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Raghuram V, Petit RA, Karol Z, Mehta R, Weissman DB, Read TD. Average nucleotide identity-based Staphylococcus aureus strain grouping allows identification of strain-specific genes in the pangenome. mSystems 2024; 9:e0014324. [PMID: 38934646 PMCID: PMC11265343 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00143-24] [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: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Staphylococcus aureus causes both hospital- and community-acquired infections in humans worldwide. Due to the high incidence of infection, S. aureus is also one of the most sampled and sequenced pathogens today, providing an outstanding resource to understand variation at the bacterial subspecies level. We processed and downsampled 83,383 public S. aureus Illumina whole-genome shotgun sequences and 1,263 complete genomes to produce 7,954 representative substrains. Pairwise comparison of average nucleotide identity revealed a natural boundary of 99.5% that could be used to define 145 distinct strains within the species. We found that intermediate frequency genes in the pangenome (present in 10%-95% of genomes) could be divided into those closely linked to strain background ("strain-concentrated") and those highly variable within strains ("strain-diffuse"). Non-core genes had different patterns of chromosome location. Notably, strain-diffuse genes were associated with prophages; strain-concentrated genes were associated with the vSaβ genome island and rare genes (<10% frequency) concentrated near the origin of replication. Antibiotic resistance genes were enriched in the strain-diffuse class, while virulence genes were distributed between strain-diffuse, strain-concentrated, core, and rare classes. This study shows how different patterns of gene movement help create strains as distinct subspecies entities and provide insight into the diverse histories of important S. aureus functions. IMPORTANCE We analyzed the genomic diversity of Staphylococcus aureus, a globally prevalent bacterial species that causes serious infections in humans. Our goal was to build a genetic picture of the different strains of S. aureus and which genes may be associated with them. We reprocessed >84,000 genomes and subsampled to remove redundancy. We found that individual samples sharing >99.5% of their genome could be grouped into strains. We also showed that a portion of genes that are present in intermediate frequency in the species are strongly associated with some strains but completely absent from others, suggesting a role in strain specificity. This work lays the foundation for understanding individual gene histories of the S. aureus species and also outlines strategies for processing large bacterial genomic data sets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vishnu Raghuram
- Microbiology and Molecular Genetics Program, Graduate Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Laney Graduate School, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Robert A. Petit
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Zach Karol
- Department of Physics, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Rohan Mehta
- Department of Physics, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | | | - Timothy D. Read
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
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2
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Jackson M, Vineberg S, Theis KR. The Epistemology of Bacterial Virulence Factor Characterization. Microorganisms 2024; 12:1272. [PMID: 39065041 PMCID: PMC11278562 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12071272] [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: 05/30/2024] [Revised: 06/17/2024] [Accepted: 06/18/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The field of microbial pathogenesis seeks to identify the agents and mechanisms responsible for disease causation. Since Robert Koch introduced postulates that were used to guide the characterization of microbial pathogens, technological advances have substantially increased the capacity to rapidly identify a causative infectious agent. Research efforts currently focus on causation at the molecular level with a search for virulence factors (VFs) that contribute to different stages of the infectious process. We note that the quest to identify and characterize VFs sometimes lacks scientific rigor, and