plasmid sequencing is thus paramount for accurate epidemiological tracking in hospitals and routine surveillance. Combining Nanopore and Illumina sequencing allowed full assembly of a carbapenemase-encoding megaplasmid carried by multidrug-resistant clinical isolate FFUP_PS_41. Average nucleotide identity analyses revealed that FFUP_PS_41 belongs to the recently proposed new species Pseudomonas shirazica, related to the P. putida phylogenetic group. FFUP_PS_41 harbours a 498,516-bp megaplasmid (pJBCL41) with limited similarity to publicly-available plasmids. pJBCL41 contains genes predicted to encode replication, conjugation, partitioning and maintenance functions and heavy metal resistance. The |aacA7|blaVIM-2|aacA4| cassette array (resistance to carbapenems and aminoglycosides) is located within a class 1 integron that is a defective Tn402 derivative. This transposon lies within a 50,273-bp region bound by Tn3-family 38-bp inverted repeats and flanked by 5-bp direct repeats (DR) that composes additional transposon fragments, five insertion sequences and a Tn3-Derived Inverted-Repeat Miniature Element. The hybrid Nanopore/Illumina approach allowed full resolution of a carbapenemase-encoding megaplasmid from P. shirazica. Identification of novel megaplasmids sheds new light on the evolutionary effects of gene transfer and the selective forces driving antibiotic resistance.201931381486
300820.9419Sequence of conjugative plasmid pIP1206 mediating resistance to aminoglycosides by 16S rRNA methylation and to hydrophilic fluoroquinolones by efflux. Self-transferable IncFI plasmid pIP1206, isolated from an Escherichia coli clinical isolate, carries two new resistance determinants: qepA, which confers resistance to hydrophylic fluoroquinolones by efflux, and rmtB, which specifies a 16S rRNA methylase conferring high-level aminoglycoside resistance. Analysis of the 168,113-bp sequence (51% G+C) revealed that pIP1206 was composed of several subregions separated by copies of insertion sequences. Of 151 open reading frames, 56 (37%) were also present in pRSB107, isolated from a bacterium in a sewage treatment plant. pIP1206 contained four replication regions (RepFIA, RepFIB, and two partial RepFII regions) and a transfer region 91% identical with that of pAPEC-O1-ColBM, a plasmid isolated from an avian pathogenic E. coli. A putative oriT region was found upstream from the transfer region. The antibiotic resistance genes tet(A), catA1, bla(TEM-1), rmtB, and qepA were clustered in a 33.5-kb fragment delineated by two IS26 elements that also carried a class 1 integron, including the sulI, qacEDelta1, aad4, and dfrA17 genes and Tn10, Tn21, and Tn3-like transposons. The plasmid also possessed a raffinose operon, an arginine deiminase pathway, a putative iron acquisition gene cluster, an S-methylmethionine metabolism operon, two virulence-associated genes, and a type I DNA restriction-modification (R-M) system. Three toxin/antitoxin systems and the R-M system ensured stabilization of the plasmid in the host bacteria. These data suggest that the mosaic structure of pIP1206 could have resulted from recombination between pRSB107 and a pAPEC-O1-ColBM-like plasmid, combined with structural rearrangements associated with acquisition of additional DNA by recombination and of mobile genetic elements by transposition.200818458128
175230.9418Genetic Characterization of a Linezolid- and Penicillin-Resistant Enterococcus hirae Isolate Co-Harboring poxtA and pbp5fm. Linezolid and penicillin are critical for treating multidrug resistant (MDR) Gram-positive infections, but the emergence of resistance to both seriously threatens public health. Here, we first report the cocarrying poxtA (oxazolidinone resistance) and pbp5fm (β-lactam resistance) genes by the plasmid in a strain of Enterococcus hirae HDC14-2 derived from porcine. The isolate also exhibits MDR phenotypes to phenicols, oxazolidinones, tetracyclines, β-lactams, aminoglycosides, macrolides, and lincosamides. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) revealed these resistance genes, along with tet(L), tet(M), catA, erm(B), aac(6)-aph(2"), aadE, spw, lsa(E), lnu(B), sat4, and aphA3, were clustered in a novel MDR region flanked by IS1216 elements on plasmid pHDC14-2.133K. This IS1216-bounded MDR region formed translocatable units (TUs), including an IS1216-poxtA TU that was also identified on a secondary plasmid, pHDC14-2.27K. Functional assays demonstrated the excisability and mobility of these TUs, indicating its potential ability integration into other plasmids or chromosomes. Critically, electrotransformation confirmed the transfer of pHDC14-2.27K (poxtA-carrying) to Enterococcus faecalis JH2-2, with retained TU activity and minimal fitness cost. This study provides the evidence of colocalized poxtA and pbp5fm on plasmids in enterococci, highlighting their role in disseminating pan-resistance among bacteria. Although E. hirae is not an important pathogenic bacterium to humans and animals, but its potential risk to horizontally spread of these resistance genes important in medicine still cannot be ignored.202540692874
