1
|
Chen Y, Liu L, Guo Y, Chu J, Wang B, Sui Y, Wei H, Hao H, Huang L, Cheng G. Distribution and genetic characterization of fluoroquinolone resistance gene qnr among Salmonella strains from chicken in China. Microbiol Spectr 2024; 12:e0300023. [PMID: 38411972 PMCID: PMC10986518 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.03000-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The prevalence and dissemination of the plasmid-mediated fluoroquinolone (FQ) resistance gene qnr in Salmonella are considered serious public health concerns worldwide. So far, no comprehensive large-scale studies have focused on the prevalence and genetic characteristics of the qnr gene in Salmonella isolated from chickens. Herein, this study aimed to investigate the prevalence, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) patterns, and molecular characteristics of chicken-originated qnr-positive Salmonella strains from chicken farms, slaughterhouses, and markets in 12 provinces of China in 2020-2021. The overall prevalence of the qnr gene was 21.13% (56/265), with the highest prevalence in markets (36.11%, 26/72), followed in farms (17.95%, 21/117), and slaughterhouses (10.53%, 9/76). Only the qnrS and qnrB genes were detected, and the prevalence rate of the qnrS gene (19.25%, 51/265) was higher than that of the qnrB gene (1.89%, 5/265). Whole genome sequencing identified 37 distinct AMR genes and 15 plasmid replicons, and the most frequent mutation in quinolone resistance determining regions was parC (T57S; 91.49%, 43/47). Meanwhile, four different qnrS and two qnrB genetic environments were discovered among 47 qnr-positive Salmonella strains. In total, 21.28% (10/47) of the strains were capable of conjugative transfer, and all were qnrS1-positive strains, with the majority of transferable plasmids being IncHI2 types (n = 4). Overall, the prevalence of qnr-positive Salmonella strains from chickens in China and their carriage of multiple resistance and virulence genes and transferable plasmids is a major concern, which calls for continuous surveillance of qnr-positive Salmonella and the development of measures to control its prevalence and transmission.IMPORTANCESalmonella is a common foodborne pathogen responsible for 155,000 deaths annually worldwide. Fluoroquinolones (FQs) are used as first-line drugs for the treatment of Salmonella infections in several countries and regions. However, the emergence and increasing prevalence of the FQ-resistant gene qnr in Salmonella isolated from chickens have been widely reported. Gaining insight into the genetic mechanisms of AMR genes in chicken could lead to the development of preventive measures to control and reduce the risk of drug resistance. In this study, we identified qnr-positive Salmonellae isolated from chickens in different regions of China and their AMR patterns and genome-wide characteristics, providing a theoretical basis for further control of their prevalence and transmission.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yang Chen
- National Reference Laboratory of Veterinary Drug Residues (HZAU) and MAO Key Laboratory for Detection of Veterinary Drug Residues, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- MOA Laboratory for Risk Assessment of Quality and Safety of Livestock and Poultry Products, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Lihui Liu
- National Reference Laboratory of Veterinary Drug Residues (HZAU) and MAO Key Laboratory for Detection of Veterinary Drug Residues, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- MOA Laboratory for Risk Assessment of Quality and Safety of Livestock and Poultry Products, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Yali Guo
- National Reference Laboratory of Veterinary Drug Residues (HZAU) and MAO Key Laboratory for Detection of Veterinary Drug Residues, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- MOA Laboratory for Risk Assessment of Quality and Safety of Livestock and Poultry Products, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Jinhua Chu
- National Reference Laboratory of Veterinary Drug Residues (HZAU) and MAO Key Laboratory for Detection of Veterinary Drug Residues, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- MOA Laboratory for Risk Assessment of Quality and Safety of Livestock and Poultry Products, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Bangjuan Wang
- National Reference Laboratory of Veterinary Drug Residues (HZAU) and MAO Key Laboratory for Detection of Veterinary Drug Residues, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- MOA Laboratory for Risk Assessment of Quality and Safety of Livestock and Poultry Products, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Yuxin Sui
- National Reference Laboratory of Veterinary Drug Residues (HZAU) and MAO Key Laboratory for Detection of Veterinary Drug Residues, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- MOA Laboratory for Risk Assessment of Quality and Safety of Livestock and Poultry Products, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Hanqi Wei
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Haihong Hao
- National Reference Laboratory of Veterinary Drug Residues (HZAU) and MAO Key Laboratory for Detection of Veterinary Drug Residues, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- MOA Laboratory for Risk Assessment of Quality and Safety of Livestock and Poultry Products, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Lingli Huang
- National Reference Laboratory of Veterinary Drug Residues (HZAU) and MAO Key Laboratory for Detection of Veterinary Drug Residues, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- MOA Laboratory for Risk Assessment of Quality and Safety of Livestock and Poultry Products, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Guyue Cheng