this suggests a need to examine the epistemology of VF characterization. We took this premise as an opportunity to explore the epistemology of VF characterization. In this perspective, we discuss how the characterization of various gene products that evolved to facilitate bacterial survival in the broader environment have potentially been prematurely mischaracterized as VFs that contribute to pathogenesis in the context of human biology. Examples of the reasoning that can affect misinterpretation, or at least a premature assignment of mechanistic causation, are provided. Our aim is to refine the categorization of VFs by emphasizing a broader biological view of their origin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Jackson
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
| | - Susan Vineberg
- Department of Philosophy, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA;
| | - Kevin R. Theis
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
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3
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Nyasinga J, Munshi Z, Kigen C, Nyerere A, Musila L, Whitelaw A, Ziebuhr W, Revathi G. Displacement of Hospital-Acquired, Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Clones by Heterogeneous Community Strains in Kenya over a 13-Year Period. Microorganisms 2024; 12:1171. [PMID: 38930553 PMCID: PMC11205442 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12061171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2024] [Revised: 04/19/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
We determined antibiotic susceptibility and employed Oxford Nanopore whole-genome sequencing to explore strain diversity, resistance, and virulence gene carriage among methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains from different infection sites and timepoints in a tertiary Kenyan hospital. Ninety-six nonduplicate clinical isolates recovered between 2010 and 2023, identified and tested for antibiotic susceptibility on the VITEK ID/AST platform, were sequenced. Molecular typing, antibiotic resistance, and virulence determinant screening were performed using the relevant bioinformatics tools. The strains, alongside those from previous studies, were stratified into two periods covering 2010-2017 and 2018-2023 and comparisons were made. Mirroring phenotypic profiles, aac(6')-aph(2″) [aminoglycosides]; gyrA (S84L) and grlA (S80Y) [fluoroquinolones]; dfrG [anti-folates]; and tet(K) [tetracycline] resistance determinants dominated the collection. While the proportion of ST239/241-t037-SCCmec III among MRSA reduced from 37.7% to 0% over the investigated period, ST4803-t1476-SCCmec IV and ST152-t355-SCCmec IV were pre-eminent. The prevalence of Panton-Valentine leucocidin (PVL) and arginine catabolic mobile element (ACME) genes was 38% (33/87) and 6.8% (6/87), respectively. We observed the displacement of HA-MRSA ST239/241-t037-SCCmec III with the emergence of ST152-t355-SCCmec IV and a greater clonal heterogeneity. The occurrence of PVL+/ACME+ CA-MRSA in recent years warrants further investigations into their role in the CA-MRSA virulence landscape, in a setting of high PVL prevalence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin Nyasinga
- Department of Pathology, Aga Khan University, Nairobi P.O. Box 30270-00100, Kenya; (J.N.); (Z.M.)
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Technology, Technical University of Kenya, Nairobi P.O. Box 52428-00200, Kenya
- Institute of Science, Technology & Innovation, Pan-African University, Nairobi P.O. Box 62000-00200, Kenya;
| | - Zubair Munshi
- Department of Pathology, Aga Khan University, Nairobi P.O. Box 30270-00100, Kenya; (J.N.); (Z.M.)
| | - Collins Kigen
- Walter Reed Army Institute of Research—Africa, Kericho P.O. Box 1357-20200, Kenya; (C.K.); (L.M.)
| | - Andrew Nyerere
- Institute of Science, Technology & Innovation, Pan-African University, Nairobi P.O. Box 62000-00200, Kenya;
| | - Lillian Musila
- Walter Reed Army Institute of Research—Africa, Kericho P.O. Box 1357-20200, Kenya; (C.K.); (L.M.)
| | - Andrew Whitelaw
- Division of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Stellenbosch University, Matieland, Stellenbosch 7602, South Africa;
| | - Wilma Ziebuhr
- Institute of Molecular Infection Biology, Josef-Schneider Str. 2D/15, D-97080 Wurzburg, Germany;
| | - Gunturu Revathi
- Department of Pathology, Aga Khan University, Nairobi P.O. Box 30270-00100, Kenya; (J.N.); (Z.M.)