299940.9416Integrative and conjugative elements in streptococci can act as vectors for plasmids and translocatable units integrated via IS1216E. Mobile genetic elements (MGEs), such as integrative and conjugative elements (ICEs), plasmids and translocatable units (TUs), are important drivers for the spread of antibiotic resistance. Although ICEs have been reported to support the spread of plasmids among different bacteria, their role in mobilizing resistance plasmids and TUs has not yet been fully explored. In this study, a novel TU bearing optrA, a novel non-conjugative plasmid p5303-cfrD carrying cfr(D) and a new member of the ICESa2603 family, ICESg5301 were identified in streptococci. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays revealed that three different types of cointegrates can be formed by IS1216E-mediated cointegration between the three different MGEs, including ICESg5301::p5303-cfrD::TU, ICESg5301::p5303-cfrD, and ICESg5301::TU. Conjugation assays showed that ICEs carrying p5303-cfrD and/or TU successfully transferred into recipient strains, thereby confirming that ICEs can serve as vectors for other non-conjugative MGEs, such as TUs and p5303-cfrD. As neither the TU nor plasmid p5303-cfrD can spread on their own between different bacteria, their integration into an ICE via IS1216E-mediated cointegrate formation not only increases the plasticity of ICEs, but also furthers the dissemination of plasmids and TUs carrying oxazolidinone resistance genes.202336933870
50150.9416Centromere anatomy in the multidrug-resistant pathogen Enterococcus faecium. Multidrug-resistant variants of the opportunistic human pathogen Enterococcus have recently emerged as leading agents of nosocomial infection. The acquisition of plasmid-borne resistance genes is a driving force in antibiotic-resistance evolution in enterococci. The segregation locus of a high-level gentamicin-resistance plasmid, pGENT, in Enterococcus faecium was identified and dissected. This locus includes overlapping genes encoding PrgP, a member of the ParA superfamily of segregation proteins, and PrgO, a site-specific DNA binding homodimer that recognizes the cenE centromere upstream of prgPO. The centromere has a distinctive organization comprising three subsites, CESII separates CESI and CESIII, each of which harbors seven TATA boxes spaced by half-helical turns. PrgO independently binds both CESI and CESIII, but with different affinities. The topography of the complex was probed by atomic force microscopy, revealing discrete PrgO foci positioned asymmetrically at the CESI and CESIII subsites. Bending analysis demonstrated that cenE is intrinsically curved. The organization of the cenE site and of certain other plasmid centromeres mirrors that of yeast centromeres, which may reflect a common architectural requirement during assembly of the mitotic apparatus in yeast and bacteria. Moreover, segregation modules homologous to that of pGENT are widely disseminated on vancomycin and other resistance plasmids in enterococci. An improved understanding of segrosome assembly may highlight new interventions geared toward combating antibiotic resistance in these insidious pathogens.200818245388
153560.9415Complete Genome Sequencing of Acinetobacter baumannii AC1633 and Acinetobacter nosocomialis AC1530 Unveils a Large Multidrug-Resistant Plasmid Encoding the NDM-1 and OXA-58 Carbapenemases. Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter spp. are considered priority drug-resistant human-pathogenic bacteria. The genomes of two carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter spp. clinical isolates obtained from the same tertiary hospital in Terengganu, Malaysia, namely, A. baumannii AC1633 and A. nosocomialis AC1530, were sequenced. Both isolates were found to harbor the carbapenemase genes bla(NDM-1) and bla(OXA-58) in a large (ca. 170 kb) plasmid designated pAC1633-1 and pAC1530, respectively, that also encodes genes that confer resistance to aminoglycosides, sulfonamides, and macrolides. The two plasmids were almost identical except for the insertion of ISAba11 and an IS4 family element in pAC1633-1, and ISAba11 along with relBE toxin-antitoxin genes flanked by inversely orientated pdif (XerC/XerD) recombination sites in pAC1530. The bla(NDM-1) gene was encoded in a Tn125 composite transposon structure flanked by ISAba125, whereas bla(OXA-58) was flanked by ISAba11 and ISAba3 downstream and a partial ISAba3 element upstream within a pdif module. The presence of conjugative