- National Reference Laboratory of Veterinary Drug Residues (HZAU) and MAO Key Laboratory for Detection of Veterinary Drug Residues, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- MOA Laboratory for Risk Assessment of Quality and Safety of Livestock and Poultry Products, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Inda-Díaz JS, Lund D, Parras-Moltó M, Johnning A, Bengtsson-Palme J, Kristiansson E. Latent antibiotic resistance genes are abundant, diverse, and mobile in human, animal, and environmental microbiomes. MICROBIOME 2023; 11:44. [PMID: 36882798 PMCID: PMC9993715 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-023-01479-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/29/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bacterial communities in humans, animals, and the external environment maintain a large collection of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). However, few of these ARGs are well-characterized and thus established in existing resistance gene databases. In contrast, the remaining latent ARGs are typically unknown and overlooked in most sequencing-based studies. Our view of the resistome and its diversity is therefore incomplete, which hampers our ability to assess risk for promotion and spread of yet undiscovered resistance determinants. RESULTS A reference database consisting of both established and latent ARGs (ARGs not present in current resistance gene repositories) was created. By analyzing more than 10,000 metagenomic samples, we showed that latent ARGs were more abundant and diverse than established ARGs in all studied environments, including the human- and animal-associated microbiomes. The pan-resistomes, i.e., all ARGs present in an environment, were heavily dominated by latent ARGs. In comparison, the core-resistome, i.e., ARGs that were commonly encountered, comprised both latent and established ARGs. We identified several latent ARGs shared between environments and/or present in human pathogens. Context analysis of these genes showed that they were located on mobile genetic elements, including conjugative elements. We, furthermore, identified that wastewater microbiomes had a surprisingly large pan- and core-resistome, which makes it a potentially high-risk environment for the mobilization and promotion of latent ARGs. CONCLUSIONS Our results show that latent ARGs are ubiquitously present in all environments and constitute a diverse reservoir from which new resistance determinants can be recruited to pathogens. Several latent ARGs already had high mobile potential and were present in human pathogens, suggesting that they may constitute emerging threats to human health. We conclude that the full resistome-including both latent and established ARGs-needs to be considered to properly assess the risks associated with antibiotic selection pressures. Video Abstract.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Juan Salvador Inda-Díaz
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, Chalmers University of Technology and University of Gothenburg, SE-412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden
- Centre for Antibiotic Resistance Research in Gothenburg (CARe), Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - David Lund
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, Chalmers University of Technology and University of Gothenburg, SE-412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden
- Centre for Antibiotic Resistance Research in Gothenburg (CARe), Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Marcos Parras-Moltó
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, Chalmers University of Technology and University of Gothenburg, SE-412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden
- Centre for Antibiotic Resistance Research in Gothenburg (CARe), Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Anna Johnning
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, Chalmers University of Technology and University of Gothenburg, SE-412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden
- Centre for Antibiotic Resistance Research in Gothenburg (CARe), Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Systems and Data Analysis, Fraunhofer-Chalmers Centre, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Johan Bengtsson-Palme
- Centre for Antibiotic Resistance Research in Gothenburg (CARe), Gothenburg, Sweden
- Division of Systems and Synthetic Biology, Department of Life Sciences, SciLifeLab, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Erik Kristiansson
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, Chalmers University of Technology and University of Gothenburg, SE-412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden
- Centre for Antibiotic Resistance Research in Gothenburg (CARe), Gothenburg, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Böhm ME, Razavi M, Flach CF, Larsson DGJ. A Novel, Integron-Regulated, Class C β-Lactamase. Antibiotics (Basel) 2020; 9:antibiotics9030123. [PMID: 32183280 PMCID: PMC7148499 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics9030123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2020] [Revised: 03/10/2020] [Accepted: 03/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
AmpC-type β-lactamases severely impair treatment of many bacterial infections, due to their broad spectrum (they hydrolyze virtually all β-lactams, except fourth-generation cephalosporins and carbapenems) and the increasing incidence of plasmid-mediated versions. The original chromosomal AmpCs are often tightly regulated, and their expression is induced in response to exposure to β-lactams. Regulation of mobile ampC expression is in many cases less controlled, giving rise to constitutively resistant strains with increased potential for development or acquisition of additional resistances. We present here the identification of two integron-encoded ampC genes, blaIDC-1 and blaIDC-2 (integron-derived cephalosporinase), with less than 85% amino acid sequence identity to any previously annotated AmpC. While their resistance pattern identifies them as class C β-lactamases, their low isoelectric point (pI) values make differentiation from other β-lactamases by isoelectric focusing impossible. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first evidence of an ampC gene cassette within a class 1 integron, providing a mobile context with profound potential for transfer and spread into clinics. It also allows bacteria to adapt expression levels, and thus reduce fitness costs, e.g., by cassette-reshuffling. Analyses of public metagenomes, including sewage metagenomes, show that the discovered ampCs are primarily found in Asian countries.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maria-Elisabeth Böhm
- Centre for Antibiotic Resistance Research (CARe), University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden; (M.-E.B.); (M.R.); (C.-F.F.)