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4
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Benvenga V, Cuénod A, Purushothaman S, Dasen G, Weisser M, Bassetti S, Roloff T, Siegemund M, Heininger U, Bielicki J, Wehrli M, Friderich P, Frei R, Widmer A, Herzog K, Fankhauser H, Nolte O, Bodmer T, Risch M, Dubuis O, Pranghofer S, Calligaris-Maibach R, Graf S, Perreten V, Seth-Smith HMB, Egli A. Historic methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus: expanding current knowledge using molecular epidemiological characterization of a Swiss legacy collection. Genome Med 2024; 16:23. [PMID: 38317199 PMCID: PMC10840241 DOI: 10.1186/s13073-024-01292-w] [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: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Few methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) from the early years of its global emergence have been sequenced. Knowledge about evolutionary factors promoting the success of specific MRSA multi-locus sequence types (MLSTs) remains scarce. We aimed to characterize a legacy MRSA collection isolated from 1965 to 1987 and compare it against publicly available international and local genomes. METHODS We accessed 451 historic (1965-1987) MRSA isolates stored in the Culture Collection of Switzerland, mostly collected from the Zurich region. We determined phenotypic antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and performed whole genome sequencing (WGS) using Illumina short-read sequencing on all isolates and long-read sequencing on a selection with Oxford Nanopore Technology. For context, we included 103 publicly available international assemblies from 1960 to 1992 and sequenced 1207 modern Swiss MRSA isolates from 2007 to 2022. We analyzed the core genome (cg)MLST and predicted SCCmec cassette types, AMR, and virulence genes. RESULTS Among the 451 historic Swiss MRSA isolates, we found 17 sequence types (STs) of which 11 have been previously described. Two STs were novel combinations of known loci and six isolates carried previously unsubmitted MLST alleles, representing five new STs (ST7843, ST7844, ST7837, ST7839, and ST7842). Most isolates (83% 376/451) represented ST247-MRSA-I isolated in the 1960s, followed by ST7844 (6% 25/451), a novel single locus variant (SLV) of ST239. Analysis by cgMLST indicated that isolates belonging to ST7844-MRSA-III cluster within the diversity of ST239-MRSA-III. Early MRSA were predominantly from clonal complex (CC)8. From 1980 to the end of the twentieth century, we observed that CC22 and CC5 as well as CC8 were present, both locally and internationally. CONCLUSIONS The combined analysis of 1761 historic and contemporary MRSA isolates across more than 50 years uncovered novel STs and allowed us a glimpse into the lineage flux between Swiss-German and international MRSA across time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanni Benvenga
- Applied Microbiology Research, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, University of Zurich, Gloriastrasse 28/30, Zurich, 8006, Switzerland
| | - Aline Cuénod
- Applied Microbiology Research, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, University of Zurich, Gloriastrasse 28/30, Zurich, 8006, Switzerland
| | - Srinithi Purushothaman
- Applied Microbiology Research, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, University of Zurich, Gloriastrasse 28/30, Zurich, 8006, Switzerland
| | | | - Maja Weisser
- Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Stefano Bassetti
- Internal Medicine, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Tim Roloff
- Applied Microbiology Research, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, University of Zurich, Gloriastrasse 28/30, Zurich, 8006, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, University of Basel, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Clinical Bacteriology and Mycology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Martin Siegemund
- Intensive Care Medicine, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Ulrich Heininger
- Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University of Basel Children's Hospital, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Julia Bielicki
- Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University of Basel Children's Hospital, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Marianne Wehrli
- Microbiology Department, Hospital of Schaffhausen, Schaffhausen, Switzerland
| | - Paul Friderich
- Medicinal microbiology department, Hospital of Lucerne, Lucerne, Switzerland
| | - Reno Frei
- Clinical Bacteriology and Mycology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Andreas Widmer
- Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Kathrin Herzog
- Clinical Microbiology, Cantonal Hospital Thurgau, Münsterlingen, Switzerland
| | - Hans Fankhauser
- Clinical Microbiology, Cantonal Hospital Aarau, Aarau, Switzerland
| | - Oliver Nolte
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, University of Zurich, Gloriastrasse 28/30, Zurich, 8006, Switzerland
- Clinical Microbiology, Zentrum für Labormedizin St, Gallen, St. Gallen, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Olivier Dubuis
- Clinical Microbiology, Viollier AG, Allschwil, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Susanne Graf
- Clinical Microbiology, Cantonal Hospital Basellandschaft, Liestal, Switzerland
| | - Vincent Perreten
- Institute of Veterinary Bacteriology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Swiss Pathogen Surveillance Platform (SPSP), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Helena M B Seth-Smith
- Applied Microbiology Research, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, University of Zurich, Gloriastrasse 28/30, Zurich, 8006, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, University of Basel, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Clinical Bacteriology and Mycology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Adrian Egli
- Applied Microbiology Research, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, University of Zurich, Gloriastrasse 28/30, Zurich, 8006, Switzerland.