genes in plasmids pAC1633-1/pAC1530 and their discovery in two distinct species of Acinetobacter from the same hospital are suggestive of conjugative transfer, but mating experiments failed to demonstrate transmissibility under standard laboratory conditions. Comparative sequence analysis strongly inferred that pAC1633-1/pAC1530 was derived from two separate plasmids in an IS1006-mediated recombination or transposition event. A. baumannii AC1633 also harbored three other plasmids designated pAC1633-2, pAC1633-3, and pAC1633-4. Both pAC1633-3 and pAC1633-4 are cryptic plasmids, whereas pAC1633-2 is a 12,651-bp plasmid of the GR8/GR23 Rep3-superfamily group that encodes the tetA(39) tetracycline resistance determinant in a pdif module.IMPORTANCE Bacteria of the genus Acinetobacter are important hospital-acquired pathogens, with carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii listed by the World Health Organization as the one of the top priority pathogens. Whole-genome sequencing of carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii AC1633 and A. nosocomialis AC1530, which were isolated from the main tertiary hospital in Terengganu, Malaysia, led to the discovery of a large, ca. 170-kb plasmid that harbored genes encoding the New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase-1 (NDM-1) and OXA-58 carbapenemases alongside genes that conferred resistance to aminoglycosides, macrolides, and sulfonamides. The plasmid was a patchwork of multiple mobile genetic elements and comparative sequence analysis indicated that it may have been derived from two separate plasmids through an IS1006-mediated recombination or transposition event. The presence of such a potentially transmissible plasmid encoding resistance to multiple antimicrobials warrants vigilance, as its spread to susceptible strains would lead to increasing incidences of antimicrobial resistance.202133504662
153370.9415A Transferable IncC-IncX3 Hybrid Plasmid Cocarrying bla(NDM-4), tet(X), and tmexCD3-toprJ3 Confers Resistance to Carbapenem and Tigecycline. Tigecycline is a last-resort antimicrobial against carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE). However, mobile tigecycline resistance genes, tet(X) and tmexCD-toprJ, have emerged in China and have spread possibly worldwide. Tet(X) family proteins function as tigecycline-inactivating enzymes, and TMexCD-TOprJ complexes function as efflux pumps for tigecycline. Here, to the best of our knowledge we report a CPE isolate harboring both emerging tigecycline resistance factors for the first time. A carbapenem- and tigecycline-resistant Klebsiella aerogenes strain, NUITM-VK5, was isolated from an urban drainage in Vietnam in 2021, and a plasmid, pNUITM-VK5_mdr, cocarrying tet(X) and tmexCD3-toprJ3 along with the carbapenemase gene bla(NDM-4) was identified in NUITM-VK5. pNUITM-VK5_mdr was transferred to Escherichia coli by conjugation and simultaneously conferred high-level resistance against multiple antimicrobials, including carbapenems and tigecycline. An efflux pump inhibitor reduced TMexCD3-TOprJ3-mediated tigecycline resistance, suggesting that both tigecycline resistance factors independently and additively contribute to the high-level resistance. The plasmid had the IncX3 and IncC replicons and was estimated to be a hybrid of plasmids with different backbones. Unlike IncX3 plasmids, IncC plasmids are stably maintained in an extremely broad range of bacterial hosts in humans, animals, and the environment. Thus, the future global spread of multidrug resistance plasmids such as pNUITM-VK5_mdr poses a public health crisis. IMPORTANCE Tigecycline is important as a last-resort antimicrobial and effective against antimicrobial-resistant bacteria, such as carbapenem-producing Enterobacterales (CPE), whose infections are difficult to treat with antimicrobials. Since 2019, mobile tigecycline resistance genes, tet(X) and tmexCD-toprJ, and their variants have been reported mainly from China, and it has become important to understand their epidemiological situation and detailed genetic mechanisms. In this study, we identified a bacterial isolate coharboring tet(X) and tmexCD-toprJ on the same plasmid. A Klebsiella aerogenes isolate in Vietnam carried both these tigecycline resistance genes on a transferable plasmid leading to high-level resistance to multiple clinically important antimicrobials, including carbapenem and tigecycline, and could actually transfer the plasmid to other bacteria. The spread of such a multidrug resistance plasmid among bacterial pathogens should be of great concern because there are few antimicrobials to combat bacteria that have acquired the plasmid.202134346701