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Mohammad Razavi
- Centre for Antibiotic Resistance Research (CARe), University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden; (M.-E.B.); (M.R.); (C.-F.F.)
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Carl-Fredrik Flach
- Centre for Antibiotic Resistance Research (CARe), University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden; (M.-E.B.); (M.R.); (C.-F.F.)
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - D. G. Joakim Larsson
- Centre for Antibiotic Resistance Research (CARe), University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden; (M.-E.B.); (M.R.); (C.-F.F.)
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden
- Correspondence:
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Wang P, Hu L, Hao Z. Palmatine Is a Plasmid-Mediated Quinolone Resistance (PMQR) Inhibitor That Restores the Activity of Ciprofloxacin Against QnrS and AAC(6')-Ib-cr-Producing Escherichia coli. Infect Drug Resist 2020; 13:749-759. [PMID: 32210589 PMCID: PMC7069587 DOI: 10.2147/idr.s242304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2019] [Accepted: 02/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose The emergence of plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance (PMQR) is a global challenge in the treatment of clinical disease in both humans and animals and is exacerbated by the presence of different PMQR genes existing in the same bacterial strain. Here, we discovered that a natural isoquinoline alkaloid palmatine extracted from traditional Chinese medicinal plants effectively inhibited the activity of PMQR proteins QnrS and AAC(6′)-Ib-cr. Methods In total 120 clinical ciprofloxacin-resistant Escherichia coli (E. coli) were screened for the presence of qnrS and aac(6ʹ)-Ib-cr by PCR. Recombinant E. coli that produced QnrS or AAC(6ʹ)-Ib-cr proteins were constructed and the correct expression was confirmed by MALDI/TOF MS analysis and SDS-PAGE. A minimal inhibitory concentration (MICs) assay, growth curve assay and time-kill assay were conducted to evaluate the in vitro antibacterial activity of palmatine and the combination of palmatine and ciprofloxacin. Cytotoxicity assays and mouse thigh infection model were used to evaluate the in vivo synergies. Molecular docking, gyrase supercoiling assay and acetylation assay were used to clarify the mechanism of action. Results Palmatine effectively restored the activity of ciprofloxacin against qnrS and aac(6ʹ)-Ib-cr-positive E. coli strains in a synergistic manner in vitro. In addition, the combined therapy significantly reduced the bacterial burden in a mouse thigh infection model. Molecular docking revealed that palmatine bound at the functional large loop B of QnrS and Trp102Arg and Asp179Tyr in the binding pocket of AAC(6′)-Ib-cr. Furthermore, interaction analysis confirmed that palmatine reduced the gyrase protective effect of QnrS and the acetylation effect of AAC(6′)-Ib-cr. Conclusion Our findings suggest that palmatine is a potential efficacious compound to restore PMQR-mediated ciprofloxacin resistance and warrants further preclinical evaluations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Peng Wang
- Agricultural Bio-Pharmaceutical Laboratory, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao 266109, People's Republic of China
| | - Longfei Hu
- Agricultural Bio-Pharmaceutical Laboratory, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao 266109, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhihui Hao
- National Centre for Veterinary Drug Safety Evaluation, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100089, People's Republic of China
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Marathe NP, Berglund F, Razavi M, Pal C, Dröge J, Samant S, Kristiansson E, Larsson DGJ. Sewage effluent from an Indian hospital harbors novel carbapenemases and integron-borne antibiotic resistance genes. MICROBIOME 2019; 7:97. [PMID: 31248462 PMCID: PMC6598227 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-019-0710-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2019] [Accepted: 06/05/2019] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hospital wastewaters contain fecal material from a large number of individuals, of which many are undergoing antibiotic therapy. It is, thus, plausible that hospital wastewaters could provide opportunities to find novel carbapenemases and other resistance genes not yet described in clinical strains. Our aim was therefore to investigate the microbiota and antibiotic resistome of hospital effluent collected from the city of Mumbai, India, with a special focus on identifying novel carbapenemases. RESULTS Shotgun metagenomics revealed a total of 112 different mobile antibiotic resistance gene types, conferring resistance against almost all classes of antibiotics. Beta-lactamase genes, including encoding clinically important carbapenemases, such as NDM, VIM, IMP, KPC, and OXA-48, were abundant. NDM (0.9% relative abundance to 16S rRNA genes) was the most common carbapenemase gene, followed by OXA-58 (0.84% relative abundance to 16S rRNA genes). Among the investigated mobile genetic elements, class 1 integrons (11% relative abundance to 16S rRNA genes) were the most abundant. The genus Acinetobacter accounted for as many as 30% of the total 16S rRNA reads, with A. baumannii accounting for an estimated 2.5%. High throughput sequencing of amplified integron gene cassettes identified a novel functional variant of an IMP-type (proposed IMP-81) carbapenemase gene (eight aa substitutions) along with recently described novel resistance genes like sul4 and blaRSA1. Using a computational hidden Markov model, we detected 27 unique metallo-beta-lactamase (MBL) genes in the shotgun data, of which nine were novel subclass B1 genes, one novel subclass B2, and 10 novel subclass B3 genes. Six of the seven novel MBL genes were functional when expressed in Escherichia coli. CONCLUSION By exploring hospital wastewater from India, our understanding of the diversity of carbapenemases has been extended. The study also demonstrates that the microbiota of hospital wastewater can serve as a reservoir of novel resistance genes, including previously uncharacterized carbapenemases with the potential to spread further.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nachiket P Marathe
