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Han K, Li J, Yang D, Zhuang Q, Zeng H, Rong C, Yue J, Li N, Gu C, Chen L, Chen C. Detecting horizontal gene transfer with metagenomics co-barcoding sequencing. Microbiol Spectr 2024; 12:e0360223. [PMID: 38315121 PMCID: PMC10913427 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.03602-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 02/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) is the process through which genetic information is transferred between different genomes and that played a crucial role in bacterial evolution. HGT can enable bacteria to rapidly acquire antibiotic resistance and bacteria that have acquired resistance is spreading within the microbiome. Conventional methods of characterizing HGT patterns include short-read metagenomic sequencing (short-reads mNGS), long-read sequencing, and single-cell sequencing. These approaches present several limitations, such as short-read fragments, high amounts of input DNA, and sequencing costs, respectively. Here, we attempt to circumvent present limitations to detect HGT by developing a metagenomics co-barcode sequencing workflow (MECOS) and applying it to the human and mouse gut microbiomes. In addition to that, we have over 10-fold increased contig length compared to short-reads mNGS; we also obtained exceeding 30 million paired reads with co-barcode information. Applying the novel bioinformatic pipeline, we integrated this co-barcoding information and the context information from long reads, and observed over 50-fold HGT events after we corrected the potential wrong HGT events. Specifically, we detected approximately 3,000 HGT blocks in individual samples, encompassing ~6,000 genes and ~100 taxonomic groups, including loci conferring tetracycline resistance through ribosomal protection. MECOS provides a valuable tool for investigating HGT and advance our understanding on the evolution of natural microbial communities within hosts.IMPORTANCEIn this study, to better identify horizontal gene transfer (HGT) in individual samples, we introduce a new co-barcoding sequencing system called metagenomics co-barcoding sequencing (MECOS), which has three significant improvements: (i) long DNA fragment extraction, (ii) a special transposome insertion, (iii) hybridization of DNA to barcode beads, and (4) an integrated bioinformatic pipeline. Using our approach, we have over 10-fold increased contig length compared to short-reads mNGS, and observed over 50-fold HGT events after we corrected the potential wrong HGT events. Our results indicate the presence of approximately 3,000 HGT blocks, involving roughly 6,000 genes and 100 taxonomic groups in individual samples. Notably, these HGT events are predominantly enriched in genes that confer tetracycline resistance via ribosomal protection. MECOS is a useful tool for investigating HGT and the evolution of natural microbial communities within hosts, thereby advancing our understanding of microbial ecology and evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Han
- Biomedical Innovation Center and Beijing Key Laboratory for Therapeutic Cancer Vaccines, Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Jiarui Li
- Biomedical Innovation Center and Beijing Key Laboratory for Therapeutic Cancer Vaccines, Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Duo Yang
- Biomedical Innovation Center and Beijing Key Laboratory for Therapeutic Cancer Vaccines, Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Qinghui Zhuang
- Biomedical Innovation Center and Beijing Key Laboratory for Therapeutic Cancer Vaccines, Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Hui Zeng
- Biomedical Innovation Center and Beijing Key Laboratory for Therapeutic Cancer Vaccines, Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Chengbo Rong
- Biomedical Innovation Center and Beijing Key Laboratory for Therapeutic Cancer Vaccines, Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Jinglin Yue
- Biomedical Innovation Center and Beijing Key Laboratory for Therapeutic Cancer Vaccines, Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Na Li
- Biomedical Innovation Center and Beijing Key Laboratory for Therapeutic Cancer Vaccines, Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Chaoyang Gu
- Biomedical Innovation Center and Beijing Key Laboratory for Therapeutic Cancer Vaccines, Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Liang Chen
- Biomedical Innovation Center and Beijing Key Laboratory for Therapeutic Cancer Vaccines, Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Chen Chen
- Biomedical Innovation Center and Beijing Key Laboratory for Therapeutic Cancer Vaccines, Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
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Sanderson H, McCarthy MC, Nnajide CR, Sparrow J, Rubin JE, Dillon JAR, White AP. Identification of plasmids in avian-associated Escherichia coli using nanopore and illumina sequencing. BMC Genomics 2023; 24:698. [PMID: 37990161 PMCID: PMC10664647 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-023-09784-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/23/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) are the causative agents of colibacillosis in chickens, a disease which has significant economic impact on the poultry industry. Large plasmids detected in APEC are known to contribute to strain diversity for pathogenicity and antimicrobial resistance, but there could be other plasmids that are missed in standard analysis. In this study, we determined the impact of sequencing and assembly factors for the detection of plasmids in an E. coli whole genome sequencing project. RESULTS Hybrid assembly (Illumina and Nanopore) combined with plasmid DNA extractions allowed for detection of the greatest number of plasmids in E. coli, as detected by MOB-suite software. In total, 79 plasmids were identified in 19 E. coli isolates. Hybrid assemblies were robust and consistent in quality regardless of sequencing kit used or if long reads were filtered or not. In contrast, long read only assemblies were more variable and influenced by sequencing and assembly parameters. Plasmid DNA extractions allowed for the detection of physically smaller plasmids, but when averaged over 19 isolates did not significantly change the overall number of plasmids detected. CONCLUSIONS Hybrid assembly can be reliably used to detect plasmids in E. coli, especially if researchers are focused on large plasmids containing antimicrobial resistance genes and virulence factors. If the goal is comprehensive detection of all plasmids, particularly if smaller sized vectors are desired for biotechnology applications, the addition of plasmid DNA extractions to hybrid assemblies is prudent. Long read sequencing is sufficient to detect many plasmids in E. coli, however, it is more prone to errors when expanded to analyze a large number of isolates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haley Sanderson
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO), University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - Madeline C McCarthy
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO), University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
- Current address: Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Chinenye R Nnajide
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO), University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - Jessica Sparrow
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO), University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - Joseph E Rubin
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - Jo-Anne R Dillon
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO), University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - Aaron P White
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO), University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada.
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada.
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Alioto TS, Gut M, Rodiño-Janeiro BK, Cruz F, Gómez-Garrido J, Vázquez-Ucha JC, Mata C, Antoni R, Briansó F, Dabad M, Casals E, Ingham M, Álvarez-Tejado M, Bou G, Gut IG. Development of a novel streamlined workflow (AACRE) and database (inCREDBle) for genomic analysis of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales. Microb Genom 2023; 9. [PMID: 38010338 DOI: 10.1099/mgen.0.001132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2023] Open
Abstract
In response to the threat of increasing antimicrobial resistance, we must increase the amount of available high-quality genomic data gathered on antibiotic-resistant bacteria. To this end, we developed an integrated pipeline for high-throughput long-read sequencing, assembly, annotation and analysis of bacterial isolates and used it to generate a large genomic data set of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE) isolates collected in Spain. The set of 461 isolates were sequenced with a combination of both Illumina and Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) DNA sequencing technologies in order to provide genomic context for chromosomal loci and, most importantly, structural resolution of plasmids, important determinants for transmission of antimicrobial resistance. We developed an informatics pipeline called Assembly and Annotation of Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae (AACRE) for the full assembly and annotation of the bacterial genomes and their complement of plasmids. To explore the resulting genomic data set, we developed a new database called inCREDBle that not only stores the genomic data, but provides unique ways to filter and compare data, enabling comparative genomic analyses at the level of chromosomes, plasmids and individual genes. We identified a new sequence type, ST5000, and discovered a genomic locus unique to ST15 that may be linked to its increased spread in the population. In addition to our major objective of generating a large regional data set, we took the opportunity to compare the effects of sample quality and sequencing methods, including R9 versus R10 nanopore chemistry, on genome assembly and annotation quality. We conclude that converting short-read and hybrid microbial sequencing and assembly workflows to the latest nanopore chemistry will further reduce processing time and cost, truly enabling the routine monitoring of resistance transmission patterns at the resolution of complete chromosomes and plasmids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tyler S Alioto
- Centro Nacional de Análisis Genómico, C/Baldiri Reixac 4, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marta Gut
- Centro Nacional de Análisis Genómico, C/Baldiri Reixac 4, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Bruno Kotska Rodiño-Janeiro
- Microbiology Department, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario A Coruña-Instituto Investigación Biomédica A Coruña (INIBIC), A Coruña, Spain
| | - Fernando Cruz
- Centro Nacional de Análisis Genómico, C/Baldiri Reixac 4, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jèssica Gómez-Garrido
- Centro Nacional de Análisis Genómico, C/Baldiri Reixac 4, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Juan Carlos Vázquez-Ucha
- Microbiology Department, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario A Coruña-Instituto Investigación Biomédica A Coruña (INIBIC), A Coruña, Spain
- CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), ISCIII, Madrid, Spain
| | - Caterina Mata
- Centro Nacional de Análisis Genómico, C/Baldiri Reixac 4, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Regina Antoni
- Centro Nacional de Análisis Genómico, C/Baldiri Reixac 4, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ferran Briansó
- Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain
- Roche Diagnostics, Sant Cugat del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marc Dabad
- Centro Nacional de Análisis Genómico, C/Baldiri Reixac 4, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Eloi Casals
- Centro Nacional de Análisis Genómico, C/Baldiri Reixac 4, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Matthew Ingham
- Centro Nacional de Análisis Genómico, C/Baldiri Reixac 4, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Germán Bou
- Microbiology Department, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario A Coruña-Instituto Investigación Biomédica A Coruña (INIBIC), A Coruña, Spain
- CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), ISCIII, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ivo G Gut
- Centro Nacional de Análisis Genómico, C/Baldiri Reixac 4, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain
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Rose R, Nolan DJ, Ashcraft D, Feehan AK, Velez-Climent L, Huston C, Lain B, Rosenthal S, Miele L, Fogel GB, Pankey G, Garcia-Diaz J, Lamers SL. Comparing antimicrobial resistant genes and phenotypes across multiple sequencing platforms and assays for Enterobacterales clinical isolates. BMC Microbiol 2023; 23:225. [PMID: 37596530 PMCID: PMC10436404 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-023-02975-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/20/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Whole genome sequencing (WGS) of bacterial isolates can be used to identify antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes. Previous studies have shown that genotype-based AMR has variable accuracy for predicting carbapenem resistance in carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE); however, the majority of these studies used short-read platforms (e.g. Illumina) to generate sequence data. In this study, our objective was to determine whether Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) long-read WGS would improve detection of carbapenem AMR genes with respect to short-read only WGS for nine clinical CRE samples. We measured the minimum inhibitory breakpoint (MIC) using two phenotype assays (MicroScan and ETEST) for six antibiotics, including two carbapenems (meropenem and ertapenem) and four non-carbapenems (gentamicin, ciprofloxacin, cefepime, and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole). We generated short-read data using the Illumina NextSeq and long-read data using the ONT MinION. Four assembly methods were compared: ONT-only assembly; ONT-only assembly plus short-read polish; ONT + short-read hybrid assembly plus short-read polish; short-read only assembly. RESULTS Consistent with previous studies, our results suggest that the hybrid assembly produced the highest quality results as measured by gene completeness and contig circularization. However, ONT-only methods had minimal impact on the detection of AMR genes and plasmids compared to short-read methods, although, notably, differences in gene copy number differed between methods. All four assembly methods showed identical presence/absence of the blaKPC-2 carbapenemase gene for all samples. The two phenotype assays showed 100% concordant results for the non-carbapenems, but only 65% concordance for the two carbapenems. The presence/absence of AMR genes was 100% concordant with AMR phenotypes for all four non-carbapenem drugs, although only 22%-50% sensitivity for the carbapenems. CONCLUSIONS Overall, these findings suggest that the lack of complete correspondence between CRE AMR genotype and phenotype for carbapenems, while concerning, is independent of sequencing platform/assembly method.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Rose
- BioInfoExperts LLC, 718 Bayou Lane, Thibodaux, LA, 70301, USA.
- FoxSeq, LLC, Thibodaux, LA, USA.
| | - David J Nolan
- BioInfoExperts LLC, 718 Bayou Lane, Thibodaux, LA, 70301, USA
| | - Deborah Ashcraft
- Infectious Disease Translational Research, Ochsner Clinic Foundation, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Amy K Feehan
- Infectious Disease Clinical Research, Ochsner Clinic Foundation, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | | | | | - Benjamin Lain
- BioInfoExperts LLC, 718 Bayou Lane, Thibodaux, LA, 70301, USA
| | - Simon Rosenthal
- BioInfoExperts LLC, 718 Bayou Lane, Thibodaux, LA, 70301, USA
| | - Lucio Miele
- Translational Science and Genetics at Louisiana State University Health Science Center, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | | | - George Pankey
- Infectious Disease Translational Research, Ochsner Clinic Foundation, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Julia Garcia-Diaz
- Infectious Disease Clinical Research, Ochsner Clinic Foundation, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Susanna L Lamers
- BioInfoExperts LLC, 718 Bayou Lane, Thibodaux, LA, 70301, USA
- FoxSeq, LLC, Thibodaux, LA, USA
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Safar HA, Alatar F, Nasser K, Al-Ajmi R, Alfouzan W, Mustafa AS. The impact of applying various de novo assembly and correction tools on the identification of genome characterization, drug resistance, and virulence factors of clinical isolates using ONT sequencing. BMC Biotechnol 2023; 23:26. [PMID: 37525145 PMCID: PMC10391896 DOI: 10.1186/s12896-023-00797-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Oxford Nanopore sequencing technology (ONT) is currently widely used due to its affordability, simplicity, and reliability. Despite the advantage ONT has over next-generation sequencing in detecting resistance genes in mobile genetic elements, its relatively high error rate (10-15%) is still a deterrent. Several bioinformatic tools are freely available for raw data processing and obtaining complete and more accurate genome assemblies. In this study, we evaluated the impact of using mix-and-matched read assembly (Flye, Canu, Wtdbg2, and NECAT) and read correction (Medaka, NextPolish, and Racon) tools in generating complete and accurate genome assemblies, and downstream genomic analysis of nine clinical Escherichia coli isolates. Flye and Canu assemblers were the most robust in genome assembly, and Medaka and Racon correction tools significantly improved assembly parameters. Flye functioned well in pan-genome analysis, while Medaka increased the number of core genes detected. Flye, Canu, and NECAT assembler functioned well in detecting antimicrobial resistance genes (AMR), while Wtdbg2 required correction tools for better detection. Flye was the best assembler for detecting and locating both virulence and AMR genes (i.e., chromosomal vs. plasmid). This study provides insight into the performance of several read assembly and read correction tools for analyzing ONT sequencing reads for clinical isolates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hussain A Safar
- OMICS Research Unit, Health Science Centre, Kuwait University, Hawalli Governorate, Kuwait
| | - Fatemah Alatar
- Serology and Molecular Microbiology Reference Laboratory, Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital, Ministry of Health, Hawalli Governorate, Kuwait
| | - Kother Nasser
- Serology and Molecular Microbiology Reference Laboratory, Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital, Ministry of Health, Hawalli Governorate, Kuwait
| | - Rehab Al-Ajmi
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University, Hawalli Governorate, Kuwait
| | - Wadha Alfouzan
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University, Hawalli Governorate, Kuwait
- Microbiology Unit, Farwaniya Hospital, Ministry of Health, Al Farwaniyah Governorate, Kuwait
| | - Abu Salim Mustafa
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University, Hawalli Governorate, Kuwait.
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Werner G, Abu Sin M, Bahrs C, Brogden S, Feßler AT, Hagel S, Kaspar H, Köck R, Kreienbrock L, Krüger-Haker H, Maechler F, Noll I, Pletz MW, Tenhagen BA, Schwarz S, Walther B, Mielke M. [Therapy-relevant antibiotic resistances in a One Health context]. Bundesgesundheitsblatt Gesundheitsforschung Gesundheitsschutz 2023:10.1007/s00103-023-03713-4. [PMID: 37184673 DOI: 10.1007/s00103-023-03713-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
One Health refers to a concept that links human, animal, and environmental health. In Germany, there is extensive data on antibiotic resistance (AMR) and multidrug-resistant (micro)organisms (MDRO) in human and veterinary medicine, as well as from studies in various environmental compartments (soil, water, wastewater). All these activities are conducted according to different specifications and standards, which makes it difficult to compare data. A focus on AMR and MDRO of human therapeutic importance is helpful to provide some guidance. Most data are available across sectors on methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and multiresistant Enterobacterales such as Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae. Here, the trends of resistance are heterogeneous. Antibiotic use leads to MRE selection, which is well documented. Success in minimizing antibiotic use has also been demonstrated in recent years in several sectors and could be correlated with success in containing AMR and MDRO (e.g., decrease in MRSA in human medicine). Sector-specific measures to reduce the burden of MDRO and AMR are also necessary, as not all resistance problems are linked to other sectors. Carbapenem resistance is still rare, but most apparent in human pathogens. Colistin resistance occurs in different sectors but shows different mechanisms in each. Resistance to antibiotics of last resort such as linezolid is rare in Germany, but shows a specific One Health correlation. Efforts to harmonize methods, for example in the field of antimicrobial susceptibility testing and genome-based pathogen and AMR surveillance, are an important first step towards a better comparability of the different data collections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guido Werner
- Robert Koch Institut, Berlin, Deutschland.