151180.9414Characterization of an Extensively Drug-Resistant Salmonella Kentucky ST198 Co-Harboring cfr, mcr-1 and tet(A) Variant from Retail Chicken Meat in Shanghai, China. The emergence of extensively drug-resistant (XDR) foodborne pathogens poses grave threats to food safety. This study characterizes the genome of an XDR Salmonella Kentucky isolate (Sal23C1) co-harboring cfr, mcr-1 and tet(A) from Shanghai chicken meat in 2022, which was the only isolate co-harboring these three key resistance genes among 502 screened Salmonella isolates. Genomic analysis revealed that the multidrug resistance gene cfr, which confers resistance to phenicols, lincosamides, oxazolidinones, pleuromutilins and streptogramin A, was identified within a Tn3-IS6-cfr-IS6 structure on the transferable plasmid p3Sal23C1 (32,387 bp), showing high similarity to the Citrobacter braakii plasmid pCE32-2 (99% coverage, 99.98% identity). Concurrently, the mcr-1 gene resided in a pap2-mcr-1 structure on the transferable IncI2 plasmid p2Sal23C1 (63,103 bp). Notably, both genes could be co-transferred to recipient bacteria via conjugative plasmids at frequencies of (1.15 ± 0.98) × 10(-6). Furthermore, a novel ~79 kb multidrug resistance region (MRR) chromosomally inserted at the bcfH locus was identified, carrying fosA3, mph(A), rmtB, qnrS1 and bla(CTX-M-55). Additionally, a novel Salmonella Genomic Island 1 variant (SGI1-KI) harbored aadA7, qacEΔ1, sul1 and the tet(A) variant. The acquisition of these antibiotic resistance genes in this isolate enhanced bacterial resistance to 21 antimicrobials, including resistance to the critical last-resort antibiotics tigecycline and colistin, which left virtually no treatment options for potential infections. Taken together, this is the first comprehensive genomic report of an XDR poultry-derived Salmonella Kentucky isolate co-harboring cfr, mcr-1 and the tet(A) variant. The mobility of these resistance genes, facilitated by IS6 elements and conjugative plasmids, underscores significant public health risks associated with such isolates in the food chain.202540941142
153290.9413Identification of TMexCD-TOprJ-producing carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacteria from hospital sewage. Carbapenems and tigecycline are crucial antimicrobials for the treatment of gram-negative bacteria infections. Recently, a novel resistance-nodulation-division (RND) efflux pump gene cluster, tmexCD-toprJ, which confers resistance to tigecycline, has been discovered in animals and clinical isolates. It was reported that hospital sewage could act as a reservoir for gram-negative bacteria with high antimicrobial resistance genes. In this study, we analyzed 84 isolates of carbapenem-resistant gram-negative bacteria (CR-GNB) from hospital sewage, and identified five isolates of TMexCD-ToprJ-producing CR-GNB, including one Raoultella ornithinolytica isolate and four Pseudomonas spp. isolates. All these five isolates carried at least one carbapenem resistance gene and were resistant to multiple antibiotics. Multiple tmexCD-toprJ clusters were detected, including tmexC2D2-toprJ2, tmexC3D3-toprJ3, tmexC3.2D3.3-toprJ1b and tmexC3.2D3-toprJ1b. Among these clusters, the genetic construct of tmexC3.2D3-toprJ1b showed 2-fold higher minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of tigecycline than other three variants. In addition, it was found that the tmexCD-toprJ gene cluster was originated from Pseudomonas spp. and mainly located on Tn6855 variants inserted in the same umuC-like genes on chromosomes and plasmids. This unit co-localized with bla(IMP) or bla(VIM) on IncHI5-, Inc(pJBCL41)- and Inc(pSTY)-type plasmids in the five isolates of TMCR-GNB. The IncHI5- and Inc(pSTY)-type plasmids had the ability to conjugal transfer to E. coli J53 and P. aeruginosa PAO1, highlighting the potential risk of transfer of tmexCD-toprJ from Pseudomonas spp. to Enterobacterales. Importantly, genomic analysis showed that similar tmexCD-toprJ-harboring IncHI5 plasmids were also detected in human samples, suggesting transmission between environmental and human sectors. The emergence of TMCR-GNB from hospital sewage underscores the need for ongoing surveillance of antimicrobial resistance genes, particularly the novel resistance genes such as the tmexCD-toprJ gene clusters in the wastewater environment.202337480594
