1
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Ambrose SJ, Hall RM. Variation in the plasmid backbone and dif module content of R3-T33 Acinetobacter plasmids. Plasmid 2024; 129-130:102722. [PMID: 38631562 DOI: 10.1016/j.plasmid.2024.102722] [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: 02/19/2024] [Revised: 04/08/2024] [Accepted: 04/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Abstract
The predominant type of plasmids found in Acinetobacter species encode a Rep_3 initiation protein and many of these carry their accessory genes in dif modules. Here, available sequences of the 14 members of the group of Rep_3 plasmids typed as R3-T33, using a threshold of 95% identity in the repA gene, were compiled and compared. These plasmids were from various Acinetobacter species. The pdif sites were identified allowing the backbone and dif modules to be defined. As for other Rep_3 plasmids carrying dif modules, orfX encoding a protein of unknown function was found downstream of repA followed by a pdif site in the orientation XerC binding site-spacer-XerD binding site. Most backbones (n = 12) also included mobA and mobC genes but the two plasmids with the most diverged repA and orfX genes had different backbone contents. Although the gene content of the plasmid backbone was largely conserved, extensive recombinational exchange was detected and only two small groups carried identical or nearly identical backbones. Individual plasmids were associated with 1 to 13 dif modules. Many different dif modules were identified, including ones containing antibiotic or chromate resistance genes and several toxin/antitoxin gene pairs. In some cases, modules carrying the same genes were significantly diverged. Generally, the orientation of the pdif sites alternated such that C modules (XerC binding sites internal) alternated with D modules (XerD binding sites internal). However, fusions of two dif modules via mutational inactivation or loss of a pdif site were also detected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie J Ambrose
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.
| | - Ruth M Hall
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
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2
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Weisberg AJ, Chang JH. Mobile Genetic Element Flexibility as an Underlying Principle to Bacterial Evolution. Annu Rev Microbiol 2023; 77:603-624. [PMID: 37437216 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-micro-032521-022006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/14/2023]
Abstract
Mobile genetic elements are key to the evolution of bacteria and traits that affect host and ecosystem health. Here, we use a framework of a hierarchical and modular system that scales from genes to populations to synthesize recent findings on mobile genetic elements (MGEs) of bacteria. Doing so highlights the role that emergent properties of flexibility, robustness, and genetic capacitance of MGEs have on the evolution of bacteria. Some of their traits can be stored, shared, and diversified across different MGEs, taxa of bacteria, and time. Collectively, these properties contribute to maintaining functionality against perturbations while allowing changes to accumulate in order to diversify and give rise to new traits. These properties of MGEs have long challenged our abilities to study them. Implementation of new technologies and strategies allows for MGEs to be analyzed in new and powerful ways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra J Weisberg
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA;
| | - Jeff H Chang
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA;
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3
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Traglia G, Ramirez MS, Tolmasky ME. Role of Xer site-specific recombination in the genesis of pJHCMW1: an evolutionary hypothesis. J Glob Antimicrob Resist 2023; 34:199-201. [PMID: 37517477 PMCID: PMC10984218 DOI: 10.1016/j.jgar.2023.07.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Revised: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- German Traglia
- Unidad de Genómica y Bioinformática, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Centro Universitario Regional Litoral Norte, Universidad de La República, Uruguay
| | - Maria Soledad Ramirez
- Center for Applied Biotechnology Studies, Department of Biological Science, California State University Fullerton, Fullerton, California
| | - Marcelo E Tolmasky
- Center for Applied Biotechnology Studies, Department of Biological Science, California State University Fullerton, Fullerton, California.
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4
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Siguier P, Rousseau P, Cornet F, Chandler M. A subclass of the IS1202 family of bacterial insertion sequences targets XerCD recombination sites. Plasmid 2023; 127:102696. [PMID: 37302728 DOI: 10.1016/j.plasmid.2023.102696] [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: 12/23/2022] [Revised: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
We describe here a new family of IS which are related to IS1202, originally isolated from Streptococcus pneumoniae in the mid-1990s and previously tagged as an emerging IS family in the ISfinder database. Members of this family have impacted some important properties of their hosts. We describe here another potentially important property of certain family members: specific targeting of xrs recombination sites. The family could be divided into three subgroups based on their transposase sequences and the length on the target repeats (DR) they generate on insertion: subgroup IS1202 (24-29 bp); ISTde1 (15-18 bp); and ISAba32 (5-6 bp). Members of the ISAba32 subgroup were repeatedly found abutting Xer recombinase recombination sites (xrs), separated by an intervening copy of a DR. These xrs sites, present in multiple copies in a number of Acinetobacter plasmids flanking antibiotic resistance genes, were proposed to form a new type of mobile genetic element using the chromosomally-encoded XerCD recombinase for mobility. Transposase alignments identified subgroup-specific indels which may be responsible for the differences in the transposition properties of the three subgroups (i.e. DR length and target specificity). We propose that this collection of IS be classed as a new insertion sequence family: the IS1202 family composed of three subgroups, only one of which specifically targets plasmid-borne xrs. We discuss the implications of xrs targeting for gene mobility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia Siguier
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie et Génétique Moléculaires, Centre de Biologie Integrative, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, France.
