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Tan BSY, Mohan L, Watthanaworawit W, Ngamprasertchai T, Nosten FH, Ling C, Bifani P. Detection of florfenicol resistance in opportunistic Acinetobacter spp. infections in rural Thailand. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1368813. [PMID: 38765680 PMCID: PMC11099283 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1368813] [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: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Florfenicol (Ff) is an antimicrobial agent belonging to the class amphenicol used for the treatment of bacterial infections in livestock, poultry, and aquaculture (animal farming). It inhibits protein synthesis. Ff is an analog of chloramphenicol, an amphenicol compound on the WHO essential medicine list that is used for the treatment of human infections. Due to the extensive usage of Ff in animal farming, zoonotic pathogens have developed resistance to this antimicrobial agent. There are numerous reports of resistance genes from organisms infecting or colonizing animals found in human pathogens, suggesting a possible exchange of genetic materials. One of these genes is floR, a gene that encodes for an efflux pump that removes Ff from bacterial cells, conferring resistance against amphenicol, and is often associated with mobile genetic elements and other resistant determinants. In this study, we analyzed bacterial isolates recovered in rural Thailand from patients and environmental samples collected for disease monitoring. Whole genome sequencing was carried out for all the samples collected. Speciation and genome annotation was performed revealing the presence of the floR gene in the bacterial genome. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined for Ff and chloramphenicol. Chromosomal and phylogenetic analyses were performed to investigate the acquisition pattern of the floR gene. The presence of a conserved floR gene in unrelated Acinetobacter spp. isolated from human bacterial infections and environmental samples was observed, suggesting multiple and independent inter-species genetic exchange of drug-resistant determinants. The floR was found to be in the variable region containing various mobile genetic elements and other antibiotic resistance determinants; however, no evidence of HGT could be found. The floR gene identified in this study is chromosomal for all isolates. The study highlights a plausible impact of antimicrobials used in veterinary settings on human health. Ff shares cross-resistance with chloramphenicol, which is still in use in several countries. Furthermore, by selecting for floR-resistance genes, we may be selecting for and facilitating the zoonotic and reverse zoonotic exchange of other flanking resistance markers between human and animal pathogens or commensals with detrimental public health consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernice Siu Yan Tan
- ASTAR Infectious Diseases Labs (AIDL), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (ASTAR), Singapore, Singapore
- Infectious Diseases Translational Research Programme, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Lalit Mohan
- ASTAR Infectious Diseases Labs (AIDL), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (ASTAR), Singapore, Singapore
- Infectious Diseases Translational Research Programme, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Wanitda Watthanaworawit
- Shoklo Malaria Research Unit, Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Mae Sot, Tak, Thailand
| | - Thundon Ngamprasertchai
- Department of Clinical Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Francois H. Nosten
- Shoklo Malaria Research Unit, Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Mae Sot, Tak, Thailand
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine Research Building, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Clare Ling
- Shoklo Malaria Research Unit, Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Mae Sot, Tak, Thailand
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine Research Building, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Pablo Bifani
- ASTAR Infectious Diseases Labs (AIDL), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (ASTAR), Singapore, Singapore
- Infectious Diseases Translational Research Programme, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Infection Biology, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
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Soares GG, Campanini EB, Ferreira RL, Damas MSF, Rodrigues SH, Campos LC, Galvão JD, Fuentes ASDC, Freire CCDM, Malavazi I, Pitondo-Silva A, da Cunha AF, Pranchevicius MCDS. Brevundimonas brasiliensis sp. nov.: a New Multidrug-Resistant Species Isolated from a Patient in Brazil. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0441522. [PMID: 37067439 PMCID: PMC10269605 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.04415-22] [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] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 02/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/18/2023] Open
Abstract