3021100.9413Sequencing and comparative analysis of IncP-1α antibiotic resistance plasmids reveal a highly conserved backbone and differences within accessory regions. Although IncP-1 plasmids are important for horizontal gene transfer among bacteria, in particular antibiotic resistance spread, so far only three plasmids from the subgroup IncP-1α have been completely sequenced. In this study we doubled this number. The three IncP-1α plasmids pB5, pB11 and pSP21 were isolated from bacteria of two different sewage treatment plants and sequenced by a combination of next-generation and capillary sequencing technologies. A comparative analysis including the previously analysed IncP-1α plasmids RK2, pTB11 and pBS228 revealed a highly conserved plasmid backbone (at least 99.9% DNA sequence identity) comprising 54 core genes. The accessory elements of the plasmid pB5 constitute a class 1 integron interrupting the parC gene and an IS6100 copy inserted into the integron. In addition, the tetracycline resistance genes tetAR and the ISTB11-like element are located between the klc operon and the trfA-ssb operon. Plasmid pB11 is loaded with a Tn5053-like mercury resistance transposon between the parCBA and parDE operons and contains tetAR that are identical to those identified in plasmid pB5 and the insertion sequence ISSP21. Plasmid pSP21 harbours an ISPa7 element in a Tn402 transposon including a class 1 integron between the partitioning genes parCBA and parDE. The IS-element ISSP21 (99.89% DNA sequence identity to ISSP21 from pB11), inserted downstream of the tetR gene and a copy of ISTB11 (identical to ISTB11 on pTB11) inserted between the genes pncA and pinR. On all three plasmids the accessory genes are almost always located between the backbone modules confirming the importance of the backbone functions for plasmid maintenance. The striking backbone conservation among the six completely sequenced IncP-1α plasmids is in contrast to the much higher diversity within the IncP-1β subgroup.201121115076
1492110.9413Characterization of the tet(M)-bearing transposon Tn7125 of Escherichia coli strain A13 isolated from an intensive pig farm located in Henan province, China. BACKGROUND: Transposons carrying tet(M) in Gram-positive bacteria have been reported extensively, while there is a paucity of data on the transmission characteristics of tet(M) in Gram-negative bacteria. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the genetic characteristics of the tet(M)-bearing transposon Tn7125, and to clarify the transmission mechanism of the plasmids pTA13-1 and pTA13-3 in Escherichia coli strain A13. METHODS: Plasmids from strain A13 and a corresponding transconjugant were determined by whole genome sequencing and analyzed using bioinformatics tools. The plasmids pTA13-1 and pTA13-3 of the transconjugant TA13 were characterized by S1-pulse-field gel electrophoresis, Southern hybridization, stability experiments, and direct competition assays. RESULTS: The conjugated IncF2:A6:B20 plasmid pTA13-1 co-transferred with the 41-kb plasmid pTA13-3, which carried no resistance genes; plasmid pTA13-2, which harbored the replication initiator PO111; and the IncX4 plasmid pTA13-4, which harbored the antibiotic resistance gene mcr-1. The novel IS26-bracked composite transposon Tn7125 was located on plasmid pTA13-1, which mainly consists of three resistance modules: IS26-ctp-lp-tet(M)-hp-IS406tnp, qac-aadA1-cmlA1-aadA2-DUF1010-dfrA12, and ∆ISVSa3-VirD-floR-LysR-ISVSa3. The plasmid pTA13-1 was highly stable in E. coli strain J53 with no fitness cost to the host or disadvantage in growth competition. CONCLUSION: Evolution of co-integrated transposons, such as Tn7125, may convey antibiotic resistance to a wide spectrum of hosts via the plasmids pTA13-1 and pTA13-3, which acts as an adaptable and mobile multidrug resistance reservoir to accelerate dissemination of other genes by co-selection, thereby posing a potentially serious barrier to clinical treatment regimens.202540639501
1536120.9411Complete Genetic Analysis of Plasmids Carried by Two Nonclonal bla(NDM-5)- and mcr-1-Bearing Escherichia coli Strains: Insight into Plasmid Transmission among Foodborne Bacteria. Our objective was to characterize the genetic features of plasmids harbored by two genetically related, MCR-1 and NDM-5-producing Escherichia coli strains recovered from a chicken meat sample. The genetic profiles of all plasmids harbored by the two test strains, namely, 1106 and 1107, were determined by whole-genome sequencing, S1-pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), Southern hybridization, and bioinformatics analysis. The transferability of plasmids harbored by the two strains was assessed by filter mating assay. Strains 1106 and 1107 were resistant to almost all the antibiotics, including colistin and fosfomycin, but remained susceptible to amikacin and tigecycline. The plasmids of p1107-NDM-5 and p1106-NDM-5 both contain a class I integron which lacks the ISAba125 element. The backbone of p1106-IncFII exhibited a high degree of similarity with that of p1106-NDM-5 and p1107-NDM-5, implying that events of plasmid fusion and resolution were involved in the formation of the two plasmids. The plasmids p1106-IncHI2MCR and p1107-IncHI2MCR belong to an IncHI2 replicon type, with three copies of ISApl1 being observed in p1106-IncHI2MCR, implying that the mcr-1 gene was transferable among bacteria that reside in