| | - Philippe Rousseau
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie et Génétique Moléculaires, Centre de Biologie Integrative, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, France
| | - François Cornet
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie et Génétique Moléculaires, Centre de Biologie Integrative, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, France
| | - Michael Chandler
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular & Cellular Biology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA.
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5
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Prity FT, Tobin LA, Maharajan R, Paulsen IT, Cain AK, Hamidian M. The evolutionary tale of eight novel plasmids in a colistin-resistant environmental Acinetobacter baumannii isolate. Microb Genom 2023; 9. [PMID: 37171842 DOI: 10.1099/mgen.0.001010] [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] [Indexed: 05/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Acinetobacter baumannii is an important opportunistic pathogen known for its high levels of resistance to many antibiotics, particularly those considered last resorts such as colistin and carbapenems. Plasmids of this organism are increasingly associated with the spread of clinically important antibiotic resistance genes. Although A. baumannii is a ubiquitous organism, to date, most of the focus has been on studying strains recovered from clinical samples ignoring those isolated in the environment (soil, water, food, etc.). Here, we analysed the genetic structures of eight novel plasmids carried by an environmental colistin-resistant A. baumannii (strain E-072658) recovered in a recycled fibre pulp in a paper mill in Finland. It was shown that E-072658 carries a new variant of the mcr-4 colistin resistance gene (mcr-4.7) in a novel Tn3-family transposon (called Tn6926) carried by a novel plasmid p8E072658. E-072658 is also resistant to sulphonamide compounds; consistent with this, the sul2 sulphonamide resistance gene was found in a pdif module. E-072658 also carries six additional plasmids with no antibiotic resistance genes, but they contained several pdif modules shared with plasmids carried by clinical strains. Detailed analysis of the genetic structure of all eight plasmids carried by E-072658 showed a complex evolutionary history revealing genetic exchange events within the genus Acinetobacter beyond the clinical or environmental origin of the strains. This work provides evidence that environmental strains might act as a source for some of the clinically significant antibiotic resistance genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farzana T Prity
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Liam A Tobin
- Australian Institute for Microbiology & Infection, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW, 2007, Australia
| | - Ram Maharajan
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Ian T Paulsen
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Amy K Cain
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Mehrad Hamidian
- Australian Institute for Microbiology & Infection, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW, 2007, Australia
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6
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Castanheira M, Mendes RE, Gales AC. Global Epidemiology and Mechanisms of Resistance of Acinetobacter baumannii-calcoaceticus Complex. Clin Infect Dis 2023; 76:S166-S178. [PMID: 37125466 PMCID: PMC10150277 DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciad109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Acinetobacter baumannii-calcoaceticus complex is the most commonly identified species in the genus Acinetobacter and it accounts for a large percentage of nosocomial infections, including bacteremia, pneumonia, and infections of the skin and urinary tract. A few key clones of A. baumannii-calcoaceticus are currently responsible for the dissemination of these organisms worldwide. Unfortunately, multidrug resistance is a common trait among these clones due to their unrivalled adaptive nature. A. baumannii-calcoaceticus isolates can accumulate resistance traits by a plethora of mechanisms, including horizontal gene transfer, natural transformation, acquisition of mutations, and mobilization of genetic elements that modulate expression of intrinsic and acquired genes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Ana C Gales
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
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7
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Tu Q, Pu M, Li Y, Wang Y, Li M, Song L, Li M, An X, Fan H, Tong Y. Acinetobacter Baumannii Phages: Past, Present and Future. Viruses 2023; 15:v15030673. [PMID: 36992382 PMCID: PMC10057898 DOI: 10.3390/v15030673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Revised: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Acinetobacter baumannii (A. baumannii) is one of the most common clinical pathogens and a typical multi-drug resistant (MDR) bacterium. With the increase of drug-resistant A. baumannii infections, it is urgent to find some new treatment strategies, such as phage therapy. In this paper, we described the different drug resistances of A. baumannii and some basic properties of A. baumannii phages, analyzed the interaction between phages and their hosts, and focused on A. baumannii phage therapies. Finally, we discussed the chance and challenge of phage therapy. This paper aims to provide a more comprehensive understanding of A. baumannii phages and theoretical support for the clinical application of A. baumannii phages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qihang Tu
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Mingfang Pu
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Yahao Li
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering (BAIC-SM), Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Yuer Wang
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Maochen Li
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Lihua Song
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Mengzhe Li
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Xiaoping An
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Huahao Fan
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
- Correspondence: (H.F.); (Y.T.)
| | - Yigang Tong
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering (BAIC-SM), Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
- Correspondence: (H.F.); (Y.T.)