To increase knowledge on Brevundimonas pathogens, we conducted in-depth genomic and phenotypic characterization of a Brevundimonas strain isolated from the cerebrospinal fluid of a patient admitted in a neonatal intensive care unit. The strain was identified as a member of the genus Brevundimonas based on Vitek 2 system results and 16S rRNA gene sequencing and presented a multidrug resistance profile (MDR). Several molecular and biochemical tests were used to characterize and identify the species for in-depth results. The draft genome assembly of the isolate has a total length of 3,261,074 bp and a G+C of 66.86%, similar to other species of the genus. Multilocus sequence analysis, Type (Strain) Genome Server, digital DNA-DNA hybridization, and average nucleotide identity confirmed that the Brevundimonas sp. studied represents a distinct species, for which we propose the name Brevundimonas brasiliensis sp. nov. In silico analysis detected antimicrobial resistance genes (AMRGs) mediating resistance to β-lactams (penP, blaTEM-16, and blaBKC-1) and aminoglycosides [strA, strB, aac(6')-Ib, and aac(6')-Il]. We also found AMRGs encoding the AcrAB efflux pump that confers resistance to a broad spectrum of antibiotics. Colistin and quinolone resistance can be attributed to mutation in qseC and/or phoP and GyrA/GyrB, respectively. The Brevundimonas brasiliensis sp. nov. genome contained copies of type IV secretion system (T4SS)-type integrative and conjugative elements (ICEs); integrative mobilizable elements (IME); and Tn3-type and IS3, IS6, IS5, and IS1380 families, suggesting an important role in the development and dissemination of antibiotic resistance. The isolate presented a range of virulence-associated genes related to biofilm formation, adhesion, and invasion that can be relevant for its pathogenicity. Our findings provide a wealth of data to hinder the transmission of MDR Brevundimonas and highlight the need for monitoring and identifying new bacterial species in hospital environments. IMPORTANCE Brevundimonas species is considered an opportunistic human pathogen that can cause multiple types of invasive and severe infections in patients with underlying pathologies. Treatment of these pathogens has become a major challenge because many isolates are resistant to most antibiotics used in clinical practice. Furthermore, there are no consistent therapeutic results demonstrating the efficacy of antibacterial agents. Although considered a rare pathogen, recent studies have provided evidence of the emergence of Brevundimonas in clinical settings. Hence, we identified a novel pathogenic bacterium, Brevundimonas brasiliensis sp. nov., that presented a multidrug resistance (MDR) profile and carried diverse genes related to drug resistance, virulence, and mobile genetic elements. Such data can serve as a baseline for understanding the genomic diversity, adaptation, evolution, and pathogenicity of MDR Brevundimonas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela Guerrera Soares
- Departamento de Genética e Evolução, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Emeline Boni Campanini
- Departamento de Genética e Evolução, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Roumayne Lopes Ferreira
- Departamento de Genética e Evolução, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Saulo Henrique Rodrigues
- Departamento de Genética e Evolução, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | | | | | - Caio César de Melo Freire
- Departamento de Genética e Evolução, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Iran Malavazi
- Departamento de Genética e Evolução, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - André Pitondo-Silva
- Programas de Pós-graduação em Odontologia e Tecnologia Ambiental, Universidade de Ribeirão Preto, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Maria-Cristina da Silva Pranchevicius
- Departamento de Genética e Evolução, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil
- Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Biodiversidade Tropical - BIOTROP, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil
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Duman M, Woo SJ, Altun S, Satıcıoğlu IB. Tentative Epidemiological Cut-Off Values and Distribution of Resistance Genes in Aquatic Pseudomonas Species Isolated from Rainbow Trout. Curr Microbiol 2023; 80:157. [PMID: 37000274 DOI: 10.1007/s00284-023-03259-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/04/2023] [Indexed: 04/01/2023]
Abstract
Epidemiological cut-off value (ECV) analysis for commonly used antimicrobials in aquaculture have not been established for many aquatic pathogens, including Pseudomonas. This study was the first to examine the categorization of 92 aquatic Pseudomonas isolates by calculating seven antimicrobials ECVs using two analytical methods: normalized resistance interpretation and ECOFFinder. Pseudomonas spp. isolates had decreased sensitivity to all antimicrobials examined except for doxycycline and ciprofloxacin. The PCR analysis of the 91 isolates of Pseudomonas spp. detected the tetracycline genes are predominant with the count of 41 genes, including tetA, tetC, tetD, tetM, tetS and tetH, following sulfonamide genes are in 21 isolates including sul1 and sul2, floR gene in 15 isolates and ermA gene in three isolates. Our findings provide an understanding of the antimicrobial categorization of Pseudomonas species, which are significant groups, subgroups, and species for aquaculture due to insufficiently defined breakpoints or cut-off values reported in CLSI and/or EUCAST.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammed Duman
- Department of Aquatic Animal Disease, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Bursa Uludag University, 16059, Bursa, Turkey
| | - Soo-Ji Woo
- Aquaculture Industry Research Division, East Sea Fisheries Research Institute, National Institute of Fisheries Science, Gangneung, 25435, Korea.