- Clinical Bacteriology and Mycology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
- Swiss Pathogen Surveillance Platform (SPSP), Lausanne, Switzerland.
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Raghuram V, Petit RA, Karol Z, Mehta R, Weissman DB, Read TD. Average Nucleotide Identity based Staphylococcus aureus strain grouping allows identification of strain-specific genes in the pangenome. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.29.577756. [PMID: 38352482 PMCID: PMC10862745 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.29.577756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/22/2024]
Abstract
Staphylococcus aureus causes both hospital and community acquired infections in humans worldwide. Due to the high incidence of infection S. aureus is also one of the most sampled and sequenced pathogens today, providing an outstanding resource to understand variation at the bacterial subspecies level. We processed and downsampled 83,383 public S. aureus Illumina whole genome shotgun sequences and 1,263 complete genomes to produce 7,954 representative substrains. Pairwise comparison of core gene Average Nucleotide Identity (ANI) revealed a natural boundary of 99.5% that could be used to define 145 distinct strains within the species. We found that intermediate frequency genes in the pangenome (present in 10-95% of genomes) could be divided into those closely linked to strain background ("strain-concentrated") and those highly variable within strains ("strain-diffuse"). Non-core genes had different patterns of chromosome location; notably, strain-diffuse associated with prophages, strain-concentrated with the vSaβ genome island and rare genes (<10% frequency) concentrated near the origin of replication. Antibiotic genes were enriched in the strain-diffuse class, while virulence genes were distributed between strain-diffuse, strain-concentrated, core and rare classes. This study shows how different patterns of gene movement help create strains as distinct subspecies entities and provide insight into the diverse histories of important S. aureus functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vishnu Raghuram
- Microbiology and Molecular Genetics Program, Graduate Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Laney Graduate School, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Robert A Petit
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Zach Karol
- Department of Physics, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Rohan Mehta
- Department of Physics, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | | | - Timothy D. Read
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
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6
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Jiang JH, Cameron DR, Nethercott C, Aires-de-Sousa M, Peleg AY. Virulence attributes of successful methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus lineages. Clin Microbiol Rev 2023; 36:e0014822. [PMID: 37982596 PMCID: PMC10732075 DOI: 10.1128/cmr.00148-22] [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] [Indexed: 11/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a leading cause of severe and often fatal infections. MRSA epidemics have occurred in waves, whereby a previously successful lineage has been replaced by a more fit and better adapted lineage. Selection pressures in both hospital and community settings are not uniform across the globe, which has resulted in geographically distinct epidemiology. This review focuses on the mechanisms that trigger the establishment and maintenance of current, dominant MRSA lineages across the globe. While the important role of antibiotic resistance will be mentioned throughout, factors which influence the capacity of S. aureus to colonize and cause disease within a host will be the primary focus of this review. We show that while MRSA possesses a diverse arsenal of toxins including alpha-toxin, the success of a lineage involves more than just producing toxins that damage the host. Success is often attributed to the acquisition or loss of genetic elements involved in colonization and niche adaptation such as the arginine catabolic mobile element, as well as the activity of regulatory systems, and shift metabolism accordingly (e.g., the accessory genome regulator, agr). Understanding exactly how specific MRSA clones cause prolonged epidemics may reveal targets for therapies, whereby both core (e.g., the alpha toxin) and acquired virulence factors (e.g., the Panton-Valentine leukocidin) may be nullified using anti-virulence strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jhih-Hang Jiang