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8
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Harmer CJ, Pong CH, Hall RM. Insertion sequences related to ISAjo2 target p dif and dif sites and belong to a new IS family, the IS 1202 family. Microb Genom 2023; 9. [PMID: 36880881 PMCID: PMC10132070 DOI: 10.1099/mgen.0.000953] [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: 03/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Several insertion sequences (IS) found in various Acinetobacter species exhibit target specificity. They are found, in the same orientation, 5 bp from the XerC binding site of the pdif sites associated with dif modules in Acinetobacter plasmids, and searches revealed they are also found near chromosomal dif sites of Acinetobacter species. These IS are 1.5 kb long, bounded by 24-26 bp imperfect terminal inverted repeats (TIRs) and encode a large transposase of 441-457 aa. They generate 5 bp target site duplications (TSDs). Structural predictions of the ISAjo2 transposase, TnpAjo2, modelled on TnsB of Tn7 revealed two N-terminal HTH domains followed by an RNaseH fold (DDE domain), a β barrel and a C-terminal domain. Similar to Tn7, the outer IS ends are 5'-TGT and ACA-3', and an additional Tnp binding site, corresponding to the internal portion of the IR, is found near each end. However, the Acinetobacter IS do not encode further proteins related to those required by Tn7 for targeted transposition, and the transposase may interact directly with XerC bound to a dif-like site. We propose that these IS, currently in the IS1202 group in the not characterized yet (NCY) category in ISFinder, are part of a distinct IS1202 family. Other IS listed as in the IS1202 group encode transposases related to TnpAjo2 (25-56 % amino acid identity) and have similar TIRs but fall into three groups based on the TSD length (3-5, >15, 0 bp). Those with 3-5 bp TSDs may also target dif-like sites but targets were not found for the other groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher J Harmer
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Carol H Pong
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Ruth M Hall
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
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9
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Giacone L, Cameranesi MM, Sanchez RI, Limansky AS, Morán-Barrio J, Viale AM. Dynamic state of plasmid genomic architectures resulting from XerC/D-mediated site-specific recombination in Acinetobacter baumannii Rep_3 superfamily resistance plasmids carrying blaOXA-58 - and Tn aphA6-resistance modules. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1057608. [PMID: 36846794 PMCID: PMC9947245 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1057608] [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: 09/29/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The acquisition of bla OXA genes encoding different carbapenem-hydrolyzing class-D β-lactamases (CHDL) represents a main determinant of carbapenem resistance in the nosocomial pathogen Acinetobacter baumannii. The blaOXA-58 gene, in particular, is generally embedded in similar resistance modules (RM) carried by plasmids unique to the Acinetobacter genus lacking self-transferability. The ample variations in the immediate genomic contexts in which blaOXA-58 -containing RMs are inserted among these plasmids, and the almost invariable presence at their borders of non-identical 28-bp sequences potentially recognized by the host XerC and XerD tyrosine recombinases (pXerC/D-like sites), suggested an involvement of these sites in the lateral mobilization of the gene structures they encircle. However, whether and how these pXerC/D sites participate in this process is only beginning to be understood. Here, we used a series of experimental approaches to analyze the contribution of pXerC/D-mediated site-specific recombination to the generation of structural diversity between resistance plasmids carrying pXerC/D-bounded bla OXA-58- and TnaphA6-containing RM harbored by two phylogenetically- and epidemiologically-closely related A. baumannii strains of our collection, Ab242 and Ab825, during adaptation to the hospital environment. Our analysis disclosed the existence of different bona fide pairs of recombinationally-active pXerC/D sites in these plasmids, some mediating reversible intramolecular inversions and others reversible plasmid fusions/resolutions. All of the identified recombinationally-active pairs shared identical GGTGTA sequences at the cr spacer separating the XerC- and XerD-binding regions. The fusion of two Ab825 plasmids mediated by a pair of recombinationally-active pXerC/D sites displaying sequence differences at the cr spacer could be inferred on the basis of sequence comparison analysis, but no evidence of reversibility could be obtained in this case. The reversible plasmid genome rearrangements mediated by recombinationally-active pairs of pXerC/D sites reported here probably represents an ancient mechanism of generating structural diversity in the Acinetobacter plasmid pool. This recursive process could facilitate a rapid adaptation of an eventual bacterial host to changing environments, and has certainly contributed to the evolution of Acinetobacter plasmids and the capture and dissemination of bla OXA-58 genes among Acinetobacter and non-Acinetobacter populations co-residing in the hospital niche.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Rocío I. Sanchez
- Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, CONICET, Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (IBR), Universidad Nacional de Rosario (UNR), Rosario, Argentina
| | - Adriana S. Limansky
- Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, CONICET, Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (IBR), Universidad Nacional de Rosario (UNR), Rosario, Argentina
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10