- Abt. Infektionskrankheiten, Fachgebiet Nosokomiale Infektionserreger und Antibiotikaresistenzen, Robert Koch-Institut, Außenstelle Wernigerode, Burgstr. 37, 38855, Wernigerode, Deutschland.
| | - Muna Abu Sin
- Robert Koch Institut, Berlin, Deutschland
- WHO Collaborating Centre for Antimicrobial Resistance, Consumption and Healthcare-Associated Infections, Berlin, Deutschland
| | - Christina Bahrs
- Institut für Infektionsmedizin und Krankenhaushygiene, Universitätsklinikum Jena, Jena, Deutschland
| | - Sandra Brogden
- Institut für Biometrie, Epidemiologie und Informationsverarbeitung, Stiftung Tierärztliche Hochschule Hannover, Hannover, Deutschland
- WHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Training for Health at the Human-Animal-Environment Interface, Hannover, Deutschland
| | - Andrea T Feßler
- Institut für Mikrobiologie und Tierseuchen, Fachbereich Veterinärmedizin, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Deutschland
- Tiermedizinisches Zentrum für Resistenzforschung (TZR), Fachbereich Veterinärmedizin, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Deutschland
| | - Stefan Hagel
- Institut für Infektionsmedizin und Krankenhaushygiene, Universitätsklinikum Jena, Jena, Deutschland
| | - Heike Kaspar
- Bundesamt für Verbraucherschutz und Lebensmittelsicherheit, Berlin, Deutschland
| | - Robin Köck
- Bereich Hygiene und Umweltmedizin, Universitätsmedizin Essen, Essen, Deutschland
- Institut für Hygiene, Universitätsklinikum Münster, Münster, Deutschland
| | - Lothar Kreienbrock
- Institut für Biometrie, Epidemiologie und Informationsverarbeitung, Stiftung Tierärztliche Hochschule Hannover, Hannover, Deutschland
- WHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Training for Health at the Human-Animal-Environment Interface, Hannover, Deutschland
| | - Henrike Krüger-Haker
- Institut für Mikrobiologie und Tierseuchen, Fachbereich Veterinärmedizin, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Deutschland
- Tiermedizinisches Zentrum für Resistenzforschung (TZR), Fachbereich Veterinärmedizin, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Deutschland
| | - Frederike Maechler
- Institut für Hygiene und Umweltmedizin, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Deutschland
| | - Ines Noll
- Robert Koch Institut, Berlin, Deutschland
- WHO Collaborating Centre for Antimicrobial Resistance, Consumption and Healthcare-Associated Infections, Berlin, Deutschland
| | - Mathias W Pletz
- Institut für Infektionsmedizin und Krankenhaushygiene, Universitätsklinikum Jena, Jena, Deutschland
| | - Bernd-Alois Tenhagen
- Fachbereich Epidemiologie, Zoonosen und Antibiotikaresistenz, Abteilung Biologische Sicherheit, Bundesinstitut für Risikobewertung BfR, Berlin, Deutschland
| | - Stefan Schwarz
- Institut für Mikrobiologie und Tierseuchen, Fachbereich Veterinärmedizin, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Deutschland
- Tiermedizinisches Zentrum für Resistenzforschung (TZR), Fachbereich Veterinärmedizin, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Deutschland
| | - Birgit Walther
- Robert Koch Institut, Berlin, Deutschland
- Fachgebiet Mikrobiologische Risiken, Abteilung Umwelthygiene, Umweltbundesamt, Berlin, Deutschland
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Johnson J, Soehnlen M, Blankenship HM. Long read genome assemblers struggle with small plasmids. Microb Genom 2023; 9. [PMID: 37224062 DOI: 10.1099/mgen.0.001024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Whole-genome sequencing has become a preferred method for studying bacterial plasmids, as it is generally assumed to capture the entire genome. However, long-read genome assemblers have been shown to sometimes miss plasmid sequences - an issue that has been associated with plasmid size. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between plasmid size and plasmid recovery by the long-read-only assemblers, Flye, Raven, Miniasm, and Canu. This was accomplished by determining the number of times each assembler successfully recovered 33 plasmids, ranging from 1919 to 194 062 bp in size and belonging to 14 bacterial isolates from six bacterial genera, using Oxford Nanopore long reads. These results were additionally compared to plasmid recovery rates by the short-read-first assembler, Unicycler, using both Oxford Nanopore long reads and Illumina short reads. Results from this study indicate that Canu, Flye, Miniasm, and Raven are prone to missing plasmid sequences, whereas Unicycler was successful at recovering 100 % of plasmid sequences. Excluding Canu, most plasmid loss by long-read-only assemblers was due to failure to recover plasmids smaller than 10 kb. As such, it is recommended that Unicycler be used to increase the likelihood of plasmid recovery during bacterial genome assembly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jared Johnson
- Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, Bureau of Laboratories, Lansing, MI, 48906, USA
| | - Marty Soehnlen
- Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, Bureau of Laboratories, Lansing, MI, 48906, USA
| | - Heather M Blankenship
- Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, Bureau of Laboratories, Lansing, MI, 48906, USA
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Moshe M, Gupta CL, Sela N, Minz D, Banin E, Frenkel O, Cytryn E. Comparative genomics of Bacillus cereus sensu lato spp. biocontrol strains in correlation to in-vitro phenotypes and plant pathogen antagonistic capacity. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:996287. [PMID: 36846749 PMCID: PMC9947482 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.996287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacillus cereus sensu lato (Bcsl) strains are widely explored due to their capacity to antagonize a broad range of plant pathogens. These include B. cereus sp. UW85, whose antagonistic capacity is attributed to the secondary metabolite Zwittermicin A (ZwA). We recently isolated four soil and root-associated Bcsl strains (MO2, S-10, S-25, LSTW-24) that displayed different growth profiles and in-vitro antagonistic effects against three soilborne plant pathogens models: Pythium aphanidermatum (oomycete) Rhizoctonia solani (basidiomycete), and Fusarium oxysporum (ascomycete). To identify genetic mechanisms potentially responsible for the differences in growth and antagonistic phenotypes of these Bcsl strains, we sequenced and compared their genomes, and that of strain UW85 using a hybrid sequencing pipeline. Despite similarities, specific Bcsl strains had unique secondary metabolite and chitinase-encoding genes that could potentially explain observed differences in in-vitro chitinolytic potential and anti-fungal activity. Strains UW85, S-10 and S-25 contained a (~500 Kbp) mega-plasmid that harbored the ZwA biosynthetic gene cluster. The UW85 mega-plasmid contained more ABC transporters than the other two strains, whereas the S-25 mega-plasmid carried a unique cluster containing cellulose and chitin degrading genes. Collectively, comparative genomics revealed several mechanisms that can potentially explain differences in in-vitro antagonism of Bcsl strains toward fungal plant pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maya Moshe
- Institute of Soil, Water and Environmental Sciences, Agricultural Research Organization, Rishon-Lezion, Israel
- Institute of Plant Pathology and Weed Research, Agricultural Research Organization, Rishon-Lezion, Israel
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Chhedi Lal Gupta
- Institute of Soil, Water and Environmental Sciences, Agricultural Research Organization, Rishon-Lezion, Israel
| | - Noa Sela
- Institute of Plant Pathology and Weed Research, Agricultural Research Organization, Rishon-Lezion, Israel
| | - Dror Minz
- Institute of Soil, Water and Environmental Sciences, Agricultural Research Organization, Rishon-Lezion, Israel
| | - Ehud Banin
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Omer Frenkel
- Institute of Plant Pathology and Weed Research, Agricultural Research Organization, Rishon-Lezion, Israel
| | - Eddie Cytryn
- Institute of Soil, Water and Environmental Sciences, Agricultural Research Organization, Rishon-Lezion, Israel
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9
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Alba P, Carfora V, Feltrin F, Diaconu EL, Sorbara L, Dell'Aira E, Cerci T, Ianzano A, Donati V, Franco A, Battisti A. Evidence of structural rearrangements in ESBL-positive pESI(like) megaplasmids of S.Infantis. FEMS Microbiol Lett 2023; 370:7049104. [PMID: 36806934 PMCID: PMC9990980 DOI: 10.1093/femsle/fnad014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Revised: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/17/2023] [Indexed: 02/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The increasing prevalence of pESI(like)-positive, multidrug-resistant (MDR) S. Infantis in Europe is a cause of major concern. As previously demonstrated, the pESI(like) megaplasmid is not only a carrier of antimicrobial resistant (AMR) genes (at least tet, dfr, and sul genes), but also harbours several virulence and fitness genes, and toxin/antitoxin systems that enhance its persistence in the S. Infantis host. In this study, five prototype pESI(like) plasmids, of either CTX-M-1 or CTX-M-65 ESBL-producing strains, were long-read sequenced using Oxford Nanopore Technology (ONT), and their complete sequences were resolved. Comparison of the structure and gene content of the five sequenced plasmids, and further comparison with previously published pESI(like) sequences, indicated that although the sequence of such pESI(like) 'mosaic' plasmids remains almost identical, their structures appear different and composed of regions inserted or transposed after different events. The results obtained in this study are essential to better understand the plasticity and the evolution of the pESI(like) megaplasmid, and therefore to better address risk management options and policy decisions to fight against AMR and MDR in Salmonella and other food-borne pathogens. Graphical representation of the pESI-like plasmid complete sequence (ID 12037823/11). Block colours indicate the function of the genes: red: repB gene; pink: class I integrons (IntI); yellow; mobile elements; blue: resistance genes; green: toxin/anti-toxin systems; grey: mer operon; light green: genes involve in conjugation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia Alba
- National Reference Laboratory for Antimicrobial Resistance, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Lazio e della Toscana "M. Aleandri," General Diagnostics Department, Rome 00178, Italy
| | - Virginia Carfora
- National Reference Laboratory for Antimicrobial Resistance, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Lazio e della Toscana "M. Aleandri," General Diagnostics Department, Rome 00178, Italy
| | - Fabiola Feltrin
- National Reference Laboratory for Antimicrobial Resistance, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Lazio e della Toscana "M. Aleandri," General Diagnostics Department, Rome 00178, Italy
| | - Elena Lavinia Diaconu
- National Reference Laboratory for Antimicrobial Resistance, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Lazio e della Toscana "M. Aleandri," General Diagnostics Department, Rome 00178, Italy
| | - Luigi Sorbara
- National Reference Laboratory for Antimicrobial Resistance, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Lazio e della Toscana "M. Aleandri," General Diagnostics Department, Rome 00178, Italy
| | - Elena Dell'Aira
- National Reference Laboratory for Antimicrobial Resistance, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Lazio e della Toscana "M. Aleandri," General Diagnostics Department, Rome 00178, Italy
| | - Tamara Cerci
- National Reference Laboratory for Antimicrobial Resistance, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Lazio e della Toscana "M. Aleandri," General Diagnostics Department, Rome 00178, Italy
| | - Angela Ianzano
- National Reference Laboratory for Antimicrobial Resistance, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Lazio e della Toscana "M. Aleandri," General Diagnostics Department, Rome 00178, Italy
| | - Valentina Donati
- National Reference Laboratory for Antimicrobial Resistance, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Lazio e della Toscana "M. Aleandri," General Diagnostics Department, Rome 00178, Italy
| | - Alessia Franco
- National Reference Laboratory for Antimicrobial Resistance, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Lazio e della Toscana "M. Aleandri," General Diagnostics Department, Rome 00178, Italy
| | - Antonio Battisti
- National Reference Laboratory for Antimicrobial Resistance, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Lazio e della Toscana "M. Aleandri," General Diagnostics Department, Rome 00178, Italy
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10
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Berbers B, Vanneste K, Roosens NHCJ, Marchal K, Ceyssens PJ, De Keersmaecker SCJ. Using a combination of short- and long-read sequencing to investigate the diversity in plasmid- and chromosomally encoded extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs) in clinical Shigella and Salmonella isolates in Belgium. Microb Genom 2023; 9:mgen000925. [PMID: 36748573 PMCID: PMC9973847 DOI: 10.1099/mgen.0.000925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
For antimicrobial resistance (AMR) surveillance, it is important not only to detect AMR genes, but also to determine their plasmidic or chromosomal location, as this will impact their spread differently. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) is increasingly used for AMR surveillance. However, determining the genetic context of AMR genes using only short-read sequencing is complicated. The combination with long-read sequencing offers a potential solution, as it allows hybrid assemblies. Nevertheless, its use in surveillance has so far been limited. This study aimed to demonstrate its added value for AMR surveillance based on a case study of extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs). ESBL genes have been reported to occur also on plasmids. To gain insight into the diversity and genetic context of ESBL genes detected in clinical isolates received by the Belgian National Reference Center between 2013 and 2018, 100 ESBL-producing Shigella and 31 ESBL-producing Salmonella were sequenced with MiSeq and a representative selection of 20 Shigella and six Salmonella isolates additionally with MinION technology, allowing hybrid assembly. The bla CTX-M-15 gene was found to be responsible for a rapid rise in the ESBL Shigella phenotype from 2017. This gene was mostly detected on multi-resistance-carrying IncFII plasmids. Based on clustering, these plasmids were determined to be distinct from the circulating plasmids before 2017. They were spread to different Shigella species and within Shigella sonnei between multiple genotypes. Another similar IncFII plasmid was detected after 2017 containing bla CTX-M-27 for which only clonal expansion occurred. Matches of up to 99 % to plasmids of various bacterial hosts from all over the world were found, but global alignments indicated that direct or recent ESBL-plasmid transfers did not occur. It is most likely that travellers introduced these in Belgium and subsequently spread them domestically. However, a clear link to a specific country could not be made. Moreover, integration of bla CTX-M in the chromosome of two Shigella isolates was determined for the first time, and shown to be related to ISEcp1. In contrast, in Salmonella, ESBL genes were only found on plasmids, of which bla CTX-M-55 and IncHI2 were the most prevalent, respectively. No matching ESBL plasmids or cassettes were detected between clinical Shigella and Salmonella isolates. The hybrid assembly data allowed us to check the accuracy of plasmid prediction tools. MOB-suite showed the highest accuracy. However, these tools cannot replace the accuracy of long-read and hybrid assemblies. This study illustrates the added value of hybrid assemblies for AMR surveillance and shows that a strategy where even just representative isolates of a collection used for hybrid assemblies could improve international AMR surveillance as it allows plasmid tracking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bas Berbers
- Transversal Activities in Applied Genomics, Sciensano, 1050 Brussels, Belgium.,Department of Information Technology, IDLab, Ghent University, IMEC, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Kevin Vanneste
- Transversal Activities in Applied Genomics, Sciensano, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Nancy H C J Roosens
- Transversal Activities in Applied Genomics, Sciensano, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Kathleen Marchal
- Department of Information Technology, IDLab, Ghent University, IMEC, 9052 Ghent, Belgium.,Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
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11
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Hadjadj L, Cassir N, Saïdani N, Hoffman C, Brouqui P, Astoul P, Rolain JM, Baron SA. Outbreak of carbapenem-resistant enterobacteria in a thoracic-oncology unit through clonal and plasmid-mediated transmission of the bla OXA-48 gene in Southern France. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:1048516. [PMID: 36569199 PMCID: PMC9768218 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.1048516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) represent an increasing threat to public health, especially in hospitals. Objectives To investigate an outbreak of CPE in a thoracic-oncology unit by using whole genome sequencing (WGS) and to describe the control measures taken to limit the epidemic, including fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT). Methods A retrospective study between December 2016 and October 2017 was performed to investigate an outbreak of CPE in a thoracic-oncology unit at the North Hospital in Marseille, France. The isolates were identified, and antimicrobial susceptibility tests were performed. All CPE were sequenced using MiSeq and/or MinIon technologies. Nucleotide variations between plasmids and similarity within the same species were investigated. The origin of this outbreak, its spread, and the decolonization of patients in the ward were also studied. Results Four Citrobacter freundii, one Enterobacter cloacae and four E. hormaechei OXA-48 carbapenemase producers were isolated in eight patients hospitalized the same year in a thoracic-oncology ward. The bla OXA-48 gene was present in a Tn1999.2 transposon located in IncL/M plasmids, with single nucleotide variants (SNV) ranging from 0 to 5. All C. freundii strains belonged to the same ST22 and had more than 99.6% similarity between them. Two strains of E. hormaechei ST1007 were almost identical at 99.98%, while the others belonged to a different ST (ST98, ST114, ST133). No single source was identified. FMT resulted in decolonization in 4/6 patients. Conclusions WGS demonstrated the dissemination of the bla OXA-48 gene by both clonal (C. freundii ST22 and E. hormaechei ST1007) and plasmid spread (pOXA-48 IncL/M). The origin of this outbreak appeared to be both external and internal to the ward. This evidence of cross-infection supports the urgent need for the implementation of infection control measures to prevent CPE dissemination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda Hadjadj
- Aix Marseille Univ, Institut de recherche pour le développement (IRD), Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Marseille (APHM), Microbes, Evolution, Phylogénie et Infection (MEPHI), Faculté de Médecine et de Pharmacie, Marseille, France,Institut hospitalo-universitaire (IHU) Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
| | - Nadim Cassir
- Aix Marseille Univ, Institut de recherche pour le développement (IRD), Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Marseille (APHM), Microbes, Evolution, Phylogénie et Infection (MEPHI), Faculté de Médecine et de Pharmacie, Marseille, France,Institut hospitalo-universitaire (IHU) Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
| | - Nadia Saïdani
- Institut hospitalo-universitaire (IHU) Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France,Service de Maladies infectieuses et tropicales, Centre Hospitalier de Quimper, Quimper, France
| | - Clémence Hoffman
- Institut hospitalo-universitaire (IHU) Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
| | - Philippe Brouqui
- Aix Marseille Univ, Institut de recherche pour le développement (IRD), Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Marseille (APHM), Microbes, Evolution, Phylogénie et Infection (MEPHI), Faculté de Médecine et de Pharmacie, Marseille, France,Institut hospitalo-universitaire (IHU) Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
| | - Philippe Astoul
- Department of Thoracic Oncology, Pleural Diseases, and Interventional Pulmonology, North University Hospital, Marseille, France,Aix-Marseille University, Marseille, France
| | - Jean-Marc Rolain
- Aix Marseille Univ, Institut de recherche pour le développement (IRD), Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Marseille (APHM), Microbes, Evolution, Phylogénie et Infection (MEPHI), Faculté de Médecine et de Pharmacie, Marseille, France,Institut hospitalo-universitaire (IHU) Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
| | - Sophie Alexandra Baron
- Aix Marseille Univ, Institut de recherche pour le développement (IRD), Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Marseille (APHM), Microbes, Evolution, Phylogénie et Infection (MEPHI), Faculté de Médecine et de Pharmacie, Marseille, France,Institut hospitalo-universitaire (IHU) Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France,*Correspondence: Sophie Alexandra Baron,
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12