the same food matrix. In this study, p1106-IncFIB, p1107-99K, p1107-111K, and p1107-118K were all found to be phage-like plasmids, with p1106-IncFIB and p1107-118K containing several virulence genes, including iroBCDEN, iucABCD, sitABCD, hlyF, and iss. Surprisingly, resistance genes such as aph(3')-Ia, sul3, and aac(3')-IId could also be found in p1107-118K, but resistance genes were not detected in other phage-like plasmids. In conclusion, enhanced surveillance is required to monitor and control the dissemination of various resistance determinants among foodborne pathogens. IMPORTANCE Carbapenem and colistin are last-resort antibiotics used to treat serious clinical infections caused by multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterial pathogens. Plasmids encoding resistance to carbapenems and colistin have been reported in clinical pathogens in recent years, and yet few studies reported cocarriage of mcr and bla(NDM) genes in Escherichia coli strains of food origin. How plasmids encoding these two important resistance determinants are being evolved and transmitted in bacterial pathogens is not well understood. In this study, we investigated the genetic features of plasmids harbored by two nonclonal, mcr-1- and bla(NDM-5)-bearing E. coli strains (1106 and 1107) recovered from a fresh chicken meat sample to understand and provide evidence of the level and dynamics of MDR plasmid transmission. Our data confirmed that active plasmid fusion and resolution events were involved in the formation of plasmids that harbor multiple resistance genes, which provide insights into the further control of plasmid evolution in bacterial pathogens.202134468190
1493130.9411Coexistence of blaKPC-2 and blaNDM-1 in one IncHI5 plasmid confers transferable carbapenem resistance from a clinical isolate of Klebsiella michiganensis in China. OBJECTIVES: This study firstly identified an IncHI5 plasmid pK254-KPC_NDM co-carrying two different class carbapenemase genes blaKPC-2 and blaNDM-1 in Klebsiella michiganensis K254. METHODS: The strain K254 was sequenced by high-throughput genome sequencing. A detailed genomic and phenotypic characterization of pK254-KPC_NDM was performed. RESULTS: pK254-KPC_NDM displayed the conserve IncHI5 backbone and carried a resistant accessory region: Tn1696-related transposon Tn7414 containing blaKPC-2 and blaNDM-1. A sequence comparison was applied to a collection of four Tn1696-related transposons (Tn7414-Tn7417) harbouring carbapenemase genes. For all these four transposons, the blaNDM-1 was carried by Tn125 derivatives within three different mobile genetic elements. Tn7414 further acquired another carbapenemase gene, blaKPC-2, because of the integration of the local blaKPC-2 genetic environment from Tn6296, resulting in the high-level carbapenem resistance of K. michiganensis K254. The conjugal transfer and plasmid stability experiments confirmed that pK254-KPC_NDM could be transferred intercellularly and keep the stable vertical inheritance in different bacteria, which would contribute to the further dissemination of multiple carbapenemase genes and enhance the adaption and survival of K. michiganensis under complex and diverse antimicrobial selection pressures. CONCLUSION: This study was the first to report the K. michiganensis isolate coharbouring blaKPC-2 and blaNDM-1 in the Tn1696-related transposon in IncHI5 plasmid. The emergence of novel transposons simultaneously carrying multiple carbapenemase genes might contribute to the further dissemination of high-level carbapenem resistance in the isolates of the hospital settings and pose new challenges for the treatment of nosocomial infection.202337714378
3019140.9411Identification and Characterization of New Resistance-Conferring SGI1s (Salmonella Genomic Island 1) in Proteus mirabilis. Salmonella genomic island 1 (SGI1) is a resistance-conferring chromosomal genomic island that contains an antibiotic resistance gene cluster. The international spread of SGI1-containing strains drew attention to the role of genomic islands in the dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes in Salmonella and other Gram-negative bacteria. In this study, five SGI1 variants conferring multidrug and heavy metal resistance were identified and characterized in Proteus mirabilis strains: SGI1-PmCAU, SGI1-PmABB, SGI1-PmJN16, SGI1-PmJN40, and SGI1-PmJN48. The genetic structures of SGI1-PmCAU and SGI1-PmABB were identical to previously reported SGI1s, while structural analysis showed that SGI1-PmJN16, SGI1-PmJN40, and SGI1-PmJN48 are new SGI1 variants. SGI1-PmJN16 is derived from SGI1-Z with the MDR region containing a new gene cassette array dfrA12-orfF-aadA2-qacEΔ1-sul1-chrA-orf1. SGI1-PmJN40 has an unprecedented structure that contains two right direct repeat sequences separated by a transcriptional