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Shao M, Ying N, Liang Q, Ma N, Leptihn S, Yu Y, Chen H, Liu C, Hua X. Pdif-mediated antibiotic resistance genes transfer in bacteria identified by pdifFinder. Brief Bioinform 2023; 24:6873868. [PMID: 36470841 DOI: 10.1093/bib/bbac521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2022] [Revised: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Modules consisting of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) flanked by inverted repeat Xer-specific recombination sites were thought to be mobile genetic elements that promote horizontal transmission. Less frequently, the presence of mobile modules in plasmids, which facilitate a pdif-mediated ARGs transfer, has been reported. Here, numerous ARGs and toxin-antitoxin genes have been found in pdif site pairs. However, the mechanisms underlying this apparent genetic mobility is currently not understood, and the studies relating to pdif-mediated ARGs transfer onto most bacterial genera are lacking. We developed the web server pdifFinder based on an algorithm called PdifSM that allows the prediction of diverse pdif-ARGs modules in bacterial genomes. Using test set consisting of almost 32 thousand plasmids from 717 species, PdifSM identified 481 plasmids from various bacteria containing pdif sites with ARGs. We found 28-bp-long elements from different genera with clear base preferences. The data we obtained indicate that XerCD-dif site-specific recombination mechanism may have evolutionary adapted to facilitate the pdif-mediated ARGs transfer. Through multiple sequence alignment and evolutionary analyses of duplicated pdif-ARGs modules, we discovered that pdif sites allow an interspecies transfer of ARGs but also across different genera. Mutations in pdif sites generate diverse arrays of modules which mediate multidrug-resistance, as these contain variable numbers of diverse ARGs, insertion sequences and other functional genes. The identification of pdif-ARGs modules and studies focused on the mechanism of ARGs co-transfer will help us to understand and possibly allow controlling the spread of MDR bacteria in clinical settings. The pdifFinder code, standalone software package and description with tutorials are available at https://github.com/mjshao06/pdifFinder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengjie Shao
- School of Automation, Hangzhou Dianzi University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310018, PR China
| | - Nanjiao Ying
- School of Automation, Hangzhou Dianzi University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310018, PR China
| | - Qian Liang
- Hangzhou Digital Micro Biotech Co., Ltd., Hangzhou, 311215, China
| | - Nan Ma
- School of Automation, Hangzhou Dianzi University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310018, PR China
| | - Sebastian Leptihn
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310016, PR China.,Zhejiang University-University of Edinburgh Institute, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.,University of Edinburgh Medical School, Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Yunsong Yu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310016, PR China.,Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology and Bioinformatics of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310016, PR China.,Regional Medical Center for National Institute of Respiratory Diseases, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310016, PR China
| | - Huan Chen
- Hangzhou Digital Micro Biotech Co., Ltd., Hangzhou, 311215, China.,College of Life Science, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Chengzhi Liu
- Hangzhou Digital Micro Biotech Co., Ltd., Hangzhou, 311215, China
| | - Xiaoting Hua
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310016, PR China.,Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology and Bioinformatics of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310016, PR China.,Regional Medical Center for National Institute of Respiratory Diseases, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310016, PR China.,Alibaba-Zhejiang University Joint Research Center of Future Digital Healthcare
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11
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Mohd Rani F, Lean SS, A Rahman NI, Ismail S, Alattraqchi AG, Amonov M, Cleary DW, Clarke SC, Yeo CC. Comparative genomic analysis of clinical Acinetobacter nosocomialis isolates from Terengganu, Malaysia led to the discovery of a novel tetracycline-resistant plasmid. J Glob Antimicrob Resist 2022; 31:104-109. [PMID: 36049733 DOI: 10.1016/j.jgar.2022.08.019] [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: 05/17/2022] [Revised: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To analyse the genome sequences of four archival Acinetobacter nosocomialis clinical isolates (designated AC13, AC15, AC21 and AC25) obtained from Terengganu, Malaysia in 2011 to determine their genetic relatedness and basis of antimicrobial resistance. METHODS Antimicrobial susceptibility profiles of the A. nosocomialis isolates were determined by disk diffusion. Genome sequencing was performed using the Illumina NextSeq platform. RESULTS The four A. nosocomialis isolates were cefotaxime resistant whereas three isolates (namely, AC13, AC15 and AC25) were tetracycline resistant. The carriage of the blaADC-255-encoded cephalosporinase gene is likely responsible for cefotaxime resistance in all four isolates. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that the three tetracycline-resistant isolates were closely related, with an average nucleotide identity of 99.9%, suggestive of nosocomial spread, whereas AC21 had an average nucleotide identity of 97.9% when compared to these three isolates. The tetracycline-resistant isolates harboured two plasmids: a 13476 bp Rep3-family plasmid of the GR17 group designated pAC13-1, which encodes the tetA(39) tetracycline-resistance gene, and pAC13-2, a 4872 bp cryptic PriCT-1-family plasmid of a new Acinetobacter plasmid group, GR60. The tetA(39) gene was in a 2 001 bp fragment flanked by XerC/XerD recombination sites characteristic of a mobile pdif module. Both plasmids also harboured mobilisation/transfer-related genes. CONCLUSIONS Genome sequencing of A. nosocomialis isolates led to the discovery of two novel plasmids, one of which encodes the tetA(39) tetracycline-resistant gene in a mobile pdif module. The high degree of genetic relatedness among the three tetracycline-resistant A. nosocomialis isolates is indicative of nosocomial transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farahiyah Mohd Rani