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Pillay S, Calderón-Franco D, Urhan A, Abeel T. Metagenomic-based surveillance systems for antibiotic resistance in non-clinical settings. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:1066995. [PMID: 36532424 PMCID: PMC9755710 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1066995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 11/09/2022] [Indexed: 08/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The success of antibiotics as a therapeutic agent has led to their ineffectiveness. The continuous use and misuse in clinical and non-clinical areas have led to the emergence and spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and its genetic determinants. This is a multi-dimensional problem that has now become a global health crisis. Antibiotic resistance research has primarily focused on the clinical healthcare sectors while overlooking the non-clinical sectors. The increasing antibiotic usage in the environment - including animals, plants, soil, and water - are drivers of antibiotic resistance and function as a transmission route for antibiotic resistant pathogens and is a source for resistance genes. These natural compartments are interconnected with each other and humans, allowing the spread of antibiotic resistance via horizontal gene transfer between commensal and pathogenic bacteria. Identifying and understanding genetic exchange within and between natural compartments can provide insight into the transmission, dissemination, and emergence mechanisms. The development of high-throughput DNA sequencing technologies has made antibiotic resistance research more accessible and feasible. In particular, the combination of metagenomics and powerful bioinformatic tools and platforms have facilitated the identification of microbial communities and has allowed access to genomic data by bypassing the need for isolating and culturing microorganisms. This review aimed to reflect on the different sequencing techniques, metagenomic approaches, and bioinformatics tools and pipelines with their respective advantages and limitations for antibiotic resistance research. These approaches can provide insight into resistance mechanisms, the microbial population, emerging pathogens, resistance genes, and their dissemination. This information can influence policies, develop preventative measures and alleviate the burden caused by antibiotic resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Pillay
- Delft Bioinformatics Lab, Delft University of Technology, Delft, Netherlands
| | | | - Aysun Urhan
- Delft Bioinformatics Lab, Delft University of Technology, Delft, Netherlands
- Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Thomas Abeel
- Delft Bioinformatics Lab, Delft University of Technology, Delft, Netherlands
- Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, United States
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13
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Shropshire WC, Konovalova A, McDaneld P, Gohel M, Strope B, Sahasrabhojane P, Tran CN, Greenberg D, Kim J, Zhan X, Aitken S, Bhatti M, Savidge TC, Treangen TJ, Hanson BM, Arias CA, Shelburne SA. Systematic Analysis of Mobile Genetic Elements Mediating β-Lactamase Gene Amplification in Noncarbapenemase-Producing Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacterales Bloodstream Infections. mSystems 2022; 7:e0047622. [PMID: 36036505 PMCID: PMC9601100 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00476-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Noncarbapenemase-producing carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (non-CP-CRE) are increasingly recognized as important contributors to prevalent carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) infections. However, there is limited understanding of mechanisms underlying non-CP-CRE causing invasive disease. Long- and short-read whole-genome sequencing was used to elucidate carbapenem nonsusceptibility determinants in Enterobacterales bloodstream isolates at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. We investigated carbapenem nonsusceptible Enterobacterales (CNSE) mechanisms (i.e., isolates with carbapenem intermediate resistance phenotypes or greater) through a combination of phylogenetic analysis, antimicrobial resistance gene detection/copy number quantification, porin assessment, and mobile genetic element (MGE) characterization. Most CNSE isolates sequenced were non-CP-CRE (41/79; 51.9%), whereas 25.3% (20/79) were Enterobacterales with intermediate susceptibility to carbapenems (CIE), and 22.8% (18/79) were carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE). Statistically significant copy number variants (CNVs) of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) genes (Wilcoxon Test; P-value < 0.001) were present in both non-CP-CR E. coli (median CNV = 2.6×; n = 17) and K. pneumoniae (median CNV = 3.2×, n = 17). All non-CP-CR E. coli and K. pneumoniae had predicted reduced expression of at least one outer membrane porin gene (i.e., ompC/ompF or ompK36/ompK35). Completely resolved CNSE genomes revealed that IS26 and ISEcp1 structures harboring blaCTX-M variants along with other antimicrobial resistance elements were associated with gene amplification, occurring in mostly IncFIB/IncFII plasmid contexts. MGE-mediated β-lactamase gene amplifications resulted in either tandem arrays, primarily mediated by IS26 translocatable units, or segmental duplication, typically due to ISEcp1 transposition units. Non-CP-CRE strains were the most common cause of CRE bacteremia with carbapenem nonsusceptibility driven by concurrent porin loss and MGE-mediated amplification of blaCTX-M genes. IMPORTANCE Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) are considered urgent antimicrobial resistance (AMR) threats. The vast majority of CRE research has focused on carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE) even though noncarbapenemase-producing CRE (non-CP-CRE) comprise 50% or more of isolates in some surveillance studies. Thus, carbapenem resistance mechanisms in non-CP-CRE remain poorly characterized. To address this problem, we applied a combination of short- and long-read sequencing technologies to a cohort of CRE bacteremia isolates and used these data to unravel complex mobile genetic element structures mediating β-lactamase gene amplification. By generating complete genomes of 65 carbapenem nonsusceptible Enterobacterales (CNSE) covering a genetically diverse array of isolates, our findings both generate novel insights into how non-CP-CRE overcome carbapenem treatments and provide researchers scaffolds for characterization of their own non-CP-CRE isolates. Improved recognition of mechanisms driving development of non-CP-CRE could assist with design and implementation of future strategies to mitigate the impact of these increasingly recognized AMR pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- W. C. Shropshire
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Infection Control, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - A. Konovalova
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - P. McDaneld
- Division of Pharmacy, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - M. Gohel
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Infection Control, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - B. Strope
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Infection Control, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - P. Sahasrabhojane
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Infection Control, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - C. N. Tran
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Infection Control, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - D. Greenberg
- Department of Internal Medicine, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
- Department of Microbiology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - J. Kim
- Department of Bioinformatics, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - X. Zhan
- Department of Bioinformatics, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - S. Aitken
- Division of Pharmacy, Michigan Medicine at University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - M. Bhatti
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - T. C. Savidge
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
- Department of Pathology, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - T. J. Treangen
- Department of Computer Science, Rice University, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - B. M. Hanson
- Center for Infectious Diseases, School of Public Health, University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - C. A. Arias
- Department of Medicine, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - S. A. Shelburne
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Infection Control, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
- Department of Genomic Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
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14
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Pot M, Reynaud Y, Couvin D, Dereeper A, Ferdinand S, Bastian S, Foucan T, Pommier JD, Valette M, Talarmin A, Guyomard-Rabenirina S, Breurec S. Emergence of a Novel Lineage and Wide Spread of a blaCTX-M-15/IncHI2/ST1 Plasmid among Nosocomial Enterobacter in Guadeloupe. Antibiotics (Basel) 2022; 11:1443. [PMID: 36290101 PMCID: PMC9598596 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics11101443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Revised: 10/10/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Between April 2018 and August 2019, a total of 135 strains of Enterobacter cloacae complex (ECC) were randomly collected at the University Hospital Center of Guadeloupe to investigate the structure and diversity of the local bacterial population. These nosocomial isolates were initially identified genetically by the hsp60 typing method, which revealed the clinical relevance of E. xiangfangensis (n = 69). Overall, 57/94 of the third cephalosporin-resistant strains were characterized as extended-spectrum-β-lactamase (ESBL) producers, and their whole-genome was sequenced using Illumina technology to determine the clonal relatedness and diffusion of resistance genes. We found limited genetic diversity among sequence types (STs). ST114 (n = 13), ST1503 (n = 9), ST53 (n = 5) and ST113 (n = 4), which belong to three different Enterobacter species, were the most prevalent among the 57 ESBL producers. The blaCTXM-15 gene was the most prevalent ESBL determinant (56/57) and was in most cases associated with IncHI2/ST1 plasmid replicon carriage (36/57). To fully characterize this predominant blaCTXM-15/IncHI2/ST1 plasmid, four isolates from different lineages were also sequenced using Oxford Nanopore sequencing technology to generate long-reads. Hybrid sequence analyses confirmed the circulation of a well-conserved plasmid among ECC members. In addition, the novel ST1503 and its associated species (ECC taxon 4) were analyzed, in view of its high prevalence in nosocomial infections. These genetic observations confirmed the overall incidence of nosocomial ESBL Enterobacteriaceae infections acquired in this hospital during the study period, which was clearly higher in Guadeloupe (1.59/1000 hospitalization days) than in mainland France (0.52/1,000 hospitalization days). This project revealed issues and future challenges for the management and surveillance of nosocomial and multidrug-resistant Enterobacter in the Caribbean.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthieu Pot
- Transmission, Reservoir and Diversity of Pathogens Unit, Pasteur Institute of Guadeloupe, 97139 Les Abymes, France
| | - Yann Reynaud
- Transmission, Reservoir and Diversity of Pathogens Unit, Pasteur Institute of Guadeloupe, 97139 Les Abymes, France
| | - David Couvin
- Transmission, Reservoir and Diversity of Pathogens Unit, Pasteur Institute of Guadeloupe, 97139 Les Abymes, France
| | - Alexis Dereeper
- Transmission, Reservoir and Diversity of Pathogens Unit, Pasteur Institute of Guadeloupe, 97139 Les Abymes, France
| | - Séverine Ferdinand
- Transmission, Reservoir and Diversity of Pathogens Unit, Pasteur Institute of Guadeloupe, 97139 Les Abymes, France
| | - Sylvaine Bastian
- Laboratory of Clinical Microbiology, University Hospital Center of Guadeloupe, 97159 Pointe-à-Pitre, France
| | - Tania Foucan
- Operational Hygiene Team, University Hospital Center of Guadeloupe, 97159 Pointe-à-Pitre, France
| | - Jean-David Pommier
- Division of Intensive Care, University Hospital Center of Guadeloupe, 97159 Pointe-à-Pitre, France
| | - Marc Valette
- Division of Intensive Care, University Hospital Center of Guadeloupe, 97159 Pointe-à-Pitre, France
| | - Antoine Talarmin
- Transmission, Reservoir and Diversity of Pathogens Unit, Pasteur Institute of Guadeloupe, 97139 Les Abymes, France
| | | | - Sébastien Breurec
- Transmission, Reservoir and Diversity of Pathogens Unit, Pasteur Institute of Guadeloupe, 97139 Les Abymes, France
- Faculty of Medicine Hyacinthe Bastaraud, University of the Antilles, 97157 Pointe-à-Pitre, France
- INSERM, Center for Clinical Investigation 1424, 97139 Les Abymes, France
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15
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Huisman JS, Vaughan TG, Egli A, Tschudin-Sutter S, Stadler T, Bonhoeffer S. The effect of sequencing and assembly on the inference of horizontal gene transfer on chromosomal and plasmid phylogenies. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20210245. [PMID: 35989605 PMCID: PMC9393563 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The spread of antibiotic resistance genes on plasmids is a threat to human and animal health. Phylogenies of bacteria and their plasmids contain clues regarding the frequency of plasmid transfer events, as well as the co-evolution of plasmids and their hosts. However, whole genome sequencing data from diverse ecological or clinical bacterial samples are rarely used to study plasmid phylogenies and resistance gene transfer. This is partially due to the difficulty of extracting plasmids from short-read sequencing data. Here, we use both short- and long-read sequencing data of 24 clinical extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli to estimate chromosomal and plasmid phylogenies. We compare the impact of different sequencing and assembly methodologies on these phylogenies and on the inference of horizontal gene transfer. We find that chromosomal phylogenies can be estimated robustly with all methods, whereas plasmid phylogenies have more variable topology and branch lengths across the methods used. Specifically, hybrid methods that use long reads to resolve short-read assemblies (HybridSPAdes and Unicycler) perform better than those that started from long reads during assembly graph generation (Canu). By contrast, the inference of plasmid and antibiotic resistance gene transfer using a parsimony-based criterion is mostly robust to the choice of sequencing and assembly method. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘Genomic population structures of microbial pathogens’.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jana S Huisman
- Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland.,Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, 4058 Basel, Switzerland.,Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Timothy G Vaughan
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, 4058 Basel, Switzerland.,Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Adrian Egli
- Division of Clinical Microbiology, University Hospital Basel, Petersgraben 4, 4031 Basel, Switzerland.,Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Hebelstrasse 20, 4031 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Sarah Tschudin-Sutter
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Basel, Petersgraben 4, 4031 Basel, Switzerland.,Department of Clinical Research, University of Basel, Schanzenstrasse 55, 4031 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Tanja Stadler
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, 4058 Basel, Switzerland.,Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Sebastian Bonhoeffer
- Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
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16
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Gomez-Simmonds A, Annavajhala MK, Tang N, Rozenberg FD, Ahmad M, Park H, Lopatkin AJ, Uhlemann AC. Population structure of blaKPC-harbouring IncN plasmids at a New York City medical centre and evidence for multi-species horizontal transmission. J Antimicrob Chemother 2022; 77:1873-1882. [PMID: 35412609 PMCID: PMC9633718 DOI: 10.1093/jac/dkac114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2021] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/10/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) are highly concerning MDR pathogens. Horizontal transfer of broad-host-range IncN plasmids may contribute to the dissemination of the Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC), spreading carbapenem resistance among unrelated bacteria. However, the population structure and genetic diversity of IncN plasmids has not been fully elucidated. OBJECTIVES We reconstructed blaKPC-harbouring IncN plasmid genomes to characterize shared gene content, structural variability, and putative horizontal transfer within and across patients and diverse bacterial clones. METHODS We performed short- and long-read sequencing and hybrid assembly on 45 CRE isolates with blaKPC-harbouring IncN plasmids. Eight serial isolates from two patients were included to assess intra-patient plasmid dynamics. Comparative genomic analysis was performed to assess structural and sequence similarity across plasmids. Within IncN sublineages defined by plasmid MLST and kmer-based clustering, phylogenetic analysis was used to identify closely related plasmids. RESULTS Comparative analysis of IncN plasmid genomes revealed substantial heterogeneity including large rearrangements in serial patient plasmids and differences in structure and content across plasmid clusters. Within plasmid sublineages, core genome content and resistance gene regions were largely conserved. Closely related plasmids (≤1 SNP) were found in highly diverse isolates, including ten pST6 plasmids found in eight bacterial clones from three different species. CONCLUSIONS Genomic analysis of blaKPC-harbouring IncN plasmids revealed the presence of several distinct sublineages as well as substantial host diversity within plasmid clusters suggestive of frequent mobilization. This study reveals complex plasmid dynamics within a single plasmid family, highlighting the challenge of tracking plasmid-mediated transmission of blaKPC in clinical settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Gomez-Simmonds
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, 630 W 168th St, New York NY 10032, USA
| | - Medini K Annavajhala
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, 630 W 168th St, New York NY 10032, USA
| | - Nina Tang
- Barnard College, Columbia University, 3009 Broadway, New York NY 10027, USA
| | - Felix D Rozenberg
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, 630 W 168th St, New York NY 10032, USA
| | - Mehrose Ahmad
- Barnard College, Columbia University, 3009 Broadway, New York NY 10027, USA
| | - Heekuk Park
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, 630 W 168th St, New York NY 10032, USA
| | - Allison J Lopatkin
- Barnard College, Columbia University, 3009 Broadway, New York NY 10027, USA
- Data Science Institute, Columbia University, 550 W 120th St, New York NY 10027, USA
| | - Anne Catrin Uhlemann
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, 630 W 168th St, New York NY 10032, USA
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17
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blaKPC-2-Encoding IncP-6 Plasmids in Citrobacter freundii and Klebsiella variicola Strains from Hospital Sewage in Japan. Appl Environ Microbiol 2022; 88:e0001922. [PMID: 35380451 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00019-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC) producers are an emerging threat to global health, and the hospital water environment is considered an important reservoir of these life-threatening bacteria. We characterized plasmids of KPC-2-producing Citrobacter freundii and Klebsiella variicola isolates recovered from hospital sewage in Japan. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing, whole-genome sequencing analysis, bacterial conjugation, and transformation experiments were performed for both KPC-2 producers. The blaKPC-2 gene was located on the Tn3 transposon-related region from an IncP-6 replicon plasmid that could not be transferred via conjugation. Compared to the blaKPC-2-encoding plasmid of the C. freundii isolate, alignment analysis of plasmids with blaKPC-2 showed that the blaKPC-2-encoding plasmid of the K. variicola isolate was a novel IncP-6/IncF-like hybrid plasmid containing a 75,218-bp insertion sequence composed of IncF-like plasmid conjugative transfer proteins. Carbapenem-resistant transformants harboring blaKPC-2 were obtained for both isolates. However, no IncF-like insertion region was found in the K. variicola donor plasmid of the transformant, suggesting that this IncF-like region is not readily functional for plasmid conjugative transfer and is maintained depending on the host cells. The findings on the KPC-2 producers and novel genetic content emphasize the key role of hospital sewage as a potential reservoir of pathogens and its linked dissemination of blaKPC-2 through the hospital water environment. Our results indicate that continuous monitoring for environmental emergence of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria might be needed to control the spread of these infectious bacteria. Moreover, it will help elucidate both the evolution and transmission pathways of these bacteria harboring antimicrobial resistance. IMPORTANCE Antimicrobial resistance is a significant problem for global health, and the hospital environment has been recognized as a reservoir of antimicrobial resistance. Here, we provide insight into the genomic features of blaKPC-2-harboring isolates of Citrobacter freundii and Klebsiella variicola obtained from hospital sewage in Japan. The findings of carbapenem-resistant bacteria containing this novel genetic context emphasize that hospital sewage could act as a potential reservoir of pathogens and cause the subsequent spread of blaKPC-2 via horizontal gene transfer in the hospital water environment. This indicates that serial monitoring for environmental bacteria possessing antimicrobial resistance may help us control the spread of infection and also lead to elucidating the evolution and transmission pathways of these bacteria.