- Centre for Antibiotic Resistance Research (CARe), University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Institute of Marine Research (IMR), Bergen, Norway
| | - Fanny Berglund
- Centre for Antibiotic Resistance Research (CARe), University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, Chalmers University of Technology and University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Mohammad Razavi
- Centre for Antibiotic Resistance Research (CARe), University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Chandan Pal
- Centre for Antibiotic Resistance Research (CARe), University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Plant Health and Environment Laboratory (PHEL), Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI), Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Johannes Dröge
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, Chalmers University of Technology and University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Sharvari Samant
- Mahatma Gandhi Mission medical college, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
| | - Erik Kristiansson
- Centre for Antibiotic Resistance Research (CARe), University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, Chalmers University of Technology and University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - D G Joakim Larsson
- Centre for Antibiotic Resistance Research (CARe), University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Berglund F, Österlund T, Boulund F, Marathe NP, Larsson DGJ, Kristiansson E. Identification and reconstruction of novel antibiotic resistance genes from metagenomes. MICROBIOME 2019; 7:52. [PMID: 30935407 PMCID: PMC6444489 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-019-0670-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2018] [Accepted: 03/21/2019] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Environmental and commensal bacteria maintain a diverse and largely unknown collection of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) that, over time, may be mobilized and transferred to pathogens. Metagenomics enables cultivation-independent characterization of bacterial communities but the resulting data is noisy and highly fragmented, severely hampering the identification of previously undescribed ARGs. We have therefore developed fARGene, a method for identification and reconstruction of ARGs directly from shotgun metagenomic data. RESULTS fARGene uses optimized gene models and can therefore with high accuracy identify previously uncharacterized resistance genes, even if their sequence similarity to known ARGs is low. By performing the analysis directly on the metagenomic fragments, fARGene also circumvents the need for a high-quality assembly. To demonstrate the applicability of fARGene, we reconstructed β-lactamases from five billion metagenomic reads, resulting in 221 ARGs, of which 58 were previously not reported. Based on 38 ARGs reconstructed by fARGene, experimental verification showed that 81% provided a resistance phenotype in Escherichia coli. Compared to other methods for detecting ARGs in metagenomic data, fARGene has superior sensitivity and the ability to reconstruct previously unknown genes directly from the sequence reads. CONCLUSIONS We conclude that fARGene provides an efficient and reliable way to explore the unknown resistome in bacterial communities. The method is applicable to any type of ARGs and is freely available via GitHub under the MIT license.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fanny Berglund
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Centre for Antibiotic Resistance Research (CARe), University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Tobias Österlund
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Centre for Antibiotic Resistance Research (CARe), University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Fredrik Boulund
- Center for Translational Microbiome Research (CTMR), Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Nachiket P Marathe
- Centre for Antibiotic Resistance Research (CARe), University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Institute of Marine Research (IMR), Bergen, Norway
| | - D G Joakim Larsson
- Centre for Antibiotic Resistance Research (CARe), University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Erik Kristiansson
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden.
- Centre for Antibiotic Resistance Research (CARe), University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Kindle P, Zurfluh K, Nüesch-Inderbinen M, von Ah S, Sidler X, Stephan R, Kümmerlen D. Phenotypic and genotypic characteristics of Escherichia coli with non-susceptibility to quinolones isolated from environmental samples on pig farms. Porcine Health Manag 2019; 5:9. [PMID: 30867937 PMCID: PMC6396500 DOI: 10.1186/s40813-019-0116-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2018] [Accepted: 02/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background In the last decade, the growth of the pig-farming industry has led to an increase in antibiotic use, including several used in human medicine, e.g. (fluoro)quinolones. Data from several studies suggest that there is a link between the agricultural use of antibiotics and the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the pig farm environment, including (fluoro)quinolone resistance. This poses a threat to human and animal health. Our goal was to phenotypically and genotypically characterize 174 E. coli showing non-susceptibility to quinolones isolated from environmental samples from pig farms. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) was performed using the disk diffusion method. PCR and sequence analysis were performed to identify chromosomal mutations in the quinolone resistance-determining regions (QRDR) of gyrA and the isolates were screened for the presence of the plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance (PMQR) genes aac-(6')-Ib-cr, qepA, qnrA, qnrB, qnrC, qnrD and qnrS. Strain relatedness was assessed by phylogenetic classification and multilocus sequence typing (MLST). Results Of 174 isolates, 81% (n = 141) were resistant to nalidixic acid, and 19% (n = 33) were intermediately resistant. Overall, 68.4% (n = 119) were multidrug resistant. This study revealed a prevalence of 79.9% (n = 139) for gyrA QRDR mutations, and detected 21.8% (n = 38) isolates with at least one PMQR gene. The two most frequently detected PMQR genes were qnrB and qnrS (13.8% (n = 24) and 9.8% (n = 17, respectively). E. coli belonging to phylogenetic group A (48.3%/n = 84) and group B1 (33.3% /n = 58) were the most frequent. E. coli ST10 (n = 20) and ST297 (n = 20) were the most common STs. Conclusions E. coli with non-susceptibility to quinolones are widespread among the environment of Swiss pig farms and are often associated with an MDR phenotype. In several cases these isolates possess at least one PMQR gene, which could spread by horizontal gene transfer. E. coli from pig farms have diverse STs, some of which are associated with human and animal disease. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s40813-019-0116-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Kindle
- 1Vetsuisse Faculty, Institute for Food Safety and Hygiene, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 272, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Katrin Zurfluh
- 1Vetsuisse Faculty, Institute for Food Safety and Hygiene, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 272, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Magdalena Nüesch-Inderbinen
- 1Vetsuisse Faculty, Institute for Food Safety and Hygiene, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 272, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Sereina von Ah
- 2Department of Farm Animals, Division of Swine Medicine, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 260, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Xaver Sidler
- 2Department of Farm Animals, Division of Swine Medicine, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 260, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Roger Stephan
- 1Vetsuisse Faculty, Institute for Food Safety and Hygiene, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 272, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Dolf Kümmerlen
- 2Department of Farm Animals, Division of Swine Medicine, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 260, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Razavi M, Marathe NP, Gillings MR, Flach CF, Kristiansson E, Joakim Larsson DG. Discovery of the fourth mobile sulfonamide resistance gene. MICROBIOME 2017; 5:160. [PMID: 29246178 PMCID: PMC5732528 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-017-0379-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2017] [Accepted: 11/29/2017] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Over the past 75 years, human pathogens have acquired antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), often from environmental bacteria. Integrons play a major role in the acquisition of antibiotic resistance genes. We therefore hypothesized that focused exploration of integron gene cassettes from microbial communities could be an efficient way to find novel mobile resistance genes. DNA from polluted Indian river sediments were amplified using three sets of primers targeting class 1 integrons and sequenced by long- and short-read technologies to maintain both accuracy and context. RESULTS Up to 89% of identified open reading frames encode known resistance genes, or variations thereof (> 1000). We identified putative novel ARGs to aminoglycosides, beta-lactams, trimethoprim, rifampicin, and chloramphenicol, including several novel OXA variants, providing reduced susceptibility to carbapenems. One dihydropteroate synthase gene, with less than 34% amino acid identity to the three known mobile sulfonamide resistance genes (sul1-3), provided complete resistance when expressed in Escherichia coli. The mobilized gene, here named sul4, is the first mobile sulfonamide resistance gene discovered since 2003. Analyses of adjacent DNA suggest that sul4 has been decontextualized from a set of chromosomal genes involved in folate synthesis in its original host, likely within the phylum Chloroflexi. The presence of an insertion sequence common region element could provide mobility to the entire integron. Screening of 6489 metagenomic datasets revealed that sul4 is already widespread in seven countries across Asia and Europe. CONCLUSIONS Our findings show that exploring integrons from environmental communities with a history of antibiotic exposure can provide an efficient way to find novel, mobile resistance genes. The mobilization of a fourth sulfonamide resistance gene is likely to provide expanded opportunities for sulfonamide resistance to spread, with potential impacts on both human and animal health.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Razavi
- Centre for Antibiotic Resistance Research (CARe) at University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Nachiket P. Marathe
- Centre for Antibiotic Resistance Research (CARe) at University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Michael R. Gillings
- Department of Biological Sciences, Genes to Geoscience Research Centre, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales Australia
| | - Carl-Fredrik Flach
- Centre for Antibiotic Resistance Research (CARe) at University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Erik Kristiansson