- Centre for Research in Infectious Diseases and Biotechnology (CeRIDB), Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia
| | - Soo Sum Lean
- School of Molecular Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Nor Iza A Rahman
- Centre for Research in Infectious Diseases and Biotechnology (CeRIDB), Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia
| | - Salwani Ismail
- Centre for Research in Infectious Diseases and Biotechnology (CeRIDB), Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia
| | - Ahmed Ghazi Alattraqchi
- Centre for Research in Infectious Diseases and Biotechnology (CeRIDB), Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia
| | - Malik Amonov
- Centre for Research in Infectious Diseases and Biotechnology (CeRIDB), Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia
| | - David W Cleary
- Faculty of Medicine and Institute for Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom; NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospital Southampton NHS Trust, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Stuart C Clarke
- Faculty of Medicine and Institute for Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom; NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospital Southampton NHS Trust, Southampton, United Kingdom; Global Health Research Institute, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom; Centre for Translational Research, IMU Institute for Research, Development and Innovation (IRDI), International Medical University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Chew Chieng Yeo
- Centre for Research in Infectious Diseases and Biotechnology (CeRIDB), Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia.
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12
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Noel HR, Petrey JR, Palmer LD. Mobile genetic elements in Acinetobacter antibiotic-resistance acquisition and dissemination. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2022; 1518:166-182. [PMID: 36316792 PMCID: PMC9771954 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.14918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Pathogenic Acinetobacter species, most notably Acinetobacter baumannii, are a significant cause of healthcare-associated infections worldwide. Acinetobacter infections are of particular concern to global health due to the high rates of multidrug resistance and extensive drug resistance. Widespread genome sequencing and analysis has determined that bacterial antibiotic resistance is often acquired and disseminated through the movement of mobile genetic elements, including insertion sequences (IS), transposons, integrons, and conjugative plasmids. In Acinetobacter specifically, resistance to carbapenems and cephalosporins is highly correlated with IS, as many ISAba elements encode strong outwardly facing promoters that are required for sufficient expression of β-lactamases to confer clinical resistance. Here, we review the role of mobile genetic elements in antibiotic resistance in Acinetobacter species through the framework of the mechanism of resistance acquisition and with a focus on experimentally validated mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah R. Noel
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology University of Illinois Chicago Chicago Illinois USA
| | - Jessica R. Petrey
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology University of Illinois Chicago Chicago Illinois USA
| | - Lauren D. Palmer
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology University of Illinois Chicago Chicago Illinois USA
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Plasmids as Key Players in Acinetobacter Adaptation. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms231810893. [PMID: 36142804 PMCID: PMC9501444 DOI: 10.3390/ijms231810893] [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: 08/31/2022] [Revised: 09/13/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
This review briefly summarizes the data on the mechanisms of development of the adaptability of Acinetobacters to various living conditions in the environment and in the clinic. A comparative analysis of the genomes of free-living and clinical strains of A. lwoffii, as well as the genomes of A. lwoffii and A. baumannii, has been carried out. It has been shown that plasmids, both large and small, play a key role in the formation of the adaptability of Acinetobacter to their living conditions. In particular, it has been demonstrated that the plasmids of various strains of Acinetobacter differ from each other in their structure and gene composition depending on the lifestyle of their host bacteria. Plasmids of modern strains are enriched with antibiotic-resistant genes, while the content of genes involved in resistance to heavy metals and arsenic is comparable to plasmids from modern and ancient strains. It is concluded that Acinetobacter plasmids may ensure the survival of host bacteria under conditions of various types of environmental and clinical stresses. A brief overview of the main mechanisms of horizontal gene transfer on plasmids inherent in Acinetobacter strains is also given.