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18
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Li Y, Jiao M, Liu Y, Ren Z, Li A. Application of Metagenomic Next-Generation Sequencing in Mycobacterium tuberculosis Infection. Front Med (Lausanne) 2022; 9:802719. [PMID: 35433724 PMCID: PMC9010669 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2022.802719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The fight against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) has been going on for thousands of years, while it still poses a threat to human health. In addition to routine detections, metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) has begun to show presence as a comprehensive and hypothesis-free test. It can not only detect MTB without isolating specific pathogens but also suggest the co-infection pathogens or underlying tumor simultaneously, which is of benefit to assist in comprehensive clinical diagnosis. It also shows the potential to detect multiple drug resistance sites for precise treatment. However, considering the cost performance compared with conventional assays (especially Xpert MTB/RIF), mNGS seems to be overqualified for patients with mild and typical symptoms. Technology optimization of sequencing and analyzing should be conducted to improve the positive rate and broaden the applicable fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaoguang Li
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Gene Hospital of Henan Province, Precision Medicine Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Mengfan Jiao
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Gene Hospital of Henan Province, Precision Medicine Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Ying Liu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Gene Hospital of Henan Province, Precision Medicine Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Zhigang Ren
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Zhigang Ren,
| | - Ang Li
- Gene Hospital of Henan Province, Precision Medicine Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Ang Li,
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19
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Peng Z, Maciel-Guerra A, Baker M, Zhang X, Hu Y, Wang W, Rong J, Zhang J, Xue N, Barrow P, Renney D, Stekel D, Williams P, Liu L, Chen J, Li F, Dottorini T. Whole-genome sequencing and gene sharing network analysis powered by machine learning identifies antibiotic resistance sharing between animals, humans and environment in livestock farming. PLoS Comput Biol 2022; 18:e1010018. [PMID: 35333870 PMCID: PMC8986120 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1010018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2021] [Revised: 04/06/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Anthropogenic environments such as those created by intensive farming of livestock, have been proposed to provide ideal selection pressure for the emergence of antimicrobial-resistant Escherichia coli bacteria and antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) and spread to humans. Here, we performed a longitudinal study in a large-scale commercial poultry farm in China, collecting E. coli isolates from both farm and slaughterhouse; targeting animals, carcasses, workers and their households and environment. By using whole-genome phylogenetic analysis and network analysis based on single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), we found highly interrelated non-pathogenic and pathogenic E. coli strains with phylogenetic intermixing, and a high prevalence of shared multidrug resistance profiles amongst livestock, human and environment. Through an original data processing pipeline which combines omics, machine learning, gene sharing network and mobile genetic elements analysis, we investigated the resistance to 26 different antimicrobials and identified 361 genes associated to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) phenotypes; 58 of these were known AMR-associated genes and 35 were associated to multidrug resistance. We uncovered an extensive network of genes, correlated to AMR phenotypes, shared among livestock, humans, farm and slaughterhouse environments. We also found several human, livestock and environmental isolates sharing closely related mobile genetic elements carrying ARGs across host species and environments. In a scenario where no consensus exists on how antibiotic use in the livestock may affect antibiotic resistance in the human population, our findings provide novel insights into the broader epidemiology of antimicrobial resistance in livestock farming. Moreover, our original data analysis method has the potential to uncover AMR transmission pathways when applied to the study of other pathogens active in other anthropogenic environments characterised by complex interconnections between host species. Livestock have been suggested as an important source of antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) Escherichia coli, capable of infecting humans and carrying resistance to drugs used in human medicine. China has a large intensive livestock farming industry, poultry being the second most important source of meat in the country, and is the largest user of antibiotics for food production in the world. Here we studied antimicrobial resistance gene overlap between E. coli isolates collected from humans, livestock and their shared environments in a large-scale Chinese poultry farm and associated slaughterhouse. By using a computational approach that integrates machine learning, whole-genome sequencing, gene sharing network and mobile genetic elements analysis we characterized the E. coli community structure, antimicrobial resistance phenotypes and the genetic relatedness of non-pathogenic and pathogenic E. coli strains. We uncovered the network of genes, associated with AMR, shared across host species (animals and workers) and environments (farm and slaughterhouse). Our approach opens up new avenues for the development of a fast, affordable and effective computational solutions that provide novel insights into the broader epidemiology of antimicrobial resistance in livestock farming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zixin Peng
- NHC Key Laboratory of Food Safety Risk Assessment, Chinese Academy of Medical Science Research Unit (2019RU014), China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Alexandre Maciel-Guerra
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, United Kingdom
| | - Michelle Baker
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, United Kingdom
| | - Xibin Zhang
- Qingdao Tian run Food Co., Ltd, New Hope, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yue Hu
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, United Kingdom
| | - Wei Wang
- NHC Key Laboratory of Food Safety Risk Assessment, Chinese Academy of Medical Science Research Unit (2019RU014), China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jia Rong
- Qingdao Tian run Food Co., Ltd, New Hope, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jing Zhang
- NHC Key Laboratory of Food Safety Risk Assessment, Chinese Academy of Medical Science Research Unit (2019RU014), China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Ning Xue
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, United Kingdom
| | - Paul Barrow
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, United Kingdom
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey, United Kingdom
| | - David Renney
- Nimrod Veterinary Products Limited, Moreton-in-Marsh, United Kingdom
| | - Dov Stekel
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, United Kingdom
| | - Paul Williams
- Biodiscovery Institute and School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Longhai Liu
- Qingdao Tian run Food Co., Ltd, New Hope, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Junshi Chen
- NHC Key Laboratory of Food Safety Risk Assessment, Chinese Academy of Medical Science Research Unit (2019RU014), China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Fengqin Li
- NHC Key Laboratory of Food Safety Risk Assessment, Chinese Academy of Medical Science Research Unit (2019RU014), China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
- * E-mail: (FL); (TD)
| | - Tania Dottorini
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: (FL); (TD)
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20
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Waddington C, Carey ME, Boinett CJ, Higginson E, Veeraraghavan B, Baker S. Exploiting genomics to mitigate the public health impact of antimicrobial resistance. Genome Med 2022; 14:15. [PMID: 35172877 PMCID: PMC8849018 DOI: 10.1186/s13073-022-01020-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 02/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major global public health threat, which has been largely driven by the excessive use of antimicrobials. Control measures are urgently needed to slow the trajectory of AMR but are hampered by an incomplete understanding of the interplay between pathogens, AMR encoding genes, and mobile genetic elements at a microbial level. These factors, combined with the human, animal, and environmental interactions that underlie AMR dissemination at a population level, make for a highly complex landscape. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) and, more recently, metagenomic analyses have greatly enhanced our understanding of these processes, and these approaches are informing mitigation strategies for how we better understand and control AMR. This review explores how WGS techniques have advanced global, national, and local AMR surveillance, and how this improved understanding is being applied to inform solutions, such as novel diagnostic methods that allow antimicrobial use to be optimised and vaccination strategies for better controlling AMR. We highlight some future opportunities for AMR control informed by genomic sequencing, along with the remaining challenges that must be overcome to fully realise the potential of WGS approaches for international AMR control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Waddington
- Cambridge Institute of Therapeutic Immunology and Infectious Disease, University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, CB2 0AW, UK.,Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, UK
| | - Megan E Carey
- Cambridge Institute of Therapeutic Immunology and Infectious Disease, University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, CB2 0AW, UK.,Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Ellen Higginson
- Cambridge Institute of Therapeutic Immunology and Infectious Disease, University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, CB2 0AW, UK.,Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, UK
| | - Balaji Veeraraghavan
- Department of Microbiology, Christian Medical College, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Stephen Baker
- Cambridge Institute of Therapeutic Immunology and Infectious Disease, University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, CB2 0AW, UK. .,Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, UK.
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21
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Li IC, Yu GY, Huang JF, Chen ZW, Chou CH. Comparison of Reference-Based Assembly and De Novo Assembly for Bacterial Plasmid Reconstruction and AMR Gene Localization in Salmonella enterica Serovar Schwarzengrund Isolates. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10020227. [PMID: 35208682 PMCID: PMC8874696 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10020227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2021] [Revised: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
It is well established that plasmids carrying multiple antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes can be easily transferred among bacterial isolates by horizontal gene transfer. Previous studies have shown that a combination of short- and long-read approaches is effective in reconstructing accurate plasmids. However, high-quality Illumina short reads mapped onto the long reads in the context of an AMR hybrid monitoring strategy have not yet been explored. Hence, this study aimed to improve the reconstruction of plasmids, including the localization of AMR genes, using the above-described parameters on whole-genome sequencing (WGS) results. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to use S1 nuclease pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (S1-PFGE) to confirm the number and sizes of plasmids detected by in silico-based predictions in Salmonella strains. Our results showed that de novo assembly did not detect the number of bacterial plasmids more accurately than reference-based assembly did. As this new hybrid mapping strategy surpassed de novo assembly in bacterial reconstruction, it was further used to identify the presence and genomic location of AMR genes among three Salmonella enterica serovar Schwarzengrund isolates. The AMR genes identified in the bacterial chromosome among the three Salmonella enterica serovar Schwarzengrund isolates included: AAC(3)-IV, AAC(6′)-Iy, aadA2, APH(4)-Ia, cmlA1, golS, mdsA, mdsB, mdsC, mdtK, qacH, sdiA, sul2, sul3, and TEM-1 genes. Moreover, the presence of TEM-1, AAC(3)-IV, aadA2, APH(4)-Ia, cmlA1, dfrA12, floR, sul1, sul3, and tet(A) genes found within three IncFIB plasmids and one IncX1 plasmid highlight their possible transmission into the environment, which is a public health risk. In conclusion, the generated data using this new hybrid mapping strategy will contribute to the improvement of AMR monitoring and support the risk assessment of AMR dissemination.
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Affiliation(s)
- I-Chen Li
- Zoonoses Research Center and School of Veterinary Medicine, National Taiwan University, No. 1, Sec. 4, Roosevelt Rd., Taipei City 106, Taiwan;
| | - Gine-Ye Yu
- Animal Technology Research Center, Agricultural Technology Research Institute, No. 52, Kedong 2nd Rd., Zhunan Township, Miaoli County 350, Taiwan; (G.-Y.Y.); (J.-F.H.)
| | - Jing-Fang Huang
- Animal Technology Research Center, Agricultural Technology Research Institute, No. 52, Kedong 2nd Rd., Zhunan Township, Miaoli County 350, Taiwan; (G.-Y.Y.); (J.-F.H.)
| | - Zeng-Weng Chen
- Animal Technology Research Center, Agricultural Technology Research Institute, No. 52, Kedong 2nd Rd., Zhunan Township, Miaoli County 350, Taiwan; (G.-Y.Y.); (J.-F.H.)
- Correspondence: (Z.-W.C.); (C.-H.C.); Tel.: +886-37-585-851 (Z.-W.C.); +886-2-3366-3861 (C.-H.C.); Fax: +886-2-2364-9154 (C.-H.C.)
| | - Chung-Hsi Chou
- Zoonoses Research Center and School of Veterinary Medicine, National Taiwan University, No. 1, Sec. 4, Roosevelt Rd., Taipei City 106, Taiwan;
- Correspondence: (Z.-W.C.); (C.-H.C.); Tel.: +886-37-585-851 (Z.-W.C.); +886-2-3366-3861 (C.-H.C.); Fax: +886-2-2364-9154 (C.-H.C.)