regulator-rich DNA fragment, and is predicted to form two different extrachromosomal mobilizable DNA circles for dissemination. SGI1-PmJN48 lacks a common ORF S044, and its right junction region exhibits a unique genetic organization due to the reverse integration of a P. mirabilis chromosomal gene cluster and the insertion of part of a P. mirabilis plasmid, making it the largest known SGI1 to date (189.1 kb). Further mobility functional analysis suggested that these SGIs can be excised from the chromosome for transfer between bacteria, which promotes the horizontal transfer of antibiotic and heavy metal resistance genes. The identification and characterization of the new SGI1 variants in this work suggested the diversity of SGI1 structures and their significant roles in the evolution of bacteria.201830619228
3059150.9405Genome Analysis of Kingella kingae Strain KWG1 Reveals How a β-Lactamase Gene Inserted in the Chromosome of This Species. We describe the genome of a penicillinase-producing Kingella kingae strain (KWG1), the first to be isolated in continental Europe, whose bla(TEM-1) gene was, for the first time in this species, found to be chromosomally inserted. The bla(TEM) gene is located in an integrative and conjugative element (ICE) inserted in Met-tRNA and comprising genes that encode resistance to sulfonamides, streptomycin, and tetracycline. This ICE is homologous to resistance-conferring plasmids of K. kingae and other Gram-negative bacteria.201626574009
1763160.9404Multidrug Resistance Genes Carried by a Novel Transposon Tn7376 and a Genomic Island Named MMGI-4 in a Pathogenic Morganella morganii Isolate. Antimicrobial resistance in Morganella morganii is increasing in recent years, which is mainly introduced via extra genetic and mobile elements. The aim of our study is to analyze the multidrug resistance (MDR) and characterize the mobile genetic elements (MGEs) in M. morganii isolates. Here, we report the characteristic of a pathogenic M. morganii isolate containing multidrug resistance genes that are mainly carried by a novel transposon Tn7376 and a genomic island. Sequence analysis suggested that the Tn7376 could be generated through homologous recombination between two different IS26-bounded translocatable units (TUs), namely, module A (IS26-Hp-IS26-mph(A)-mrx(A)-mphR-IS6100-chrA-sul1-qacEΔ1) and module B (ISCR1-sul1-qacEΔ1-cmlA1-aadA1-aadB-intI1-IS26), and the genomic island named MMGI-4 might derive from a partial structure of different original genomic islands that also carried IS26-mediated TUs. Notably, a 2,518-bp sequence linked to the module A and B contains a 570-bp dfrA24 gene. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of the novel Tn7376 possessing a complex class 1 integron that carried an infrequent gene dfrA24 in M. morganii. IMPORTANCE Mobile genetic elements (MGEs), especially for IS26-bounded translocatable units, may act as a reservoir for a variety of antimicrobial resistance genes in clinically important pathogenic bacteria. We expounded this significant genetic characteristic by investigating a representative M. morganii isolate containing multidrug resistance genes, including the infrequent dfrA24. Our study suggested that these acquired resistance genes were mainly driven by IS26-flanked important MGEs, such as the novel Tn7376 and the MMGI-4. We demonstrated that IS26-related MGEs contributed to the emergence of the extra gene dfrA24 in M. morganii through some potential genetic events like recombination, transposition, and integration. Therefore, it is of importance to investigate persistently the prevalence these MEGs in the clinical pathogens to provide risk assessment of emergence and development of novel resistance genes.202235510850
9817170.9404Common regions e.g. orf513 and antibiotic resistance: IS91-like elements evolving complex class 1 integrons. The ability of bacteria to procure, sometimes rearrange, and evince acquired DNA continues to impress us-even more so if this genetic plasticity involves the sequestering of antibiotic resistance genes. The acquisition of genes in bacteria is often facilitated by transposons, integrons and archetype insertion elements. Recently however, a new element, 'orf513', has been increasingly associated with class 1 integrons. Moreover, these 'complex' class 1 integrons can potentially mediate resistance to chloramphenicol, trimethoprim, aminoglycosides and tetracycline and may carry a range of beta-lactamase genes as well as the qnrA gene. Elements such as 'orf513' demonstrate IS91-like characteristics and will mobilize adjacent DNA via a process called rolling circle replication, and thus we have renamed them 'insertion sequence CRs' (ISCRs) to appropriately reflect their structure-function properties. In this article, we provide a brief description of these new and clinically important mobile elements, and how they are able to mobilize antibiotic resistance genes.200616751201