- Centre for Antibiotic Resistance Research (CARe) at University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - D. G. Joakim Larsson
- Centre for Antibiotic Resistance Research (CARe) at University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Moawad AA, Hotzel H, Awad O, Tomaso H, Neubauer H, Hafez HM, El-Adawy H. Occurrence of Salmonella enterica and Escherichia coli in raw chicken and beef meat in northern Egypt and dissemination of their antibiotic resistance markers. Gut Pathog 2017; 9:57. [PMID: 29075329 PMCID: PMC5648511 DOI: 10.1186/s13099-017-0206-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2017] [Accepted: 10/10/2017] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The global incidence of foodborne infections and antibiotic resistance is recently increased and considered of public health concern. Currently, scarcely information is available on foodborne infections and ESBL associated with poultry and beef meat in Egypt. METHODS In total, 180 chicken and beef meat samples as well as internal organs were collected from different districts in northern Egypt. The samples were investigated for the prevalence and antibiotic resistance of Salmonella enterica serovars and Escherichia coli. All isolates were investigated for harbouring class 1 and class 2 integrons. RESULTS Out of 180 investigated samples 15 S. enterica (8.3%) and 21 E. coli (11.7%) were isolated and identified. S. enterica isolates were typed as 9 S. Typhimurium (60.0%), 3 S. Paratyphi A (20.0%), 2 S. Enteritidis (13.3%) and 1 S. Kentucky (6.7%). Twenty-one E. coli isolates were serotyped into O1, O18, O20, O78, O103, O119, O126, O145, O146 and O158. The phenotypic antibiotic resistance profiles of S. enterica serovars to ampicillin, cefotaxime, cefpodoxime, trimethoprim/sulphamethoxazole and tetracycline were 86.7, 80.0, 60.0, 53.3 and 40.0%, respectively. Isolated E. coli were resistant to tetracycline (80.9%), ampicillin (71.4%), streptomycin, trimethoprim/sulphamethoxazole (61.9% for each) and cefotaxime (33.3%). The dissemination of genes coding for ESBL and AmpC β-lactamase in S. enterica isolates included blaCTX-M (73.3%), blaTEM (73.3%) and blaCMY (13.3%). In E. coli isolates blaTEM, blaCTX-M and blaOXA were identified in 52.4, 42.9 and 14.3%, respectively. The plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance genes identified in S. enterica were qnrA (33.3%), qnrB (20.0%) and qnrS (6.7%) while qnrA and qnrB were detected in 33.3% of E. coli isolates. Class 1 integron was detected in 13.3% of S. enterica and in 14.3% of E. coli isolates. Class 2 integron as well as the colistin resistance gene mcr-1 was not found in any of E. coli or S. enterica isolates. CONCLUSIONS This study showed high prevalence of S. enterica and E. coli as foodborne pathogens in raw chicken and beef meat in Nile Delta, Egypt. The emergence of antimicrobial resistance in S. enterica and E. coli isolates is of public health concern in Egypt. Molecular biological investigation elucidated the presence of genes associated with antibiotic resistance as well as class 1 integron in S. enterica and E. coli.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amira A Moawad
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Institute of Bacterial Infections and Zoonoses, Naumburger Str. 96a, 07743 Jena, Germany.,Bacteriology department, Animal Health Research Institute (AHRI), Mansoura branch, Mansoura, 35516, Egypt
| | - Helmut Hotzel
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Institute of Bacterial Infections and Zoonoses, Naumburger Str. 96a, 07743 Jena, Germany
| | - Omnia Awad
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
| | - Herbert Tomaso
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Institute of Bacterial Infections and Zoonoses, Naumburger Str. 96a, 07743 Jena, Germany
| | - Heinrich Neubauer
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Institute of Bacterial Infections and Zoonoses, Naumburger Str. 96a, 07743 Jena, Germany
| | - Hafez M Hafez
- Institute of Poultry Diseases, Free University Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Hosny El-Adawy
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Institute of Bacterial Infections and Zoonoses, Naumburger Str. 96a, 07743 Jena, Germany.,Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kafrelsheikh University, Kafr El-Sheikh, 33516 Egypt
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Boulund F, Berglund F, Flach CF, Bengtsson-Palme J, Marathe NP, Larsson DGJ, Kristiansson E. Computational discovery and functional validation of novel fluoroquinolone resistance genes in public metagenomic data sets. BMC Genomics 2017; 18:682. [PMID: 28865446 PMCID: PMC5581476 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-017-4064-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2017] [Accepted: 08/15/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Fluoroquinolones are broad-spectrum antibiotics used to prevent and treat a wide range of bacterial infections. Plasmid-mediated qnr genes provide resistance to fluoroquinolones in many bacterial species and are increasingly encountered in clinical settings. Over the last decade, several families of qnr genes have been discovered and characterized, but their true prevalence and diversity still remain unclear. In particular, environmental and host-associated bacterial communities have been hypothesized to maintain a large and unknown collection of qnr genes that could be mobilized into pathogens. RESULTS In this study we used computational methods to screen genomes and metagenomes for novel qnr genes. In contrast to previous studies, we analyzed an almost 20-fold larger dataset comprising almost 13 terabases of sequence data. In total, 362,843 potential qnr gene fragments were identified, from which 611 putative qnr genes were reconstructed. These gene sequences included all previously described