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22
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Khezri A, Avershina E, Ahmad R. Hybrid Assembly Provides Improved Resolution of Plasmids, Antimicrobial Resistance Genes, and Virulence Factors in Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae Clinical Isolates. Microorganisms 2021; 9:microorganisms9122560. [PMID: 34946161 PMCID: PMC8704702 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9122560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2021] [Revised: 12/03/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Emerging new sequencing technologies have provided researchers with a unique opportunity to study factors related to microbial pathogenicity, such as antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes and virulence factors. However, the use of whole-genome sequence (WGS) data requires good knowledge of the bioinformatics involved, as well as the necessary techniques. In this study, a total of nine Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates from Norwegian clinical samples were sequenced using both MinION and Illumina platforms. Three out of nine samples were sequenced directly from blood culture, and one sample was sequenced from a mixed-blood culture. For genome assembly, several long-read, (Canu, Flye, Unicycler, and Miniasm), short-read (ABySS, Unicycler and SPAdes) and hybrid assemblers (Unicycler, hybridSPAdes, and MaSurCa) were tested. Assembled genomes from the best-performing assemblers (according to quality checks using QUAST and BUSCO) were subjected to downstream analyses. Flye and Unicycler assemblers performed best for the assembly of long and short reads, respectively. For hybrid assembly, Unicycler was the top-performing assembler and produced more circularized and complete genome assemblies. Hybrid assembled genomes performed substantially better in downstream analyses to predict putative plasmids, AMR genes and β-lactamase gene variants, compared to MinION and Illumina assemblies. Thus, hybrid assembly has the potential to reveal factors related to microbial pathogenicity in clinical and mixed samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdolrahman Khezri
- Department of Biotechnology, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, 2318 Hamar, Norway; (A.K.); (E.A.)
| | - Ekaterina Avershina
- Department of Biotechnology, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, 2318 Hamar, Norway; (A.K.); (E.A.)
| | - Rafi Ahmad
- Department of Biotechnology, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, 2318 Hamar, Norway; (A.K.); (E.A.)
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Institute of Clinical Medicine, UiT-The Arctic University of Norway, Hansine Hansens veg 18, 9019 Tromsø, Norway
- Correspondence:
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23
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Jamin C, Sanders BK, Zhou M, Costessi A, Duijsings D, Kluytmans JAJW, van Alphen LB, Schrauwen EJA. Genetic analysis of plasmid-encoded mcr-1 resistance in Enterobacteriaceae derived from poultry meat in the Netherlands. JAC Antimicrob Resist 2021; 3:dlab156. [PMID: 34806003 PMCID: PMC8597959 DOI: 10.1093/jacamr/dlab156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2021] [Accepted: 09/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Colistin is classified as the highest priority and critically important antimicrobial for human medicine by WHO as it is the last resort agent for treatment of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae in humans. Additional research is necessary to elucidate the genetic structure of mcr-1 resistance genes, commonly found on plasmids, using WGS. Objectives To map and compare the genetic characteristics of 35 mcr-1-mediated colistin-resistant Enterobacteriaceae isolated from chicken meat to highlight the genetic variation of the mcr-1-containing plasmids. Methods Sequencing was performed using Illumina HiSeq2500, Novaseq6000 and ONT’s GridION. GridION data was locally basecalled and demultiplexed using ONT’s Albacore 2.3.4 followed by Porechop 2.3. Quality filtering was performed using Filtlong 2.0. Hybrid Assembly was performed using Unicycler 4.7. Plasmids were compared with reference sequences in plasmid-RefSeq and pATLAS. Results A total of 35 mcr-1 positive Enterobacteriaceae were investigated, which resulted in 34 qualitatively robust hybrid assemblies of 2 Klebsiella pneumoniae and 32 Escherichia coli. mcr-1.1 was present in 33/34 isolates. One isolate contained an mcr-1.1-like resistance gene, due to a deletion of one codon. Two mcr-1.1 genes were located on the chromosome, while the majority of the mcr-1 genes were found on IncX4 type plasmids (n = 19). Almost all plasmids identified in this study were highly similar to plasmids found in human-derived strains. Conclusions The mcr-1.1-containing plasmids from retail chicken show high sequence similarity to human mcr-1.1 plasmids, suggesting that this may be a contributor to the presence of colistin resistance in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Casper Jamin
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Care and Public Health Research Institute (CAPHRI), Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Bazante K Sanders
- Academy for Technology of Health and Environment, Avans University of Applied Science, Breda, The Netherlands.,Research Group Analysis Techniques in Life Sciences, Avans University of Applied Sciences, Breda, The Netherlands
| | - Miaomiao Zhou
- Academy for Technology of Health and Environment, Avans University of Applied Science, Breda, The Netherlands
| | | | | | - Jan A J W Kluytmans
- Department of Infection Control, Amphia Hospital, Breda, The Netherlands.,Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Lieke B van Alphen
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Care and Public Health Research Institute (CAPHRI), Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Eefje J A Schrauwen
- Academy for Technology of Health and Environment, Avans University of Applied Science, Breda, The Netherlands.,Research Group Analysis Techniques in Life Sciences, Avans University of Applied Sciences, Breda, The Netherlands
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24
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Locke RK, Greig DR, Jenkins C, Dallman TJ, Cowley LA. Acquisition and loss of CTX-M plasmids in Shigella species associated with MSM transmission in the UK. Microb Genom 2021; 7. [PMID: 34427554 PMCID: PMC8549364 DOI: 10.1099/mgen.0.000644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Shigellosis in men who have sex with men (MSM) is caused by multidrug resistant Shigellae, exhibiting resistance to antimicrobials including azithromycin, ciprofloxacin and more recently the third-generation cephalosporins. We sequenced four blaCTX-M-27-positive MSM Shigella isolates (2018–20) using Oxford Nanopore Technologies; three S. sonnei (identified as two MSM clade 2, one MSM clade 5) and one S. flexneri 3a, to explore AMR context. All S. sonnei isolates harboured Tn7/Int2 chromosomal integrons, whereas S. flexneri 3a contained the Shigella Resistance Locus. All strains harboured IncFII pKSR100-like plasmids (67-83kbp); where present blaCTX-M-27 was located on these plasmids flanked by IS26 and IS903B, however blaCTX-M-27 was lost in S. flexneri 3a during storage between Illumina and Nanopore sequencing. IncFII AMR regions were mosaic and likely reorganised by IS26; three of the four plasmids contained azithromycin-resistance genes erm(B) and mph(A) and one harboured the pKSR100 integron. Additionally, all S. sonnei isolates possessed a large IncB/O/K/Z plasmid, two of which carried aph(3’)-Ib/aph(6)-Id/sul2 and tet(A). Monitoring the transmission of mobile genetic elements with co-located AMR determinants is necessary to inform empirical treatment guidance and clinical management of MSM-associated shigellosis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - David R Greig
- Gastrointestinal Reference Services, Public Health England, London, UK.,Division of Infection and Immunity, The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, EH25 9RG, UK
| | - Claire Jenkins
- Gastrointestinal Reference Services, Public Health England, London, UK
| | - Tim J Dallman
- Gastrointestinal Reference Services, Public Health England, London, UK.,Division of Infection and Immunity, The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, EH25 9RG, UK
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25
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Gaffney J, Embree J, Gilmore S, Embree M. Ruminococcus bovis sp. nov., a novel species of amylolytic Ruminococcus isolated from the rumen of a dairy cow. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2021; 71. [PMID: 34379583 PMCID: PMC8513621 DOI: 10.1099/ijsem.0.004924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
This study describes JE7A12T (=ATCC TSD-225T=NCTC 14479T), an isolate from the ruminal content of a dairy cow. Phenotypic and genotypic traits of the isolate were explored. JE7A12T was found to be a strictly anaerobic, catalase-negative, oxidase-negative, coccoid bacterium that grows in chains. The API 50 CH carbon source assay detected fermentation of d-glucose, d-fructose, d-galactose, glycogen and starch. HPLC showed acetate to be the major fermentation product as a result of carbohydrate fermentation. Phylogenetic analysis of JE7A12T based on 16S rRNA nucleotide sequence and amino acid sequences from the whole genome indicated a divergent lineage from the closest neighbours in the genus Ruminococcus. The results of 16S rRNA sequence comparison, whole genome average nucleotide identity (ANI) and DNA G+C content data indicate that JE7A12T represents a novel species which we propose the name Ruminococcus bovis with JE7A12T as the type strain.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Gaffney
- Native Microbials, 10255 Science Center Drive, San Diego, CA 92121, USA
| | - Jordan Embree
- Native Microbials, 10255 Science Center Drive, San Diego, CA 92121, USA
| | - Sean Gilmore
- Native Microbials, 10255 Science Center Drive, San Diego, CA 92121, USA
| | - Mallory Embree
- Native Microbials, 10255 Science Center Drive, San Diego, CA 92121, USA
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Tvedte ES, Gasser M, Sparklin BC, Michalski J, Hjelmen CE, Johnston JS, Zhao X, Bromley R, Tallon LJ, Sadzewicz L, Rasko DA, Dunning Hotopp JC. Comparison of long-read sequencing technologies in interrogating bacteria and fly genomes. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2021; 11:jkab083. [PMID: 33768248 PMCID: PMC8495745 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkab083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Accepted: 03/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The newest generation of DNA sequencing technology is highlighted by the ability to generate sequence reads hundreds of kilobases in length. Pacific Biosciences (PacBio) and Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) have pioneered competitive long read platforms, with more recent work focused on improving sequencing throughput and per-base accuracy. We used whole-genome sequencing data produced by three PacBio protocols (Sequel II CLR, Sequel II HiFi, RS II) and two ONT protocols (Rapid Sequencing and Ligation Sequencing) to compare assemblies of the bacteria Escherichia coli and the fruit fly Drosophila ananassae. In both organisms tested, Sequel II assemblies had the highest consensus accuracy, even after accounting for differences in sequencing throughput. ONT and PacBio CLR had the longest reads sequenced compared to PacBio RS II and HiFi, and genome contiguity was highest when assembling these datasets. ONT Rapid Sequencing libraries had the fewest chimeric reads in addition to superior quantification of E. coli plasmids versus ligation-based libraries. The quality of assemblies can be enhanced by adopting hybrid approaches using Illumina libraries for bacterial genome assembly or polishing eukaryotic genome assemblies, and an ONT-Illumina hybrid approach would be more cost-effective for many users. Genome-wide DNA methylation could be detected using both technologies, however ONT libraries enabled the identification of a broader range of known E. coli methyltransferase recognition motifs in addition to undocumented D. ananassae motifs. The ideal choice of long read technology may depend on several factors including the question or hypothesis under examination. No single technology outperformed others in all metrics examined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric S Tvedte
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Mark Gasser
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Benjamin C Sparklin
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Jane Michalski
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Carl E Hjelmen
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - J Spencer Johnston
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Xuechu Zhao
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Robin Bromley
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Luke J Tallon
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Lisa Sadzewicz
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - David A Rasko
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Julie C Dunning Hotopp
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
- Greenebaum Cancer Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
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Rogers LA, Strong K, Cork SC, McAllister TA, Liljebjelke K, Zaheer R, Checkley SL. The Role of Whole Genome Sequencing in the Surveillance of Antimicrobial Resistant Enterococcus spp.: A Scoping Review. Front Public Health 2021; 9:599285. [PMID: 34178909 PMCID: PMC8222819 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2021.599285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2020] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Enterococcus spp. have arisen as important nosocomial pathogens and are ubiquitous in the gastrointestinal tracts of animals and the environment. They carry many intrinsic and acquired antimicrobial resistance genes. Because of this, surveillance of Enterococcus spp. has become important with whole genome sequencing emerging as the preferred method for the characterization of enterococci. A scoping review was designed to determine how the use of whole genome sequencing in the surveillance of Enterococcus spp. adds to our knowledge of antimicrobial resistance in Enterococcus spp. Scoping review design was guided by the PRISMA extension and checklist and JBI Reviewer's Guide for scoping reviews. A total of 72 articles were included in the review. Of the 72 articles included, 48.6% did not state an association with a surveillance program and 87.5% of articles identified Enterococcus faecium. The majority of articles included isolates from human clinical or screening samples. Significant findings from the articles included novel sequence types, the increasing prevalence of vancomycin-resistant enterococci in hospitals, and the importance of surveillance or screening for enterococci. The ability of enterococci to adapt and persist within a wide range of environments was also a key finding. These studies emphasize the importance of ongoing surveillance of enterococci from a One Health perspective. More studies are needed to compare the whole genome sequences of human enterococcal isolates to those from food animals, food products, the environment, and companion animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsay A Rogers
- Department of Ecosystem and Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Kayla Strong
- Department of Ecosystem and Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Susan C Cork
- Department of Ecosystem and Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Tim A McAllister
- Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge, AB, Canada
| | - Karen Liljebjelke
- Department of Ecosystem and Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Rahat Zaheer
- Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge, AB, Canada
| | - Sylvia L Checkley
- Department of Ecosystem and Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
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Distinguishing bla KPC Gene-Containing IncF Plasmids from Epidemiologically Related and Unrelated Enterobacteriaceae Based on Short- and Long-Read Sequence Data. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2021; 65:AAC.00147-21. [PMID: 33820769 DOI: 10.1128/aac.00147-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2021] [Accepted: 03/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Limited information is available on whether bla KPC-containing plasmids from isolates in a hospital outbreak can be differentiated from epidemiologically unrelated bla KPC-containing plasmids based on sequence data. This study aimed to evaluate the performance of three approaches to distinguish epidemiologically related from unrelated bla KPC-containing pKpQiL-like IncFII(k2)-IncFIB(pQiL) plasmids. Epidemiologically related isolates were subjected to short- and long-read whole-genome sequencing. A hybrid assembly was performed, and plasmid sequences were extracted from the assembly graph. Epidemiologically unrelated plasmid sequences were extracted from GenBank. Pairwise comparisons of epidemiologically related and unrelated plasmids based on SNPs using snippy and of phylogenetic distance using Roary and using a similarity index that penalizes size differences between plasmids (Stoesser index) were performed. The percentage of pairwise comparisons misclassified as genetically related or as clonally unrelated was determined using different genetic thresholds for genetic relatedness. The ranges of number of SNPs, Roary phylogenetic distance, and Stoesser index overlapped between the epidemiologically related and unrelated plasmids. When a genetic similarity threshold that classified 100% of epidemiologically related plasmid pairs as genetically related was used, the percentages of plasmids misclassified as epidemiologically related ranged from 6.7% (Roary) to 20.8% (Stoesser index). Although epidemiologically related plasmids can be distinguished from unrelated plasmids based on genetic differences, bla KPC-containing pKpQiL-like IncFII(k2)-IncFIB(pQiL) plasmids show a high degree of sequence similarity. The phylogenetic distance as determined using Roary showed the highest degree of discriminatory power between the epidemiologically related and unrelated plasmids.
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Karlsson PA, Tano E, Jernberg C, Hickman RA, Guy L, Järhult JD, Wang H. Molecular Characterization of Multidrug-Resistant Yersinia enterocolitica From Foodborne Outbreaks in Sweden. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:664665. [PMID: 34054769 PMCID: PMC8155512 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.664665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The foodborne pathogen Yersinia enterocolitica causes gastrointestinal infections worldwide. In the spring of 2019, the Swedish Public Health Agency and Statens Serum Institut in Denmark independently identified an outbreak caused by Yersinia enterocolitica 4/O:3 that after sequence comparison turned out to be a cross-border outbreak. A trace-back investigation suggested shipments of fresh prewashed spinach from Italy as a common source for the outbreak. Here, we determined the genome sequences of five Y. enterocolitica clinical isolates during the Swedish outbreak using a combination of Illumina HiSeq short-read and Nanopore Technologies’ MinION long-read whole-genome sequencing. WGS results showed that all clinical strains have a fully assembled chromosome of approximately 4.6 Mbp in size and a 72-kbp virulence plasmid; one of the strains was carrying an additional 5.7-kbp plasmid, pYE-tet. All strains showed a high pathogen probability score (87.5%) with associated genes for virulence, all of which are closely related to an earlier clinical strain Y11 from Germany. In addition, we identified a chromosomally encoded multidrug-resistance cassette carrying resistance genes against chloramphenicol (catA1), streptomycin (aadA1), sulfonamides (sul1), and a mercury resistance module. This chromosomally encoded Tn2670 transposon has previously been reported associated with IncFII plasmids in Enterobacteriaceae: a Shigella flexneri clinical isolate from Japan in 1950s, a Klebsiella pneumoniae outbreak from Australia in 1997, and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium. Interestingly, we identified an additional 5.7-kbp plasmid with tetB (encoding an ABC transporter), Rep, and its own ORI and ORIt sites, sharing high homology with small tetB-Rep plasmids from Pasteurellaceae. This is the first time that Tn2670 and Pasteurellaceae plasmids have been reported in Y. enterocolitica. Taken together, our study showed that the Swedish Y. enterocolitica outbreak strains acquired multi-antibiotic and metal-resistance genes through horizontal gene transfer, suggesting a potential reservoir of intraspecies dissemination of multidrug-resistance genes among foodborne pathogens. This study also highlights the concern of food-chain contamination of prewashed vegetables as a perpetual hazard against public health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip A Karlsson
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Biomedical Center, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Eva Tano
- Department of Medical Sciences, Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden
| | | | - Rachel A Hickman
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Biomedical Center, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Lionel Guy
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Biomedical Center, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.,Science for Life Laboratories, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Josef D Järhult
- Department of Medical Sciences, Zoonosis Science Center, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Helen Wang
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Biomedical Center, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
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Complete Genome Assembly of Multidrug-Resistant Yersinia enterocolitica Y72, Isolated in Sweden. Microbiol Resour Announc 2021; 10:10/19/e00264-21. [PMID: 33986087 PMCID: PMC8142573 DOI: 10.1128/mra.00264-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Here, we report the complete genome sequence of a Swedish clinical strain of Yersinia enterocolitica, Y72. With emerging Yersinia outbreaks circulating in Nordic countries, the Y72 genome will provide more insights on the genetic relatedness and antibiotic resistance dissemination in future studies. Here, we report the complete genome sequence of a Swedish clinical strain of Yersinia enterocolitica, Y72. With emerging Yersinia outbreaks circulating in Nordic countries, the Y72 genome will provide more insights on the genetic relatedness and antibiotic resistance dissemination in future studies.