9874180.9404Genomic islands related to Salmonella genomic island 1; integrative mobilisable elements in trmE mobilised in trans by A/C plasmids. Salmonella genomic island 1 (SGI1), an integrative mobilisable element (IME), was first reported 20 years ago, in the multidrug resistant Salmonella Typhimurium DT104 clone. Since this first report, many variants and relatives have been found in Salmonella enterica and Proteus mirabilis. Thanks to whole genome sequencing, more and more complete sequences of SGI1-related elements (SGI1-REs) have been reported in these last few years among Gammaproteobacteria. Here, the genetic organisation and main features common to SGI1-REs are summarised to help to classify them. Their integrases belong to the tyrosine-recombinase family and target the 3'-end of the trmE gene. They share the same genetic organisation (integrase and excisionase genes, replicase module, SgaCD-like transcriptional activator genes, traN, traG, mpsB/mpsA genes) and they harbour AcaCD binding sites promoting their excision, replication and mobilisation in presence of A/C plasmid. SGI1-REs are mosaic structures suggesting that recombination events occurred between them. Most of them harbour a multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR) region and the plasticity of their MAR region show that SGI1-REs play a key role in antibiotic resistance and might help multiple antibiotic resistant bacteria to adapt to their environment. This might explain the emergence of clones with SGI1-REs.202133582118
2004190.9402Deciphering the Structural Diversity and Classification of the Mobile Tigecycline Resistance Gene tet(X)-Bearing Plasmidome among Bacteria. The emergence of novel plasmid-mediated resistance genes constitutes a great public concern. Recently, mobile tet(X) variants were reported in diverse pathogens from different sources. However, the diversity of tet(X)-bearing plasmids remains largely unknown. In this study, the phenotypes and genotypes of all the tet(X)-positive tigecycline-resistant strains isolated from a slaughterhouse in China were characterized by antimicrobial susceptibility testing, conjugation, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis with S1 nuclease (S1-PFGE), and PCR. The diversity and polymorphism of tet(X)-harboring strains and plasmidomes were investigated by whole-genome sequencing (WGS) and single-plasmid-molecule analysis. Seventy-four tet(X4)-harboring Escherichia coli strains and one tet(X6)-bearing Providencia rettgeri strain were identified. The tet(X4)-bearing elements in 27 strains could be transferred to the recipient strain via plasmids. All tet(X4)-bearing plasmids isolated in this study and 15 tet(X4)-bearing plasmids reported online were analyzed. tet(X4)-bearing plasmids ranged from 9 to 294 kb and were categorized as ColE2-like, IncQ, IncX1, IncA/C2, IncFII, IncFIB, and hybrid plasmids with different replicons. The core tet(X4)-bearing genetic contexts were divided into four major groups: ISCR2-tet(X4)-abh, △ISCR2-abh-tet(X4)-ISCR2, ISCR2-abh-tet(X4)-ISCR2-virD2-floR, and abh-tet(X4)-ISCR2-yheS-cat-zitR-ISCR2-virD2-floR Tandem repeats of tet(X4) were universally mediated by ISCR2 Different tet(X)-bearing strains existed in the same microbiota. Reorganization of tet(X4)-bearing multidrug resistance plasmids was found to be mediated by IS26 and other homologous regions. Finally, single-plasmid-molecule analysis captured the heterogenous state of tet(X4)-bearing plasmids. These findings significantly expand our knowledge of the tet(X)-bearing plasmidome among microbiotas, which establishes a baseline for investigating the structure and diversity of human, animal, and environmental tigecycline resistomes. Characterization of tet(X) genes among different microbiotas should be performed systematically to understand the evolution and ecology.IMPORTANCE Tigecycline is an expanded-spectrum tetracycline used as a last-resort antimicrobial for treating infections caused by superbugs such as carbapenemase-producing or colistin-resistant pathogens. Emergence of the plasmid-mediated mobile tigecycline resistance gene tet(X4) created a great public health concern. However, the diversity of tet(X4)-bearing plasmids and bacteria remains largely uninvestigated. To cover this knowledge gap, we comprehensively identified and characterized the tet(X)-bearing plasmidome in different sources using advanced sequencing technologies for the first time. The huge diversity of tet(X4)-bearing mobile elements demonstrates the high level of transmissibility of the tet(X4) gene among bacteria. It is crucial to enhance stringent surveillance of tet(X) genes in animal and human pathogens globally.202032345737