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Miele S, Provan JI, Vergne J, Possoz C, Ochsenbein F, Barre FX. The Xer activation factor of TLCΦ expands the possibilities for Xer recombination. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:6368-6383. [PMID: 35657090 PMCID: PMC9226527 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac429] [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: 09/28/2021] [Revised: 05/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The chromosome dimer resolution machinery of bacteria is generally composed of two tyrosine recombinases, XerC and XerD. They resolve chromosome dimers by adding a crossover between sister copies of a specific site, dif. The reaction depends on a cell division protein, FtsK, which activates XerD by protein-protein interactions. The toxin-linked cryptic satellite phage (TLCΦ) of Vibrio cholerae, which participates in the emergence of cholera epidemic strains, carries a dif-like attachment site (attP). TLCΦ exploits the Xer machinery to integrate into the dif site of its host chromosomes. The TLCΦ integration reaction escapes the control of FtsK because TLCΦ encodes for its own XerD-activation factor, XafT. Additionally, TLCΦ attP is a poor substrate for XerD binding, in apparent contradiction with the high integration efficiency of the phage. Here, we present a sequencing-based methodology to analyse the integration and excision efficiency of thousands of synthetic mini-TLCΦ plasmids with differing attP sites in vivo. This methodology is applicable to the fine-grained analyses of DNA transactions on a wider scale. In addition, we compared the efficiency with which XafT and the XerD-activation domain of FtsK drive recombination reactions in vitro. Our results suggest that XafT not only activates XerD-catalysis but also helps form and/or stabilize synaptic complexes between imperfect Xer recombination sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Solange Miele
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, 1 Avenue de la Terrasse, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - James Iain Provan
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, 1 Avenue de la Terrasse, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Justine Vergne
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, 1 Avenue de la Terrasse, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Christophe Possoz
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, 1 Avenue de la Terrasse, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Françoise Ochsenbein
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, 1 Avenue de la Terrasse, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - François-Xavier Barre
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, 1 Avenue de la Terrasse, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
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Moran RA, Liu H, Doughty EL, Hua X, Cummins EA, Liveikis T, McNally A, Zhou Z, van Schaik W, Yu Y. GR13-type plasmids in Acinetobacter potentiate the accumulation and horizontal transfer of diverse accessory genes. Microb Genom 2022; 8. [PMID: 35731562 PMCID: PMC9455709 DOI: 10.1099/mgen.0.000840] [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] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Carbapenem and other antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) can be found in plasmids in Acinetobacter, but many plasmid types in this genus have not been well-characterized. Here we describe the distribution, diversity and evolutionary capacity of rep group 13 (GR13) plasmids that are found in Acinetobacter species from diverse environments. Our investigation was prompted by the discovery of two GR13 plasmids in A. baumannii isolated in an intensive care unit (ICU). The plasmids harbour distinct accessory genes: pDETAB5 contains blaNDM-1 and genes that confer resistance to four further antibiotic classes, while pDETAB13 carries putative alcohol tolerance determinants. Both plasmids contain multiple dif modules, which are flanked by pdif sites recognized by XerC/XerD tyrosine recombinases. The ARG-containing dif modules in pDETAB5 are almost identical to those found in pDETAB2, a GR34 plasmid from an unrelated A. baumannii isolated in the same ICU a month prior. Examination of a further 41 complete, publicly available plasmid sequences revealed that the GR13 pangenome consists of just four core but 1186 accessory genes, 123 in the shell and 1063 in the cloud, reflecting substantial capacity for diversification. The GR13 core genome includes genes for replication and partitioning, and for a putative tyrosine recombinase. Accessory segments encode proteins with diverse putative functions, including for metabolism, antibiotic/heavy metal/alcohol tolerance, restriction-modification, an anti-phage system and multiple toxin–antitoxin systems. The movement of dif modules and actions of insertion sequences play an important role in generating diversity in GR13 plasmids. Discrete GR13 plasmid lineages are internationally disseminated and found in multiple Acinetobacter species, which suggests they are important platforms for the accumulation, horizontal transmission and persistence of accessory genes in this genus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert A Moran
- Institute of Microbiology and Infection, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - Haiyang Liu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310016, PR China.,Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology and Bioinformatics of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310016, PR China.,Regional Medical Center for National Institute of Respiratory Diseases, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310016, PR China
| | - Emma L Doughty
- Institute of Microbiology and Infection, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - Xiaoting Hua
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310016, PR China.,Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology and Bioinformatics of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310016, PR China.,Regional Medical Center for National Institute of Respiratory Diseases, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310016, PR China