plasmid-mediated qnr gene families. Fifty-two of the 611 identified qnr genes were reconstructed from metagenomes, and 20 of these were previously undescribed. All of the novel qnr genes were assembled from metagenomes associated with aquatic environments. Nine of the novel genes were selected for validation, and six of the tested genes conferred consistently decreased susceptibility to ciprofloxacin when expressed in Escherichia coli. CONCLUSIONS The results presented in this study provide additional evidence for the ubiquitous presence of qnr genes in environmental microbial communities, expand the number of known qnr gene variants and further elucidate the diversity of this class of resistance genes. This study also strengthens the hypothesis that environmental bacterial communities act as sources of previously uncharacterized qnr genes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fredrik Boulund
- Department of Mathematical sciences, Chalmers university of Technology and University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Centre for Antibiotic Resistance Research, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Fanny Berglund
- Department of Mathematical sciences, Chalmers university of Technology and University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Centre for Antibiotic Resistance Research, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Carl-Fredrik Flach
- Centre for Antibiotic Resistance Research, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Johan Bengtsson-Palme
- Centre for Antibiotic Resistance Research, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Nachiket P. Marathe
- Centre for Antibiotic Resistance Research, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - DG Joakim Larsson
- Centre for Antibiotic Resistance Research, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Erik Kristiansson
- Department of Mathematical sciences, Chalmers university of Technology and University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Centre for Antibiotic Resistance Research, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Crofts TS, Gasparrini AJ, Dantas G. Next-generation approaches to understand and combat the antibiotic resistome. Nat Rev Microbiol 2017; 15:422-434. [PMID: 28392565 DOI: 10.1038/nrmicro.2017.28] [Citation(s) in RCA: 312] [Impact Index Per Article: 44.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Antibiotic resistance is a natural feature of diverse microbial ecosystems. Although recent studies of the antibiotic resistome have highlighted barriers to the horizontal transfer of antibiotic resistance genes between habitats, the rapid global spread of genes that confer resistance to carbapenem, colistin and quinolone antibiotics illustrates the dire clinical and societal consequences of such events. Over time, the study of antibiotic resistance has grown from focusing on single pathogenic organisms in axenic culture to studying antibiotic resistance in pathogenic, commensal and environmental bacteria at the level of microbial communities. As the study of antibiotic resistance advances, it is important to incorporate this comprehensive approach to better inform global antibiotic resistance surveillance and antibiotic development. It is increasingly becoming apparent that although not all resistance genes are likely to geographically and phylogenetically disseminate, the threat presented by those that are is serious and warrants an interdisciplinary research focus. In this Review, we highlight seminal work in the resistome field, discuss recent advances in the studies of resistomes, and propose a resistome paradigm that can pave the way for the improved proactive identification and mitigation of emerging antibiotic resistance threats.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Terence S Crofts
- Center for Genome Sciences &Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, 4515 McKinley Avenue, Campus Box 8510, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA
| | - Andrew J Gasparrini
- Center for Genome Sciences &Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, 4515 McKinley Avenue, Campus Box 8510, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA
| | - Gautam Dantas
- Center for Genome Sciences &Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, 4515 McKinley Avenue, Campus Box 8510, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA.,Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine.,Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 South Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, 1 Brookings Drive, St. Louis, Missouri 63130, USA
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance: Two decades on. Drug Resist Updat 2016; 29:13-29. [PMID: 27912841 DOI: 10.1016/j.drup.2016.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 131] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2016] [Revised: 08/03/2016] [Accepted: 08/29/2016] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
After two decades of the discovery of plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance (PMQR), three different mechanisms have been associated to this phenomenon: target protection (Qnr proteins, including several families with multiple alleles), active efflux pumps (mainly QepA and OqxAB pumps) and drug modification [AAC(6')-Ib-cr acetyltransferase]. PMQR genes are usually associated with mobile or transposable elements on plasmids, and, in the case of qnr genes, are often incorporated into sul1-type integrons. PMQR has been found in clinical and environmental isolates around the world and appears to be spreading. Although the three PMQR mechanisms alone cause only low-level resistance to quinolones, they can complement other mechanisms of chromosomal resistance to reach clinical resistance level and facilitate the selection of higher-level resistance, raising a threat to the treatment of infections by microorganisms that host these mechanisms.