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31
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Shaw LP, Chau KK, Kavanagh J, AbuOun M, Stubberfield E, Gweon HS, Barker L, Rodger G, Bowes MJ, Hubbard ATM, Pickford H, Swann J, Gilson D, Smith RP, Hoosdally SJ, Sebra R, Brett H, Peto TEA, Bailey MJ, Crook DW, Read DS, Anjum MF, Walker AS, Stoesser N. Niche and local geography shape the pangenome of wastewater- and livestock-associated Enterobacteriaceae. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:eabe3868. [PMID: 33837077 PMCID: PMC8034854 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abe3868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2020] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Escherichia coli and other Enterobacteriaceae are diverse species with "open" pangenomes, where genes move intra- and interspecies via horizontal gene transfer. However, most analyses focus on clinical isolates. The pangenome dynamics of natural populations remain understudied, despite their suggested role as reservoirs for antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes. Here, we analyze near-complete genomes for 827 Enterobacteriaceae (553 Escherichia and 274 non-Escherichia spp.) with 2292 circularized plasmids in total, collected from 19 locations (livestock farms and wastewater treatment works in the United Kingdom) within a 30-km radius at three time points over a year. We find different dynamics for chromosomal and plasmid-borne genes. Plasmids have a higher burden of AMR genes and insertion sequences, and AMR-gene-carrying plasmids show evidence of being under stronger selective pressure. Environmental niche and local geography both play a role in shaping plasmid dynamics. Our results highlight the importance of local strategies for controlling the spread of AMR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liam P Shaw
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK.
| | - Kevin K Chau
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | - James Kavanagh
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Manal AbuOun
- Department of Bacteriology, Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), Woodham Lane, Addlestone, Surrey KT15 3NB, UK
| | - Emma Stubberfield
- Department of Bacteriology, Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), Woodham Lane, Addlestone, Surrey KT15 3NB, UK
| | - H Soon Gweon
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH), Benson Lane, Crowmarsh Gifford, Wallingford OX10 8BB, UK
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Reading RG6 6AS, UK
| | - Leanne Barker
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
- NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Gillian Rodger
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
- NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Mike J Bowes
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH), Benson Lane, Crowmarsh Gifford, Wallingford OX10 8BB, UK
| | - Alasdair T M Hubbard
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
- Department of Tropical Disease Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool L3 5QA, UK
| | - Hayleah Pickford
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
- NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Jeremy Swann
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
- NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare Associated Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance at University of Oxford in partnership with Public Health England, Oxford OX4 9DU, UK
| | - Daniel Gilson
- Department of Epidemiological Sciences, The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), Woodham Lane, Addlestone, Surrey KT15 3NB, UK
| | - Richard P Smith
- Department of Epidemiological Sciences, The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), Woodham Lane, Addlestone, Surrey KT15 3NB, UK
| | - Sarah J Hoosdally
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Robert Sebra
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Sema4, a Mount Sinai venture, 333 Ludlow Street, North Tower, 8th floor, Stamford, CT 06902, USA
| | - Howard Brett
- Thames Water Utilities, Clearwater Court, Vastern Road, Reading RG1 8DB, UK
| | - Tim E A Peto
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
- NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
- NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare Associated Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance at University of Oxford in partnership with Public Health England, Oxford OX4 9DU, UK
| | - Mark J Bailey
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH), Benson Lane, Crowmarsh Gifford, Wallingford OX10 8BB, UK
| | - Derrick W Crook
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
- NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
- NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare Associated Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance at University of Oxford in partnership with Public Health England, Oxford OX4 9DU, UK
| | - Daniel S Read
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH), Benson Lane, Crowmarsh Gifford, Wallingford OX10 8BB, UK
| | - Muna F Anjum
- Department of Bacteriology, Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), Woodham Lane, Addlestone, Surrey KT15 3NB, UK
| | - A Sarah Walker
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
- NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
- NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare Associated Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance at University of Oxford in partnership with Public Health England, Oxford OX4 9DU, UK
| | - Nicole Stoesser
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK.
- NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
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Chen Z, Erickson DL, Meng J. Polishing the Oxford Nanopore long-read assemblies of bacterial pathogens with Illumina short reads to improve genomic analyses. Genomics 2021; 113:1366-1377. [PMID: 33716184 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygeno.2021.03.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2020] [Revised: 01/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Oxford Nanopore sequencing has been widely used to achieve complete genomes of bacterial pathogens. However, the error rates of Oxford Nanopore long reads are high. Various polishing algorithms using Illumina short reads to correct the errors in Oxford Nanopore long-read assemblies have been developed. The impact of polishing the Oxford Nanopore long-read assemblies of bacterial pathogens with Illumina short reads on improving genomic analyses was evaluated using both simulated and real reads. Ten species (10 strains) were selected for simulated reads, while real reads were tested on 11 species (11 strains). Oxford Nanopore long reads were assembled with Unicycler to produce a draft assembly, followed by three rounds of polishing with Illumina short reads using two polishing tools, Pilon and NextPolish. One round of NextPolish polishing generated genome completeness and accuracy parameters similar to the reference genomes, whereas two or three rounds of Pilon polishing were needed, though contiguity remained unchanged after polishing. The polished assemblies of Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella Typhimurium, and Cronobacter sakazakii with simulated reads did not provide accurate plasmid identifications. One round of NextPolish polishing was needed for accurately identifying plasmids in Staphylococcus aureus and E. coli O26:H11 with real reads, whereas one and two rounds of Pilon polishing were necessary for these two strains, respectively. Polishing failed to provide an accurate antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genotype for S. aureus with real reads. One round of polishing recovered an accurate AMR genotype for Klebsiella pneumoniae with real reads. The reference genome and draft assembly of Citrobacter braakii with real reads differed, which carried blaCMY-83 and fosA6, respectively, while both genes were present after one round of polishing. However, polishing did not improve the assembly of E. coli O26:H11 with real reads to achieve numbers of virulence genes similar to the reference genome. The draft and polished assemblies showed a phylogenetic tree topology comparable with the reference genomes. For multilocus sequence typing and pan-genome analyses, one round of NextPolish polishing was sufficient to obtain accurate results, while two or three rounds of Pilon polishing were needed. Overall, NextPolish outperformed Pilon for polishing the Oxford Nanopore long-read assemblies of bacterial pathogens, though both polishing strategies improved genomic analyses compared to the draft assemblies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhao Chen
- Joint Institute for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Center for Food Safety and Security Systems, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - David L Erickson
- Joint Institute for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Center for Food Safety and Security Systems, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Jianghong Meng
- Joint Institute for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Center for Food Safety and Security Systems, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA; Department of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA.
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33
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Ciuffreda L, Rodríguez-Pérez H, Flores C. Nanopore sequencing and its application to the study of microbial communities. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2021; 19:1497-1511. [PMID: 33815688 PMCID: PMC7985215 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2021.02.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2020] [Revised: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 02/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Since its introduction, nanopore sequencing has enhanced our ability to study complex microbial samples through the possibility to sequence long reads in real time using inexpensive and portable technologies. The use of long reads has allowed to address several previously unsolved issues in the field, such as the resolution of complex genomic structures, and facilitated the access to metagenome assembled genomes (MAGs). Furthermore, the low cost and portability of platforms together with the development of rapid protocols and analysis pipelines have featured nanopore technology as an attractive and ever-growing tool for real-time in-field sequencing for environmental microbial analysis. This review provides an up-to-date summary of the experimental protocols and bioinformatic tools for the study of microbial communities using nanopore sequencing, highlighting the most important and recent research in the field with a major focus on infectious diseases. An overview of the main approaches including targeted and shotgun approaches, metatranscriptomics, epigenomics, and epitranscriptomics is provided, together with an outlook to the major challenges and perspectives over the use of this technology for microbial studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Ciuffreda
- Research Unit, Hospital Universitario N.S. de Candelaria, Universidad de La Laguna, 38010 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
| | - Héctor Rodríguez-Pérez
- Research Unit, Hospital Universitario N.S. de Candelaria, Universidad de La Laguna, 38010 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
| | - Carlos Flores
- Research Unit, Hospital Universitario N.S. de Candelaria, Universidad de La Laguna, 38010 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
- CIBER de Enfermedades Respiratorias, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Genomics Division, Instituto Tecnológico y de Energías Renovables (ITER), 38600 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
- Instituto de Tecnologías Biomédicas (ITB), Universidad de La Laguna, 38200 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
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Dulanto Chiang A, Dekker JP. From the Pipeline to the Bedside: Advances and Challenges in Clinical Metagenomics. J Infect Dis 2021; 221:S331-S340. [PMID: 31538184 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiz151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies have revolutionized multiple areas in the field of infectious diseases, from pathogen discovery to characterization of genes mediating drug resistance. Consequently, there is much anticipation that NGS technologies may be harnessed in the realm of diagnostic methods to complement or replace current culture-based and molecular microbiologic techniques. In this context, much consideration has been given to hypothesis-free, culture-independent tests that can be performed directly on primary clinical samples. The closest realizations of such universal diagnostic methods achieved to date are based on targeted amplicon and unbiased metagenomic shotgun NGS approaches. Depending on the exact details of implementation and analysis, these approaches have the potential to detect viruses, bacteria, fungi, parasites, and archaea, including organisms that were previously undiscovered and those that are uncultivatable. Shotgun metagenomics approaches additionally can provide information on the presence of virulence and resistance genetic elements. While many limitations to the use of NGS in clinical microbiology laboratories are being overcome with decreasing technology costs, expanding curated pathogen sequence databases, and better data analysis tools, there remain many challenges to the routine use and implementation of these methods. This review summarizes recent advances in applications of targeted amplicon and shotgun-based metagenomics approaches to infectious disease diagnostic methods. Technical and conceptual challenges are considered, along with expectations for future applications of these techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Augusto Dulanto Chiang
- Bacterial Pathogenesis and Antimicrobial Resistance Unit, Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - John P Dekker
- Bacterial Pathogenesis and Antimicrobial Resistance Unit, Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Bethesda, Maryland
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35
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Nguyen SH, Cao MD, Coin LJM. Real-time resolution of short-read assembly graph using ONT long reads. PLoS Comput Biol 2021; 17:e1008586. [PMID: 33471816 PMCID: PMC7850483 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1008586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2020] [Revised: 02/01/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
A streaming assembly pipeline utilising real-time Oxford Nanopore Technology (ONT) sequencing data is important for saving sequencing resources and reducing time-to-result. A previous approach implemented in npScarf provided an efficient streaming algorithm for hybrid assembly but was relatively prone to mis-assemblies compared to other graph-based methods. Here we present npGraph, a streaming hybrid assembly tool using the assembly graph instead of the separated pre-assembly contigs. It is able to produce more complete genome assembly by resolving the path finding problem on the assembly graph using long reads as the traversing guide. Application to synthetic and real data from bacterial isolate genomes show improved accuracy while still maintaining a low computational cost. npGraph also provides a graphical user interface (GUI) which provides a real-time visualisation of the progress of assembly. The tool and source code is available at https://github.com/hsnguyen/assembly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Son Hoang Nguyen
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, the University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, Australia
- * E-mail: (SHN); (LC)
| | - Minh Duc Cao
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, the University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Lachlan J. M. Coin
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, the University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, Australia
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
- Department of Clinical Pathology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
- Department of Infectious Disease, Imperial College London, London, UK
- * E-mail: (SHN); (LC)
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Lipworth S, Pickford H, Sanderson N, Chau KK, Kavanagh J, Barker L, Vaughan A, Swann J, Andersson M, Jeffery K, Morgan M, Peto TEA, Crook DW, Stoesser N, Walker AS. Optimized use of Oxford Nanopore flowcells for hybrid assemblies. Microb Genom 2020; 6:mgen000453. [PMID: 33174830 PMCID: PMC7725331 DOI: 10.1099/mgen.0.000453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2020] [Accepted: 09/25/2020] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Hybrid assemblies are highly valuable for studies of Enterobacteriaceae due to their ability to fully resolve the structure of mobile genetic elements, such as plasmids, which are involved in the carriage of clinically important genes (e.g. those involved in antimicrobial resistance/virulence). The widespread application of this technique is currently primarily limited by cost. Recent data have suggested that non-inferior, and even superior, hybrid assemblies can be produced using a fraction of the total output from a multiplexed nanopore [Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT)] flowcell run. In this study we sought to determine the optimal minimal running time for flowcells when acquiring reads for hybrid assembly. We then evaluated whether the ONT wash kit might allow users to exploit shorter running times by sequencing multiple libraries per flowcell. After 24 h of sequencing, most chromosomes and plasmids had circularized and there was no benefit associated with longer running times. Quality was similar at 12 h, suggesting that shorter running times are likely to be acceptable for certain applications (e.g. plasmid genomics). The ONT wash kit was highly effective in removing DNA between libraries. Contamination between libraries did not appear to affect subsequent hybrid assemblies, even when the same barcodes were used successively on a single flowcell. Utilizing shorter run times in combination with between-library nuclease washes allows at least 36 Enterobacteriaceae isolates to be sequenced per flowcell, significantly reducing the per-isolate sequencing cost. Ultimately this will facilitate large-scale studies utilizing hybrid assembly, advancing our understanding of the genomics of key human pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Lipworth
- Modernising Medical Microbiology, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, UK
| | - Hayleah Pickford
- Modernising Medical Microbiology, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, UK
| | - Nicholas Sanderson
- Modernising Medical Microbiology, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, UK
- NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford, UK
| | - Kevin K. Chau
- Modernising Medical Microbiology, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, UK
| | - James Kavanagh
- Modernising Medical Microbiology, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, UK
| | - Leanne Barker
- Modernising Medical Microbiology, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, UK
| | - Alison Vaughan