| | - Elizabeth A Cummins
- Institute of Microbiology and Infection, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - Tomas Liveikis
- Institute of Microbiology and Infection, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - Alan McNally
- Institute of Microbiology and Infection, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - Zhihui Zhou
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310016, PR China.,Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology and Bioinformatics of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310016, PR China.,Regional Medical Center for National Institute of Respiratory Diseases, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310016, PR China
| | - Willem van Schaik
- Institute of Microbiology and Infection, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - Yunsong Yu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310016, PR China.,Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology and Bioinformatics of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310016, PR China.,Regional Medical Center for National Institute of Respiratory Diseases, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310016, PR China
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da Silva Dantas A. Antimicrobial resistance. Mol Microbiol 2022; 117:959-960. [PMID: 35621028 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 04/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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Jones NI, Harmer CJ, Hamidian M, Hall RM. Evolution of Acinetobacter baumannii plasmids carrying the oxa58 carbapenemase resistance gene via plasmid fusion, IS26-mediated events and dif module shuffling. Plasmid 2022; 121:102628. [DOI: 10.1016/j.plasmid.2022.102628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Revised: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Liu H, Moran RA, Chen Y, Doughty EL, Hua X, Jiang Y, Xu Q, Zhang L, Blair JMA, McNally A, van Schaik W, Yu Y. Transferable Acinetobacter baumannii plasmid pDETAB2 encodes OXA-58 and NDM-1 and represents a new class of antibiotic resistance plasmids. J Antimicrob Chemother 2021; 76:1130-1134. [PMID: 33501980 DOI: 10.1093/jac/dkab005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2020] [Accepted: 12/30/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To characterize a blaOXA-58- and blaNDM-1-containing MDR plasmid from a rare Acinetobacter baumannii lineage and compare it with related plasmids to explore the distribution and evolution of a new plasmid group. METHODS A. baumannii DETAB-P2 was isolated from a rectal swab of an intensive care patient. Antibiotic susceptibility was determined using broth microdilution. DETAB-P2 was mated with A. baumannii ATCC 17978 and putative transconjugants were characterized by S1/PFGE and Southern hybridization. WGS was performed on the Illumina and Oxford Nanopore platforms. MLST was performed with the Pasteur and Oxford schemes. Antibiotic resistance genes were identified with ABRicate. Plasmid sequence annotation was performed manually. Complete plasmids in GenBank with the same rep gene were used for comparative analyses. RESULTS A. baumannii DETAB-P2 was ST138 by the Pasteur scheme and a novel Oxford type, ST2209. It transferred blaOXA-58 and blaNDM-1 to ATCC 17978 in the 100 072 bp plasmid pDETAB2 that also carried bleMBL, sul2, aacC2d, tet(39), msr(E)-mph(E) and putative mercury resistance and RND efflux system determinants. pDETAB2 represents a new plasmid type, GR34, and contained 16 pdif sites and several novel dif modules. Only a 10 kbp core sequence is shared amongst pDETAB2 and 18 further GR34 plasmids in GenBank, with diverse accessory regions comprised of various dif modules. CONCLUSIONS GR34 plasmids are found in several Acinetobacter species from diverse environments. They display considerable variation in accessory content owing to the presence of pdif sites and an array of dif modules, some of which contain antibiotic resistance genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haiyang Liu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310016, China.,Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology and Bioinformatics of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310016, China.,Regional Medical Center for National Institute of Respiratory Diseases, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310016, China
| | - Robert A Moran
- Institute of Microbiology and Infection, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - Ying Chen
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310016, China.,Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology and Bioinformatics of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310016, China.,Regional Medical Center for National Institute of Respiratory Diseases, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310016, China
| | - Emma L Doughty
- Institute of Microbiology and Infection, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - Xiaoting Hua
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310016, China.,Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology and Bioinformatics of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310016, China.,Regional Medical Center for National Institute of Respiratory Diseases, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310016, China
| | - Yan Jiang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310016, China.,Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology and Bioinformatics of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310016, China.,Regional Medical Center for National Institute of Respiratory Diseases, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310016, China
| | - Qingye Xu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310016, China.,Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology and Bioinformatics of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310016, China.,Regional Medical Center for National Institute of Respiratory Diseases, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310016, China