Collapse
|
13
|
Johnning A, Kristiansson E, Fick J, Weijdegård B, Larsson DGJ. Resistance Mutations in gyrA and parC are Common in Escherichia Communities of both Fluoroquinolone-Polluted and Uncontaminated Aquatic Environments. Front Microbiol 2015; 6:1355. [PMID: 26696975 PMCID: PMC4673309 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2015.01355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2015] [Accepted: 11/16/2015] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Alterations in the target proteins of fluoroquinolones, especially in GyrA and ParC, are known to cause resistance. Here, we investigated environmental Escherichia communities to explore the possible link between the abundance of mutations, and the exposure to fluoroquinolones. Sediment samples were collected from a relatively pristine lake, up and downstream from a sewage treatment plant, and from several industrially polluted sites. The quinolone resistance-determining regions of gyrA and parC were analyzed using amplicon sequencing of metagenomic DNA. Five non-synonymous substitutions were present in all samples, and all of these mutations have been previously linked to fluoroquinolone resistance in Escherichia coli. In GyrA, substitutions S83L and D87N were on average detected at frequencies of 86 and 32%, respectively, and 31% of all amplicons encoded both substitutions. In ParC, substitutions S80I, E84G, and E84V were detected in 42, 0.9, and 6.0% of the amplicons, respectively, and 6.5% encoded double substitutions. There was no significant correlation between the level of fluoroquinolone pollution and the relative abundance of resistance mutations, with the exception of the most polluted site, which showed the highest abundance of said substitutions in both genes. Our results demonstrate that resistance mutations can be common in environmental Escherichia, even in the absence of a fluoroquinolone selective pressure.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anna Johnning
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Gothenburg Gothenburg, Sweden ; Department of Mathematical Sciences, Chalmers University of Technology Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Erik Kristiansson
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, Chalmers University of Technology Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Jerker Fick
- Department of Chemistry, Umeå University Umeå, Sweden
| | - Birgitta Weijdegård
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Gothenburg Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - D G Joakim Larsson
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Gothenburg Gothenburg, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Flach CF, Johnning A, Nilsson I, Smalla K, Kristiansson E, Larsson DGJ. Isolation of novel IncA/C and IncN fluoroquinolone resistance plasmids from an antibiotic-polluted lake. J Antimicrob Chemother 2015; 70:2709-17. [PMID: 26124213 DOI: 10.1093/jac/dkv167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2015] [Accepted: 05/26/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Antibiotic-polluted environments may function as reservoirs for novel resistance plasmids not yet encountered in pathogens. The aims of this study were to assess the potential of resistance transfer between bacteria from such environments and Escherichia coli, and to characterize the conjugative elements involved. METHODS Sediment samples from Kazipally lake and Asanikunta tank, two Indian lakes with a history of severe pollution with fluoroquinolones, were investigated. Proportions of resistant bacteria were determined by selective cultivation, while horizontal gene transfer was studied using a GFP-tagged E. coli as recipient. Retrieved transconjugants were tested for susceptibility by Etest(®) and captured conjugative resistance elements were characterized by WGS. RESULTS The polluted lakes harboured considerably higher proportions of ciprofloxacin-resistant and sulfamethoxazole-resistant bacteria than did other Indian and Swedish lakes included for comparison (52% versus 2% and 60% versus 7%, respectively). Resistance plasmids were captured from Kazipally lake, but not from any of the other lakes; in the case of Asanikunta tank because of high sediment toxicity. Eight unique IncA/C and IncN resistance plasmids were identified among 11 sequenced transconjugants. Five plasmids were fully assembled, and four of these carried the quinolone resistance gene qnrVC1, which has previously only been found on chromosomes. Acquired resistance genes, in the majority of cases associated with class 1 integrons, could be linked to decreased susceptibility to several different classes of antibiotics. CONCLUSIONS Our study shows that environments heavily polluted with antibiotics contain novel multiresistance plasmids transferrable to E. coli.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carl-Fredrik Flach
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Anna Johnning
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden Department of Mathematical Sciences, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Ida Nilsson
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Kornelia Smalla
- Julius Kühn-Institut-Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Institute for Epidemiology and Pathogen Diagnostics, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Erik Kristiansson
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - D G Joakim Larsson
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Bengtsson-Palme J, Boulund F, Fick J, Kristiansson E, Larsson DGJ. Shotgun metagenomics reveals a wide array of antibiotic resistance genes and mobile elements in a polluted lake in India. Front Microbiol 2014; 5:648. [PMID: 25520706 PMCID: PMC4251439 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2014.00648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 154] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2014] [Accepted: 11/07/2014] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
There is increasing evidence for an environmental origin of many antibiotic resistance genes. Consequently, it is important to identify environments of particular risk for selecting and maintaining such resistance factors. In this study, we described the diversity of antibiotic resistance genes in an Indian lake subjected to industrial pollution with fluoroquinolone antibiotics. We also assessed the genetic context of the identified resistance genes, to try to predict their genetic transferability. The lake harbored a wide range of resistance genes (81 identified gene types) against essentially every major class of antibiotics, as well as genes responsible for mobilization of genetic material. Resistance genes were estimated to be 7000 times more abundant than in a Swedish lake included for comparison, where only eight resistance genes were found. The sul2 and qnrD genes were the most common resistance genes in the Indian lake. Twenty-six known and 21 putative novel plasmids were recovered in the Indian lake metagenome, which, together with the genes found, indicate a large potential for horizontal gene transfer through conjugation. Interestingly, the microbial community of the lake still included a wide range of taxa, suggesting that, across most phyla, bacteria has adapted relatively well to this highly polluted environment. Based on the wide range and high abundance of known resistance factors we have detected, it is plausible that yet unrecognized resistance genes are also present in the lake. Thus, we conclude that environments polluted with waste from antibiotic manufacturing could be important reservoirs for mobile antibiotic resistance genes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Johan Bengtsson-Palme
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Fredrik Boulund
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, Chalmers University of Technology and University of Gothenburg Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Jerker Fick
- Department of Chemistry, Umeå University Umeå, Sweden
| | - Erik Kristiansson
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, Chalmers University of Technology and University of Gothenburg Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - D G Joakim Larsson
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg Gothenburg, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|