- Modernising Medical Microbiology, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, UK
- NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford, UK
| | - Jeremy Swann
- Modernising Medical Microbiology, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, UK
- NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare Associated Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance at the University of Oxford in partnership with Public Health England, Oxford, UK
| | - Monique Andersson
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - Katie Jeffery
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - Marcus Morgan
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - Timothy E. A. Peto
- Modernising Medical Microbiology, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, UK
- NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford, UK
| | - Derrick W. Crook
- Modernising Medical Microbiology, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, UK
- NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford, UK
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - Nicole Stoesser
- Modernising Medical Microbiology, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, UK
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - A. Sarah Walker
- Modernising Medical Microbiology, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, UK
- NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford, UK
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David S, Cohen V, Reuter S, Sheppard AE, Giani T, Parkhill J, Rossolini GM, Feil EJ, Grundmann H, Aanensen DM. Integrated chromosomal and plasmid sequence analyses reveal diverse modes of carbapenemase gene spread among Klebsiella pneumoniae. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:25043-25054. [PMID: 32968015 PMCID: PMC7587227 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2003407117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Molecular and genomic surveillance systems for bacterial pathogens currently rely on tracking clonally evolving lineages. By contrast, plasmids are usually excluded or analyzed with low-resolution techniques, despite being the primary vectors of antibiotic resistance genes across many key pathogens. Here, we used a combination of long- and short-read sequence data of Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates (n = 1,717) from a European survey to perform an integrated, continent-wide study of chromosomal and plasmid diversity. This revealed three contrasting modes of dissemination used by carbapenemase genes, which confer resistance to last-line carbapenems. First, blaOXA-48-like genes have spread primarily via the single epidemic pOXA-48-like plasmid, which emerged recently in clinical settings and spread rapidly to numerous lineages. Second, blaVIM and blaNDM genes have spread via transient associations of many diverse plasmids with numerous lineages. Third, blaKPC genes have transmitted predominantly by stable association with one successful clonal lineage (ST258/512) yet have been mobilized among diverse plasmids within this lineage. We show that these plasmids, which include pKpQIL-like and IncX3 plasmids, have a long association (and are coevolving) with the lineage, although frequent recombination and rearrangement events between them have led to a complex array of mosaic plasmids carrying blaKPC Taken altogether, these results reveal the diverse trajectories of antibiotic resistance genes in clinical settings, summarized as using one plasmid/multiple lineages, multiple plasmids/multiple lineages, and multiple plasmids/one lineage. Our study provides a framework for the much needed incorporation of plasmid data into genomic surveillance systems, an essential step toward a more comprehensive understanding of resistance spread.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophia David
- Centre for Genomic Pathogen Surveillance, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, CB10 1SA Cambridge, United Kingdom;
| | - Victoria Cohen
- Centre for Genomic Pathogen Surveillance, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, CB10 1SA Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Sandra Reuter
- Institute for Infection Prevention and Hospital Epidemiology, Medical Centre, University of Freiburg, 79106 Freiburg, Germany
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79106 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Anna E Sheppard
- Modernizing Medical Microbiology Consortium, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford University, Oxford OX3 9DU, United Kingdom
| | - Tommaso Giani
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy
- Clinical Microbiology and Virology Unit, Florence Careggi University Hospital, 50134 Florence, Italy
| | - Julian Parkhill
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, CB3 0ES Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | | | | | - Gian Maria Rossolini
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy
- Clinical Microbiology and Virology Unit, Florence Careggi University Hospital, 50134 Florence, Italy
| | - Edward J Feil
- Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Bath BA2 7AY, United Kingdom
| | - Hajo Grundmann
- Institute for Infection Prevention and Hospital Epidemiology, Medical Centre, University of Freiburg, 79106 Freiburg, Germany
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79106 Freiburg, Germany
| | - David M Aanensen
- Centre for Genomic Pathogen Surveillance, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, CB10 1SA Cambridge, United Kingdom;
- Big Data Institute, Li Ka Shing Centre for Health Information and Discovery, Nuffield Department of Medicine, Oxford University, Oxford OX3 7LF, United Kingdom
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38
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Peter S, Bosio M, Gross C, Bezdan D, Gutierrez J, Oberhettinger P, Liese J, Vogel W, Dörfel D, Berger L, Marschal M, Willmann M, Gut I, Gut M, Autenrieth I, Ossowski S. Tracking of Antibiotic Resistance Transfer and Rapid Plasmid Evolution in a Hospital Setting by Nanopore Sequencing. mSphere 2020; 5:e00525-20. [PMID: 32817379 PMCID: PMC7440845 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00525-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2020] [Accepted: 07/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Infections with multidrug-resistant bacteria often leave limited or no treatment options. The transfer of antimicrobial resistance genes (ARG) carrying plasmids between bacterial species by horizontal gene transfer represents an important mode of expansion of ARGs. Here, we demonstrate the application of Nanopore sequencing in a hospital setting for monitoring transfer and rapid evolution of antibiotic resistance plasmids within and across multiple species. In 2009, we experienced an outbreak with extensively multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa harboring the carbapenemase-encoding blaIMP-8 gene. In 2012, the first Citrobacter freundii and Citrobacter cronae strains harboring the same gene were detected. Using Nanopore and Illumina sequencing, we conducted comparative analysis of all blaIMP-8 bacteria isolated in our hospital over a 6-year period (n = 54). We developed the computational platform plasmIDent for Nanopore-based characterization of clinical isolates and monitoring of ARG transfer, comprising de novo assembly of genomes and plasmids, plasmid circularization, ARG annotation, comparative genome analysis of multiple isolates, and visualization of results. Using plasmIDent, we identified a 40-kb plasmid carrying blaIMP-8 in P. aeruginosa and C. freundii, verifying the plasmid transfer. Within C. freundii, the plasmid underwent further evolution and plasmid fusion, resulting in a 164-kb megaplasmid, which was transferred to C. cronae Multiple rearrangements of the multidrug resistance gene cassette were detected in P. aeruginosa, including deletions and translocations of complete ARGs. In summary, plasmid transfer, plasmid fusion, and rearrangement of the ARG cassette mediated the rapid evolution of opportunistic pathogens in our hospital. We demonstrated the feasibility of near-real-time monitoring of plasmid evolution and ARG transfer in clinical settings, enabling successful countermeasures to contain plasmid-mediated outbreaks.IMPORTANCE Infections with multidrug-resistant bacteria represent a major threat to global health. While the spread of multidrug-resistant bacterial clones is frequently studied in the hospital setting, surveillance of the transfer of mobile genetic elements between different bacterial species was difficult until recent advances in sequencing technologies. Nanopore sequencing technology was applied to track antimicrobial gene transfer in a long-term outbreak of multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Citrobacter freundii, and Citrobacter cronae in a German hospital over 6 years. We developed a novel computational pipeline, pathoLogic, which enables de novo assembly of genomes and plasmids, antimicrobial resistance gene annotation and visualization, and comparative analysis. Applying this approach, we detected plasmid transfer between different bacterial species as well as plasmid fusion and frequent rearrangements of the antimicrobial resistance gene cassette. This study demonstrated the feasibility of near-real-time tracking of plasmid-based antimicrobial resistance gene transfer in hospitals, enabling countermeasures to contain plasmid-mediated outbreaks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silke Peter
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Mattia Bosio
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
- Barcelona Supercomputing Center, BSC, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Caspar Gross
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Daniela Bezdan
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Javier Gutierrez
- CNAG-CRG, Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Philipp Oberhettinger
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Jan Liese
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Wichard Vogel
- Medical Center, Department of Hematology, Oncology, Immunology, Rheumatology & Pulmonology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Daniela Dörfel
- Medical Center, Department of Hematology, Oncology, Immunology, Rheumatology & Pulmonology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Clinical Collaboration Unit Translational Immunology, German Cancer Consortium (DKTK) and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Partner Site Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Lennard Berger
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Matthias Marschal
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Matthias Willmann
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Ivo Gut
- CNAG-CRG, Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marta Gut
- CNAG-CRG, Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ingo Autenrieth
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Stephan Ossowski
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
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39
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Berbers B, Ceyssens PJ, Bogaerts P, Vanneste K, Roosens NHC, Marchal K, De Keersmaecker SCJ. Development of an NGS-Based Workflow for Improved Monitoring of Circulating Plasmids in Support of Risk Assessment of Antimicrobial Resistance Gene Dissemination. Antibiotics (Basel) 2020; 9:E503. [PMID: 32796589 PMCID: PMC7460218 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics9080503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2020] [Revised: 08/07/2020] [Accepted: 08/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the most prominent public health threats. AMR genes localized on plasmids can be easily transferred between bacterial isolates by horizontal gene transfer, thereby contributing to the spread of AMR. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies are ideal for the detection of AMR genes; however, reliable reconstruction of plasmids is still a challenge due to large repetitive regions. This study proposes a workflow to reconstruct plasmids with NGS data in view of AMR gene localization, i.e., chromosomal or on a plasmid. Whole-genome and plasmid DNA extraction methods were compared, as were assemblies consisting of short reads (Illumina MiSeq), long reads (Oxford Nanopore Technologies) and a combination of both (hybrid). Furthermore, the added value of conjugation of a plasmid to a known host was evaluated. As a case study, an isolate harboring a large, low-copy mcr-1-carrying plasmid (>200 kb) was used. Hybrid assemblies of NGS data obtained from whole-genome DNA extractions of the original isolates resulted in the most complete reconstruction of plasmids. The optimal workflow was successfully applied to multidrug-resistant Salmonella Kentucky isolates, where the transfer of an ESBL-gene-containing fragment from a plasmid to the chromosome was detected. This study highlights a strategy including wet and dry lab parameters that allows accurate plasmid reconstruction, which will contribute to an improved monitoring of circulating plasmids and the assessment of their risk of transfer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bas Berbers
- Transversal Activities in Applied Genomics, Sciensano, 1050 Brussels, Belgium; (B.B.); (K.V.); (N.H.C.R.)
- Department of Information Technology, IDLab, Ghent University, IMEC, 9052 Ghent, Belgium;
| | | | - Pierre Bogaerts
- National Reference Center for Antimicrobial Resistance in Gram-Negative Bacteria, CHU UCL Namur, 5530 Yvoir, Belgium;
| | - Kevin Vanneste
- Transversal Activities in Applied Genomics, Sciensano, 1050 Brussels, Belgium; (B.B.); (K.V.); (N.H.C.R.)
| | - Nancy H. C. Roosens
- Transversal Activities in Applied Genomics, Sciensano, 1050 Brussels, Belgium; (B.B.); (K.V.); (N.H.C.R.)
| | - Kathleen Marchal
- Department of Information Technology, IDLab, Ghent University, IMEC, 9052 Ghent, Belgium;
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Genetics, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0083, South Africa
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40
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Evans DR, Griffith MP, Sundermann AJ, Shutt KA, Saul MI, Mustapha MM, Marsh JW, Cooper VS, Harrison LH, Van Tyne D. Systematic detection of horizontal gene transfer across genera among multidrug-resistant bacteria in a single hospital. eLife 2020; 9:53886. [PMID: 32285801 PMCID: PMC7156236 DOI: 10.7554/elife.53886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2019] [Accepted: 03/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Multidrug-resistant bacteria pose a serious health threat, especially in hospitals. Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) of mobile genetic elements (MGEs) facilitates the spread of antibiotic resistance, virulence, and environmental persistence genes between nosocomial pathogens. We screened the genomes of 2173 bacterial isolates from healthcare-associated infections from a single hospital over 18 months, and identified identical nucleotide regions in bacteria belonging to distinct genera. To further resolve these shared sequences, we performed long-read sequencing on a subset of isolates and generated highly contiguous genomes. We then tracked the appearance of ten different plasmids in all 2173 genomes, and found evidence of plasmid transfer independent from bacterial transmission. Finally, we identified two instances of likely plasmid transfer within individual patients, including one plasmid that likely transferred to a second patient. This work expands our understanding of HGT in healthcare settings, and can inform efforts to limit the spread of drug-resistant pathogens in hospitals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel R Evans
- Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, United States.,Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, Pittsburgh, United States
| | - Marissa P Griffith
- Microbial Genomic Epidemiology Laboratory, Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Research Unit, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Graduate School of Public Health, Pittsburgh, United States
| | - Alexander J Sundermann
- Microbial Genomic Epidemiology Laboratory, Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Research Unit, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Graduate School of Public Health, Pittsburgh, United States
| | - Kathleen A Shutt
- Microbial Genomic Epidemiology Laboratory, Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Research Unit, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Graduate School of Public Health, Pittsburgh, United States
| | - Melissa I Saul
- Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, United States
| | - Mustapha M Mustapha
- Microbial Genomic Epidemiology Laboratory, Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Research Unit, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Graduate School of Public Health, Pittsburgh, United States
| | - Jane W Marsh
- Microbial Genomic Epidemiology Laboratory, Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Research Unit, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Graduate School of Public Health, Pittsburgh, United States
| | - Vaughn S Cooper
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, and Center for Evolutionary Biology and Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, United States
| | - Lee H Harrison
- Microbial Genomic Epidemiology Laboratory, Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Research Unit, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Graduate School of Public Health, Pittsburgh, United States
| | - Daria Van Tyne
- Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, United States
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41
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Systematic microsatellite repeat expansion cloning and validation. Hum Genet 2020; 139:1233-1246. [PMID: 32277284 DOI: 10.1007/s00439-020-02165-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2020] [Accepted: 04/04/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Approximately 3% of the human genome is composed of short tandem repeat (STR) DNA sequence known as microsatellites, which can be found in both coding and non-coding regions. When associated with genic regions, expansion of microsatellite repeats beyond a critical threshold causes dozens of neurological repeat expansion disorders. To better understand the molecular pathology of repeat expansion disorders, precise cloning of microsatellite repeat sequence and expansion size is highly valuable. Unfortunately, cloning repeat expansions is often challenging and presents a significant bottleneck to practical investigation. Here, we describe a clear method for seamless and systematic cloning of practically any microsatellite repeat expansion. We use cloning and expansion of GGGGCC repeats, which are the leading genetic cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD), as an example. We employ a recursive directional ligation (RDL) technique to build multiple GGGGCC repeat-containing vectors. We describe methods to validate repeat expansion cloning, including diagnostic restriction digestion, PCR across the repeat, and next-generation long-read MinION nanopore sequencing. Validated cloning of microsatellite repeats beyond the critical expansion threshold can facilitate step-by-step characterization of disease mechanisms at the cellular and molecular level.