| | - Linghong Zhang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310016, China.,Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology and Bioinformatics of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310016, China.,Regional Medical Center for National Institute of Respiratory Diseases, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310016, China
| | - Jessica M A Blair
- Institute of Microbiology and Infection, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - Alan McNally
- Institute of Microbiology and Infection, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - Willem van Schaik
- Institute of Microbiology and Infection, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - Yunsong Yu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310016, China.,Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology and Bioinformatics of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310016, China.,Regional Medical Center for National Institute of Respiratory Diseases, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310016, China
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Alattraqchi AG, Mohd Rani F, A Rahman NI, Ismail S, Cleary DW, Clarke SC, Yeo CC. Complete Genome Sequencing of Acinetobacter baumannii AC1633 and Acinetobacter nosocomialis AC1530 Unveils a Large Multidrug-Resistant Plasmid Encoding the NDM-1 and OXA-58 Carbapenemases. mSphere 2021; 6:e01076-20. [PMID: 33504662 PMCID: PMC7885321 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.01076-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2020] [Accepted: 01/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter spp. are considered priority drug-resistant human-pathogenic bacteria. The genomes of two carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter spp. clinical isolates obtained from the same tertiary hospital in Terengganu, Malaysia, namely, A. baumannii AC1633 and A. nosocomialis AC1530, were sequenced. Both isolates were found to harbor the carbapenemase genes blaNDM-1 and blaOXA-58 in a large (ca. 170 kb) plasmid designated pAC1633-1 and pAC1530, respectively, that also encodes genes that confer resistance to aminoglycosides, sulfonamides, and macrolides. The two plasmids were almost identical except for the insertion of ISAba11 and an IS4 family element in pAC1633-1, and ISAba11 along with relBE toxin-antitoxin genes flanked by inversely orientated pdif (XerC/XerD) recombination sites in pAC1530. The blaNDM-1 gene was encoded in a Tn125 composite transposon structure flanked by ISAba125, whereas blaOXA-58 was flanked by ISAba11 and ISAba3 downstream and a partial ISAba3 element upstream within a pdif module. The presence of conjugative genes in plasmids pAC1633-1/pAC1530 and their discovery in two distinct species of Acinetobacter from the same hospital are suggestive of conjugative transfer, but mating experiments failed to demonstrate transmissibility under standard laboratory conditions. Comparative sequence analysis strongly inferred that pAC1633-1/pAC1530 was derived from two separate plasmids in an IS1006-mediated recombination or transposition event. A. baumannii AC1633 also harbored three other plasmids designated pAC1633-2, pAC1633-3, and pAC1633-4. Both pAC1633-3 and pAC1633-4 are cryptic plasmids, whereas pAC1633-2 is a 12,651-bp plasmid of the GR8/GR23 Rep3-superfamily group that encodes the tetA(39) tetracycline resistance determinant in a pdif module.IMPORTANCE Bacteria of the genus Acinetobacter are important hospital-acquired pathogens, with carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii listed by the World Health Organization as the one of the top priority pathogens. Whole-genome sequencing of carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii AC1633 and A. nosocomialis AC1530, which were isolated from the main tertiary hospital in Terengganu, Malaysia, led to the discovery of a large, ca. 170-kb plasmid that harbored genes encoding the New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase-1 (NDM-1) and OXA-58 carbapenemases alongside genes that conferred resistance to aminoglycosides, macrolides, and sulfonamides. The plasmid was a patchwork of multiple mobile genetic elements and comparative sequence analysis indicated that it may have been derived from two separate plasmids through an IS1006-mediated recombination or transposition event. The presence of such a potentially transmissible plasmid encoding resistance to multiple antimicrobials warrants vigilance, as its spread to susceptible strains would lead to increasing incidences of antimicrobial resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed Ghazi Alattraqchi
- Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu, Malaysia
| | - Farahiyah Mohd Rani
- Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu, Malaysia
| | - Nor Iza A Rahman
- Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu, Malaysia
| | - Salwani Ismail
- Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu, Malaysia
| | - David W Cleary
- Faculty of Medicine and Institute for Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
- NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospital Southampton NHS Trust, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Stuart C Clarke
- Faculty of Medicine and Institute for Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
- NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospital Southampton NHS Trust, Southampton, United Kingdom
- Global Health Research Institute, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
- School of Postgraduate Studies, International Medical University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Centre for Translational Research, IMU Institute for Research, Development and Innovation (IRDI), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Chew Chieng Yeo
- Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu, Malaysia
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