- Department of Microbiology, Infection Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The Alfred Hospital and Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - David R. Cameron
- Department of Biomedical Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Cara Nethercott
- Department of Microbiology, Infection Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Marta Aires-de-Sousa
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Institutode Tecnologia Químicae Biológica António Xavier (ITQB-NOVA), Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
- Escola Superior de Saúde da Cruz Vermelha Portuguesa-Lisboa (ESSCVP-Lisboa), Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Anton Y. Peleg
- Department of Microbiology, Infection Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The Alfred Hospital and Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Centre to Impact Antimicrobial Resistance, Monash University, Clayton, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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7
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Lynch JP, Zhanel GG. Escalation of antimicrobial resistance among MRSA part 1: focus on global spread. Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther 2023; 21:99-113. [PMID: 36470275 DOI: 10.1080/14787210.2023.2154653] [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: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Staphylococcus aureus produce numerous virulence factors that influence tissue invasion, cytotoxicity, membrane damage, and intracellular persistence allowing them to be very common human pathogens. S. aureus isolates exhibit considerable diversity though specific genotypes have been associated with antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and toxin gene profiles. MRSA is an important pathogen causing both community-acquired (CA) and healthcare-acquired (HCA) infections. Importantly, over the past several decades, both HCA-MRSA and CA-MRSA have spread all over the globe. Even more concerning is that CA-MRSA clones have disseminated into hospitals and HCA-MRSA have entered the community. Factors that enhance spread of MRSA include: poor antimicrobial stewardship and inadequate infection control. The emergence and spread of multidrug resistant (MDR) MRSA has limited therapeutic options. AREAS COVERED The authors discuss the escalation of MRSA, both HCA-MRSA and CA-MRSA across the globe. A literature search of MRSA was performed via PubMed (up to September 2022), using the key words: antimicrobial resistance; β-lactams; community-associated MRSA; epidemiology; infection; multidrug resistance; Staphylococcus aureus. EXPERT OPINION Over the past several decades, MRSA has spread all over the globe. We encourage the judicious use of antimicrobials in accordance with antimicrobial stewardship programs along with infection control measures to minimize the spread of MRSA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph P Lynch
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care Medicine, Allergy, and Clinical Immunology, Department of Internal Medicine, The David Geffen School of Medicine at Ucla, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - George G Zhanel
- Professor-Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Department of Medical Microbiology/Infectious Diseases, Max Rady College of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
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8
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Jangir PK, Yang Q, Shaw LP, Caballero JD, Ogunlana L, Wheatley R, Walsh T, MacLean RC. Pre-existing chromosomal polymorphisms in pathogenic E. coli potentiate the evolution of resistance to a last-resort antibiotic. eLife 2022; 11:78834. [PMID: 35943060 PMCID: PMC9363117 DOI: 10.7554/elife.78834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacterial pathogens show high levels of chromosomal genetic diversity, but the influence of this diversity on the evolution of antibiotic resistance by plasmid acquisition remains unclear. Here, we address this problem in the context of colistin, a 'last line of defence' antibiotic. Using experimental evolution, we show that a plasmid carrying the MCR-1 colistin resistance gene dramatically increases the ability of Escherichia coli to evolve high-level colistin resistance by acquiring mutations in lpxC, an essential chromosomal gene involved in lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis. Crucially, lpxC mutations increase colistin resistance in the presence of the MCR-1 gene, but decrease the resistance of wild-type cells, revealing positive sign epistasis for antibiotic resistance between the chromosomal mutations and a mobile resistance gene. Analysis of public genomic datasets shows that lpxC polymorphisms are common in pathogenic E. coli, including those carrying MCR-1, highlighting the clinical relevance of this interaction. Importantly, lpxC diversity is high in pathogenic E. coli from regions with no history of MCR-1 acquisition, suggesting that pre-existing lpxC polymorphisms potentiated the evolution of high-level colistin resistance by MCR-1 acquisition. More broadly, these findings highlight the importance of standing genetic variation and plasmid/chromosomal interactions in the evolutionary dynamics of antibiotic resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pramod K Jangir
- Department of Zoology, University of OxfordOxfordUnited Kingdom
| | - Qiue Yang
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Soil Environmental Health and Regulation, College of Resources and Environment, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry UniversityFuzhouChina
| | - Liam P Shaw
- Department of Zoology, University of OxfordOxfordUnited Kingdom
| | | | - Lois Ogunlana
- Department of Zoology, University of OxfordOxfordUnited Kingdom
| | - Rachel Wheatley
- Department of Zoology, University of OxfordOxfordUnited Kingdom
| | - Timothy Walsh
- Department of Zoology, University of OxfordOxfordUnited Kingdom
| | - R Craig MacLean
- Department of Zoology, University of OxfordOxfordUnited Kingdom
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9
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Shikov AE, Malovichko YV, Nizhnikov AA, Antonets KS. Current Methods for Recombination Detection in Bacteria. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23116257. [PMID: 35682936 PMCID: PMC9181119 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23116257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Revised: 05/30/2022] [Accepted: 05/30/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The role of genetic exchanges, i.e., homologous recombination (HR) and horizontal gene transfer (HGT), in bacteria cannot be overestimated for it is a pivotal mechanism leading to their evolution and adaptation, thus, tracking the signs of recombination and HGT events is importance both for fundamental and applied science. To date, dozens of bioinformatics tools for revealing recombination signals are available, however, their pros and cons as well as the spectra of solvable tasks have not yet been systematically reviewed. Moreover, there are two major groups of software. One aims to infer evidence of HR, while the other only deals with horizontal gene transfer (HGT). However, despite seemingly different goals, all the methods use similar algorithmic approaches, and the processes are interconnected in terms of genomic evolution influencing each other. In this review, we propose a classification of novel instruments for both HR and HGT detection based on the genomic consequences of recombination. In this context, we summarize available methodologies paying particular attention to the type of traceable events for which a certain program has been designed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anton E. Shikov
- Laboratory for Proteomics of Supra-Organismal Systems, All-Russia Research Institute for Agricultural Microbiology (ARRIAM), 196608 St. Petersburg, Russia; (A.E.S.); (Y.V.M.); (A.A.N.)
- Faculty of Biology, St. Petersburg State University (SPbSU), 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Yury V. Malovichko
- Laboratory for Proteomics of Supra-Organismal Systems, All-Russia Research Institute for Agricultural Microbiology (ARRIAM), 196608 St. Petersburg, Russia; (A.E.S.); (Y.V.M.); (A.A.N.)
- Faculty of Biology, St. Petersburg State University (SPbSU), 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Anton A. Nizhnikov
- Laboratory for Proteomics of Supra-Organismal Systems, All-Russia Research Institute for Agricultural Microbiology (ARRIAM), 196608 St. Petersburg, Russia; (A.E.S.); (Y.V.M.); (A.A.N.)
- Faculty of Biology, St. Petersburg State University (SPbSU), 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Kirill S. Antonets
- Laboratory for Proteomics of Supra-Organismal Systems, All-Russia Research Institute for Agricultural Microbiology (ARRIAM), 196608 St. Petersburg, Russia; (A.E.S.); (Y.V.M.); (A.A.N.)