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42
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Laczny CC, Galata V, Plum A, Posch AE, Keller A. Assessing the heterogeneity of in silico plasmid predictions based on whole-genome-sequenced clinical isolates. Brief Bioinform 2020; 20:857-865. [PMID: 29220507 DOI: 10.1093/bib/bbx162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2017] [Revised: 10/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
High-throughput next-generation shotgun sequencing of pathogenic bacteria is growing in clinical relevance, especially for chromosomal DNA-based taxonomic identification and for antibiotic resistance prediction. Genetic exchange is facilitated for extrachromosomal DNA, e.g. plasmid-borne antibiotic resistance genes. Consequently, accurate identification of plasmids from whole-genome sequencing (WGS) data remains one of the major challenges for sequencing-based precision medicine in infectious diseases. Here, we assess the heterogeneity of four state-of-the-art tools (cBar, PlasmidFinder, plasmidSPAdes and Recycler) for the in silico prediction of plasmid-derived sequences from WGS data. Heterogeneity, sensitivity and precision were evaluated by reference-independent and reference-dependent benchmarking using 846 Gram-negative clinical isolates. Interestingly, the majority of predicted sequences were tool-specific, resulting in a pronounced heterogeneity across tools for the reference-independent assessment. In the reference-dependent assessment, sensitivity and precision values were found to substantially vary between tools and across taxa, with cBar exhibiting the highest median sensitivity (87.45%) but a low median precision (27.05%). Furthermore, integrating the individual tools into an ensemble approach showed increased sensitivity (95.55%) while reducing the precision (25.62%). CBar and plasmidSPAdes exhibited the strongest concordance with respect to identified antibiotic resistance factors. Moreover, false-positive plasmid predictions typically contained only few antibiotic resistance factors. In conclusion, while high degrees of heterogeneity and variation in sensitivity and precision were observed across the different tools and taxa, existing tools are valuable for investigating the plasmid-borne resistome. Nevertheless, additional studies on representative clinical data sets will be necessary to translate in silico plasmid prediction approaches from research to clinical application.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Andreas Keller
- Chair for Clinical Bioinformatics at Saarland University
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43
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Berbers B, Saltykova A, Garcia-Graells C, Philipp P, Arella F, Marchal K, Winand R, Vanneste K, Roosens NHC, De Keersmaecker SCJ. Combining short and long read sequencing to characterize antimicrobial resistance genes on plasmids applied to an unauthorized genetically modified Bacillus. Sci Rep 2020; 10:4310. [PMID: 32152350 PMCID: PMC7062872 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-61158-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2019] [Accepted: 02/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major public health threat. Plasmids are able to transfer AMR genes among bacterial isolates. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) is a powerful tool to monitor AMR determinants. However, plasmids are difficult to reconstruct from WGS data. This study aimed to improve the characterization, including the localization of AMR genes using short and long read WGS strategies. We used a genetically modified (GM) Bacillus subtilis isolated as unexpected contamination in a feed additive, and therefore considered unauthorized (RASFF 2014.1249), as a case study. In GM organisms, AMR genes are used as selection markers. Because of the concern of spread of these AMR genes when present on mobile genetic elements, it is crucial to characterize their location. Our approach resulted in an assembly of one chromosome and one plasmid, each with several AMR determinants of which five are against critically important antibiotics. Interestingly, we found several plasmids, containing AMR genes, integrated in the chromosome in a repetitive region of at least 53 kb. Our findings would have been impossible using short reads only. We illustrated the added value of long read sequencing in addressing the challenges of plasmid reconstruction within the context of evaluating the risk of AMR spread.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bas Berbers
- Transversal activities in Applied Genomics, Sciensano, Brussels, Belgium
- Department of Information Technology, IDLab, Ghent University, IMEC, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Assia Saltykova
- Transversal activities in Applied Genomics, Sciensano, Brussels, Belgium
- Department of Information Technology, IDLab, Ghent University, IMEC, Ghent, Belgium
| | | | - Patrick Philipp
- Service Commun des Laboratoires, Illkirch-Graffenstaden, France
| | - Fabrice Arella
- Service Commun des Laboratoires, Illkirch-Graffenstaden, France
| | - Kathleen Marchal
- Department of Information Technology, IDLab, Ghent University, IMEC, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Raf Winand
- Transversal activities in Applied Genomics, Sciensano, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Kevin Vanneste
- Transversal activities in Applied Genomics, Sciensano, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Nancy H C Roosens
- Transversal activities in Applied Genomics, Sciensano, Brussels, Belgium
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Pitt ME, Nguyen SH, Duarte TPS, Teng H, Blaskovich MAT, Cooper MA, Coin LJM. Evaluating the genome and resistome of extensively drug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae using native DNA and RNA Nanopore sequencing. Gigascience 2020; 9:giaa002. [PMID: 32016399 PMCID: PMC6998412 DOI: 10.1093/gigascience/giaa002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2019] [Revised: 10/17/2019] [Accepted: 01/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Klebsiella pneumoniae frequently harbours multidrug resistance, and current diagnostics struggle to rapidly identify appropriate antibiotics to treat these bacterial infections. The MinION device can sequence native DNA and RNA in real time, providing an opportunity to compare the utility of DNA and RNA for prediction of antibiotic susceptibility. However, the effectiveness of bacterial direct RNA sequencing and base-calling has not previously been investigated. This study interrogated the genome and transcriptome of 4 extensively drug-resistant (XDR) K. pneumoniae clinical isolates; however, further antimicrobial susceptibility testing identified 3 isolates as pandrug-resistant (PDR). RESULTS The majority of acquired resistance (≥75%) resided on plasmids including several megaplasmids (≥100 kb). DNA sequencing detected most resistance genes (≥70%) within 2 hours of sequencing. Neural network-based base-calling of direct RNA achieved up to 86% identity rate, although ≤23% of reads could be aligned. Direct RNA sequencing (with ∼6 times slower pore translocation) was able to identify (within 10 hours) ≥35% of resistance genes, including those associated with resistance to aminoglycosides, β-lactams, trimethoprim, and sulphonamide and also quinolones, rifampicin, fosfomycin, and phenicol in some isolates. Direct RNA sequencing also identified the presence of operons containing up to 3 resistance genes. Polymyxin-resistant isolates showed a heightened transcription of phoPQ (≥2-fold) and the pmrHFIJKLM operon (≥8-fold). Expression levels estimated from direct RNA sequencing displayed strong correlation (Pearson: 0.86) compared to quantitative real-time PCR across 11 resistance genes. CONCLUSION Overall, MinION sequencing rapidly detected the XDR/PDR K. pneumoniae resistome, and direct RNA sequencing provided accurate estimation of expression levels of these genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miranda E Pitt
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, 306 Carmody Road, Brisbane, Queensland, 4072, Australia
- The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, The University of Melbourne, 792 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne, Victoria, 3000, Australia
| | - Son H Nguyen
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, 306 Carmody Road, Brisbane, Queensland, 4072, Australia
| | - Tânia P S Duarte
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, 306 Carmody Road, Brisbane, Queensland, 4072, Australia
| | - Haotian Teng
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, 306 Carmody Road, Brisbane, Queensland, 4072, Australia
| | - Mark A T Blaskovich
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, 306 Carmody Road, Brisbane, Queensland, 4072, Australia
| | - Matthew A Cooper
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, 306 Carmody Road, Brisbane, Queensland, 4072, Australia
| | - Lachlan J M Coin
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, 306 Carmody Road, Brisbane, Queensland, 4072, Australia
- The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, The University of Melbourne, 792 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne, Victoria, 3000, Australia
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Petersen LM, Martin IW, Moschetti WE, Kershaw CM, Tsongalis GJ. Third-Generation Sequencing in the Clinical Laboratory: Exploring the Advantages and Challenges of Nanopore Sequencing. J Clin Microbiol 2019; 58:e01315-19. [PMID: 31619531 PMCID: PMC6935936 DOI: 10.1128/jcm.01315-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 111] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Metagenomic sequencing for infectious disease diagnostics is an important tool that holds promise for use in the clinical laboratory. Challenges for implementation so far include high cost, the length of time to results, and the need for technical and bioinformatics expertise. However, the recent technological innovation of nanopore sequencing from Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) has the potential to address these challenges. ONT sequencing is an attractive platform for clinical laboratories to adopt due to its low cost, rapid turnaround time, and user-friendly bioinformatics pipelines. However, this method still faces the problem of base-calling accuracy compared to other platforms. This review highlights the general challenges of pathogen detection in clinical specimens by metagenomic sequencing, the advantages and disadvantages of the ONT platform, and how research to date supports the potential future use of nanopore sequencing in infectious disease diagnostics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren M Petersen
- Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Lebanon, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Isabella W Martin
- Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Lebanon, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Wayne E Moschetti
- Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Department of Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine, Lebanon, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Colleen M Kershaw
- Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Department of Infectious Disease and International Health, Lebanon, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Gregory J Tsongalis
- Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Lebanon, New Hampshire, USA
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Botelho J, Lood C, Partridge SR, van Noort V, Lavigne R, Grosso F, Peixe L. Combining sequencing approaches to fully resolve a carbapenemase-encoding megaplasmid in a Pseudomonas shirazica clinical strain. Emerg Microbes Infect 2019; 8:1186-1194. [PMID: 31381486 PMCID: PMC6713103 DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2019.1648182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- João Botelho
- a UCIBIO/REQUIMTE, Laboratório de Microbiologia, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto , Porto , Portugal
| | - Cédric Lood
- b Centre of Microbial and Plant Genetics, Department of Microbial and Molecular Systems, KU Leuven , Leuven , Belgium.,c Laboratory of Gene Technology, Department of Biosystems, KU Leuven , Leuven , Belgium
| | - Sally R Partridge
- d Centre for Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, The Westmead Institute for Medical Research, The University of Sydney, Westmead Hospital , Sydney , Australia
| | - Vera van Noort
- b Centre of Microbial and Plant Genetics, Department of Microbial and Molecular Systems, KU Leuven , Leuven , Belgium.,e Institute of Biology, Leiden University , Leiden , The Netherlands
| | - Rob Lavigne
- c Laboratory of Gene Technology, Department of Biosystems, KU Leuven , Leuven , Belgium
| | - Filipa Grosso
- a UCIBIO/REQUIMTE, Laboratório de Microbiologia, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto , Porto , Portugal
| | - Luísa Peixe
- a UCIBIO/REQUIMTE, Laboratório de Microbiologia, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto , Porto , Portugal
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Tyson GH, Li C, Hsu CH, Bodeis-Jones S, McDermott PF. Diverse Fluoroquinolone Resistance Plasmids From Retail Meat E. coli in the United States. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:2826. [PMID: 31866986 PMCID: PMC6906146 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.02826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2019] [Accepted: 11/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Fluoroquinolones are used to treat serious bacterial infections, including those caused by Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica. The emergence of plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance (PMQR) represent a new challenge to the successful treatment of Gram-negative infections. As part of a long-term strategy to generate a reference database of closed plasmids from antimicrobial resistant foodborne bacteria, we performed long-read sequencing of 11 E. coli isolates from retail meats that were non-susceptible to ciprofloxacin. Each of the isolates had PMQR genes, including qnrA1, qnrS1, and qnrB19. The four qnrB19 genes were carried on two distinct ColE-type plasmids among isolates from pork chop and ground turkey and were identical to plasmids previously identified in Salmonella. Seven other plasmids differed from any other sequences in GenBank and comprised IncF and IncR plasmids that ranged in size from 48 to 180 kb. These plasmids also contained different combinations of resistance genes, including those conferring resistance to beta-lactams, macrolides, sulfonamides, tetracycline, and heavy metals. Although relatively few isolates have PMQR genes, the identification of diverse plasmids in multiple retail meat sources suggests the potential for further spread of fluoroquinolone resistance, including through co-selection. These results highlight the value of long-read sequencing in characterizing antimicrobial resistance genes of public health concern.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory H Tyson
- Office of Research, Center for Veterinary Medicine, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Laurel, MD, United States
| | - Cong Li
- Office of Research, Center for Veterinary Medicine, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Laurel, MD, United States
| | - Chih-Hao Hsu
- Office of Research, Center for Veterinary Medicine, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Laurel, MD, United States
| | - Sonya Bodeis-Jones
- Office of Research, Center for Veterinary Medicine, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Laurel, MD, United States
| | - Patrick F McDermott
- Office of Research, Center for Veterinary Medicine, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Laurel, MD, United States
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De Maio N, Shaw LP, Hubbard A, George S, Sanderson ND, Swann J, Wick R, AbuOun M, Stubberfield E, Hoosdally SJ, Crook DW, Peto TEA, Sheppard AE, Bailey MJ, Read DS, Anjum MF, Walker AS, Stoesser N. Comparison of long-read sequencing technologies in the hybrid assembly of complex bacterial genomes. Microb Genom 2019; 5:e000294. [PMID: 31483244 PMCID: PMC6807382 DOI: 10.1099/mgen.0.000294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 121] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2019] [Accepted: 08/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Illumina sequencing allows rapid, cheap and accurate whole genome bacterial analyses, but short reads (<300 bp) do not usually enable complete genome assembly. Long-read sequencing greatly assists with resolving complex bacterial genomes, particularly when combined with short-read Illumina data (hybrid assembly). However, it is not clear how different long-read sequencing methods affect hybrid assembly accuracy. Relative automation of the assembly process is also crucial to facilitating high-throughput complete bacterial genome reconstruction, avoiding multiple bespoke filtering and data manipulation steps. In this study, we compared hybrid assemblies for 20 bacterial isolates, including two reference strains, using Illumina sequencing and long reads from either Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) or SMRT Pacific Biosciences (PacBio) sequencing platforms. We chose isolates from the family Enterobacteriaceae, as these frequently have highly plastic, repetitive genetic structures, and complete genome reconstruction for these species is relevant for a precise understanding of the epidemiology of antimicrobial resistance. We de novo assembled genomes using the hybrid assembler Unicycler and compared different read processing strategies, as well as comparing to long-read-only assembly with Flye followed by short-read polishing with Pilon. Hybrid assembly with either PacBio or ONT reads facilitated high-quality genome reconstruction, and was superior to the long-read assembly and polishing approach evaluated with respect to accuracy and completeness. Combining ONT and Illumina reads fully resolved most genomes without additional manual steps, and at a lower consumables cost per isolate in our setting. Automated hybrid assembly is a powerful tool for complete and accurate bacterial genome assembly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola De Maio
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Liam P. Shaw
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Alasdair Hubbard
- Department of Tropical Disease Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, L3 5QA, UK
| | - Sophie George
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- NIHR HPRU Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare Associated Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance at University of Oxford in partnership with Public Health England, Oxford, UK
| | | | - Jeremy Swann
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Ryan Wick
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Manal AbuOun
- Department of Bacteriology, Animal and Plant Health Agency, Addlestone, Surrey, KT15 3NB, UK
| | - Emma Stubberfield
- Department of Bacteriology, Animal and Plant Health Agency, Addlestone, Surrey, KT15 3NB, UK
| | | | - Derrick W. Crook
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- NIHR HPRU Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare Associated Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance at University of Oxford in partnership with Public Health England, Oxford, UK
| | - Timothy E. A. Peto
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- NIHR HPRU Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare Associated Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance at University of Oxford in partnership with Public Health England, Oxford, UK
| | - Anna E. Sheppard
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- NIHR HPRU Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare Associated Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance at University of Oxford in partnership with Public Health England, Oxford, UK
| | - Mark J. Bailey
- Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Benson Lane, Crowmarsh Gifford, Wallingford, OX10 8BB, UK
| | - Daniel S. Read
- Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Benson Lane, Crowmarsh Gifford, Wallingford, OX10 8BB, UK
| | - Muna F. Anjum
- Department of Bacteriology, Animal and Plant Health Agency, Addlestone, Surrey, KT15 3NB, UK
| | - A. Sarah Walker
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- NIHR HPRU Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare Associated Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance at University of Oxford in partnership with Public Health England, Oxford, UK
| | - Nicole Stoesser
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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Large Plasmid Complement Resolved: Complete Genome Sequencing of Lactobacillus plantarum MF1298, a Candidate Probiotic Strain Associated with Unfavorable Effect. Microorganisms 2019; 7:microorganisms7080262. [PMID: 31416278 PMCID: PMC6722938 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms7080262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2019] [Revised: 08/08/2019] [Accepted: 08/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Considerable attention has been given to the species Lactobacillus plantarum regarding its probiotic potential. L. plantarum strains have shown health benefits in several studies, and even nonstrain-specific claims are allowed in certain markets. L. plantarum strain MF1298 was considered a candidate probiotic, demonstrating in vitro probiotic properties and the ability to survive passage through the human intestinal tract. However, the strain showed an unfavorable effect on symptoms in subjects with irritable bowel syndrome in a clinical trial. The properties and the genome of this strain are thus of general interest. Obtaining the complete genome of strain MF1298 proved difficult due to its large plasmid complement. Here, we exploit a combination of sequencing approaches to obtain the complete chromosome and plasmid assemblies of MF1298. The Oxford Nanopore Technologies MinION long-read sequencer was particularly useful in resolving the unusually large number of plasmids in the strain, 14 in total. The complete genome sequence of 3,576,440 basepairs contains 3272 protein-encoding genes, of which 315 are located on plasmids. Few unique regions were found in comparison with other L. plantarum genomes. Notably, however, one of the plasmids contains genes related to vitamin B12 (cobalamin) turnover and genes encoding bacterial reverse transcriptases, features not previously reported for L. plantarum. The extensive plasmid information will be important for future studies with this strain.
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50
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Decano AG, Ludden C, Feltwell T, Judge K, Parkhill J, Downing T. Complete Assembly of Escherichia coli Sequence Type 131 Genomes Using Long Reads Demonstrates Antibiotic Resistance Gene Variation within Diverse Plasmid and Chromosomal Contexts. mSphere 2019; 4:e00130-19. [PMID: 31068432 PMCID: PMC6506616 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00130-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2019] [Accepted: 04/24/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The incidence of infections caused by extraintestinal Escherichia coli (ExPEC) is rising globally, which is a major public health concern. ExPEC strains that are resistant to antimicrobials have been associated with excess mortality, prolonged hospital stays, and higher health care costs. E. coli sequence type 131 (ST131) is a major ExPEC clonal group worldwide, with variable plasmid composition, and has an array of genes enabling antimicrobial resistance (AMR). ST131 isolates frequently encode the AMR genes blaCTX-M-14, blaCTX-M-15, and blaCTX-M-27, which are often rearranged, amplified, and translocated by mobile genetic elements (MGEs). Short DNA reads do not fully resolve the architecture of repetitive elements on plasmids to allow MGE structures encoding blaCTX-M genes to be fully determined. Here, we performed long-read sequencing to decipher the genome structures of six E. coli ST131 isolates from six patients. Most long-read assemblies generated entire chromosomes and plasmids as single contigs, in contrast to more fragmented assemblies created with short reads alone. The long-read assemblies highlighted diverse accessory genomes with blaCTX-M-15, blaCTX-M-14, and blaCTX-M-27 genes identified in three, one, and one isolates, respectively. One sample had no blaCTX-M gene. Two samples had chromosomal blaCTX-M-14 and blaCTX-M-15 genes, and the latter was at three distinct locations, likely transposed by the adjacent MGEs: ISEcp1, IS903B, and Tn2 This study showed that AMR genes exist in multiple different chromosomal and plasmid contexts, even between closely related isolates within a clonal group such as E. coli ST131.IMPORTANCE Drug-resistant bacteria are a major cause of illness worldwide, and a specific subtype called Escherichia coli ST131 causes a significant number of these infections. ST131 bacteria become resistant to treatments by modifying their DNA and by transferring genes among one another via large packages of genes called plasmids, like a game of pass-the-parcel. Tackling infections more effectively requires a better understanding of what plasmids are being exchanged and their exact contents. To achieve this, we applied new high-resolution DNA sequencing technology to six ST131 samples from infected patients and compared the output to that of an existing approach. A combination of methods shows that drug resistance genes on plasmids are highly mobile because they can jump into ST131's chromosomes. We found that the plasmids are very elastic and undergo extensive rearrangements even in closely related samples. This application of DNA sequencing technologies illustrates at a new level the highly dynamic nature of ST131 genomes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Catherine Ludden
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, United Kingdom
- London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Kim Judge
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, United Kingdom
| | | | - Tim Downing
- School of Biotechnology, Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland
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