| | - Soner Altun
- Department of Aquatic Animal Disease, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Bursa Uludag University, 16059, Bursa, Turkey
| | - Izzet Burçin Satıcıoğlu
- Department of Aquatic Animal Disease, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Bursa Uludag University, 16059, Bursa, Turkey
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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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Antimicrobial activity of supernatants produced by bacteria isolated from Brazilian stingless bee's larval food. BMC Microbiol 2022; 22:127. [PMID: 35549853 PMCID: PMC9097392 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-022-02548-4] [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: 03/23/2022] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The discovery of new molecules with antimicrobial properties has been a promising approach, mainly when related to substances produced by bacteria. The use of substances produced by bees has evidenced the antimicrobial action in different types of organisms. Thus, the use of bacteria isolated from larval food of stingless bees opens the way for the identification of the new molecules. The effect of supernatants produced by these bacteria was evaluated for their ability to inhibit the growth of bacteria of clinical interest. Furthermore, their effects were evaluated when used in synergy with antibiotics available in the pharmaceutical industry. Results A few supernatants showed an inhibitory effect against susceptible and multiresistant strains in the PIC assay and the modulation assay. Emphasizing the inhibitory effect on multidrug-resistant strains, 7 showed an effect on multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli (APEC), Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC), multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in the PIC assay. Of the supernatants analyzed, some presented synergism for more than one species of multidrug-resistant bacteria. Nine had a synergistic effect with ampicillin on E. coli (APEC) or S. aureus (MRSA), 5 with penicillin G on E. coli (APEC) or KPC, and 3 with vancomycin on KPC. Conclusion In summary, the results indicate that supernatants produced from microorganisms can synthesize different classes of molecules with potent antibiotic activity against multiresistant bacteria. Thus, suggesting the use of these microorganisms for use clinical tests to isolate the molecules produced and their potential for use.
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Strategies for Enzymatic Inactivation of the Veterinary Antibiotic Florfenicol. Antibiotics (Basel) 2022; 11:antibiotics11040443. [PMID: 35453195 PMCID: PMC9029715 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics11040443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Revised: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Large quantities of the antibiotic florfenicol are used in animal farming and aquaculture, contaminating the ecosystem with antibiotic residues and promoting antimicrobial resistance, ultimately leading to untreatable multidrug-resistant pathogens. Florfenicol-resistant bacteria often activate export mechanisms that result in resistance to various structurally unrelated antibiotics. We devised novel strategies for the enzymatic inactivation of florfenicol in different media, such as saltwater or milk. Using a combinatorial approach and selection, we optimized a hydrolase (EstDL136) for florfenicol cleavage. Reaction kinetics were followed by time-resolved NMR spectroscopy. Importantly, the hydrolase remained active in different media, such as saltwater or cow milk. Various environmentally-friendly application strategies for florfenicol inactivation were developed using the optimized hydrolase. As a potential filter device for cost-effective treatment of waste milk or aquacultural wastewater, the hydrolase was immobilized on Ni-NTA agarose or silica as carrier materials. In two further application examples, the hydrolase was used as cell extract or encapsulated with a semi-permeable membrane. This facilitated, for example, florfenicol inactivation in whole milk, which can help to treat waste milk from medicated cows, to be fed to calves without the risk of inducing antibiotic resistance. Enzymatic inactivation of antibiotics, in general, enables therapeutic intervention without promoting antibiotic resistance.
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