- Faculty of Biology, St. Petersburg State University (SPbSU), 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia
- Correspondence:
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10
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Lawal OU, Ayobami O, Abouelfetouh A, Mourabit N, Kaba M, Egyir B, Abdulgader SM, Shittu AO. A 6-Year Update on the Diversity of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Clones in Africa: A Systematic Review. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:860436. [PMID: 35591993 PMCID: PMC9113548 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.860436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a leading cause of hospital-associated (HA) and community-associated (CA) infections globally. The multi-drug resistant nature of this pathogen and its capacity to cause outbreaks in hospital and community settings highlight the need for effective interventions, including its surveillance for prevention and control. This study provides an update on the clonal distribution of MRSA in Africa. Methods A systematic review was conducted by screening for eligible English, French, and Arabic articles from November 2014 to December 2020, using six electronic databases (PubMed, EBSCOhost, Web of Science, Scopus, African Journals Online, and Google Scholar). Data were retrieved and analyzed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis guidelines (registered at PROSPERO: CRD42021277238). Genotyping data was based primarily on multilocus sequence types (STs) and Staphylococcal Cassette Chromosome mec (SCCmec) types. We utilized the Phyloviz algorithm in the cluster analysis and categorization of the MRSA STs into various clonal complexes (CCs). Results We identified 65 studies and 26 publications from 16 of 54 (30%) African countries that provided sufficient genotyping data. MRSA with diverse staphylococcal protein A (spa) and SCCmec types in CC5 and CC8 were reported across the continent. The ST5-IV [2B] and ST8-IV [2B] were dominant clones in Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), respectively. Also, ST88-IV [2B] was widely distributed across the continent, particularly in three Portuguese-speaking countries (Angola, Cape Verde, and São Tomé and Príncipe). The ST80-IV [2B] was described in Algeria and Egypt, while the HA-ST239/ST241-III [3A] was only identified in Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, and South Africa. ST152-MRSA was documented in the DRC, Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa. Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL)-positive MRSA was observed in several CCs across the continent. The median prevalence of PVL-positive MRSA was 33% (ranged from 0 to 77%; n = 15). Conclusion We observed an increase in the distribution of ST1, ST22, and ST152, but a decline of ST239/241 in Africa. Data on MRSA clones in Africa is still limited. There is a need to strengthen genomic surveillance capacity based on a "One-Health" strategy to prevent and control MRSA in Africa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Opeyemi Uwangbaoje Lawal
- Laboratory of Bacterial Evolution and Molecular Epidemiology, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica, Universidade Nova de Lisboa (ITQB-NOVA), Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Olaniyi Ayobami
- Unit for Healthcare-Associated Infections, Surveillance of Antimicrobial Resistance and Consumption, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - Alaa Abouelfetouh
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt.,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, AlAlamein International University, Alalamein, Egypt
| | - Nadira Mourabit
- Biotechnology, Environmental Technology and Valorisation of Bio-Resources Team, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences and Techniques of Al Hoceima, Abdelmalek Essaadi University, Tetouan, Morocco
| | - Mamadou Kaba
- Division of Medical Microbiology, Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Beverly Egyir
- Department of Bacteriology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Shima M Abdulgader
- Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Tuberculosis Research, South African Medical Research Council Centre for Tuberculosis Research, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Adebayo Osagie Shittu
- Department of Microbiology, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria.,Institute of Medical Microbiology, University Hospital Münster, Münster, Germany
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Meaningful Use of Pathogen Genomic Data. mBio 2022; 13:e0031122. [PMID: 35467413 PMCID: PMC9239187 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00311-22] [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: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Population genomic analysis is a powerful tool to understand the evolutionary history of pathogens and the factors contributing to the success or failure of lineages. These studies have significant implications for human health, as evident from our ongoing tracking of SARS-CoV-2. In their article, Gill et al. (J. L. Gill, J. Hedge, D. J. Wilson, and R. C. MacLean, mBio 12:e02168-21, 2021, https://doi.org/10.1128/mBio.02168-21) demonstrate the utility of pathogen genomic data by comprehensively elucidating the origin of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus ST239. To accomplish this, they leveraged newly developed tools for querying large genomic data sets. Overall, these analyses rely on the availability of representative genomic data along with their associated metadata-information about where and when samples were collected, clinical and epidemiological characteristics, and phenotypic properties. However, in many instances, these data are missing. Here, I borrow the term "meaningful use" from the Health IT field to describe the need to maximize the utility of genomic data and make suggestions for how to address the current limitations.
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