1
|
Milenkov M, Proux C, Rasolofoarison TL, Rakotomalala FA, Rasoanandrasana S, Rahajamanana VL, Rafalimanana C, Ravaoarisaina Z, Ramahatafandry IT, Westeel E, Petitjean M, Berti V, Marin J, Mullaert J, Han L, Clermont O, Raskine L, Endtz H, Andremont A, Denamur E, Komurian-Pradel F, Samison LH, Armand-Lefevre L. Implementation of the WHO Tricycle protocol for surveillance of extended-spectrum β-lactamase producing Escherichia coli in humans, chickens, and the environment in Madagascar: a prospective genomic epidemiology study. THE LANCET. MICROBE 2024; 5:100850. [PMID: 38908389 DOI: 10.1016/s2666-5247(24)00065-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2023] [Revised: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/24/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major public health threat, affecting not only people but also animals and the environment. The One Health dimension of AMR is well known; however, data are lacking on the circulation of resistance-conferring genes, particularly in low-income countries. In 2017, WHO proposed a protocol called Tricycle, focusing on extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-Escherichia coli surveillance in the three sectors (humans, animals, and the environment). We implemented Tricycle in Madagascar to assess ESBL-E coli prevalence and describe intrasector and intersector circulation of ESBL-E coli and plasmids. METHODS In this prospective study, we collected blood culture data from hospitalised patients with a suspected bloodstream infection processed from May 1, 2018, to April 30, 2019, and rectal swabs from healthy pregnant women from July 30, 2018, to April 27, 2019, both from three hospitals in Antananarivo, Madagascar; and caeca from farm chickens and surface waters from the Ikopa river, wastewater, and slaughterhouse effluents in the Antananarivo area, Madagascar, from April 9, 2018, to April 30, 2019. All samples were tested for ESBL-E coli. The genomes of all isolates were sequenced using a short-read method on NextSeq 500 and NovaSeq 6000 platforms (Illumina, San Diego, CA, USA) and those carrying plasmid replicons using an additional long-read method on a MinION platform (Oxford Nanopore Technologies, Oxford, UK). We characterised genomes of isolated strains (sequence type, resistance and virulence gene content, and plasmid replicons). We then compared isolates using the variant calling method (single-nucleotide polymorphism). FINDINGS Data from 1056 blood cultures were collected and 289 pregnant women, 246 chickens, and 28 surface waters were sampled. Of the blood cultures, 18 contained E coli, of which seven (39%) were ESBL. ESBL-E coli was present in samples from 86 (30%) of 289 pregnant women, 140 (57%) of 246 chickens, and 28 (100%) of 28 surface water samples. The wet season (November to April) was associated with higher rates of carriage in humans (odds ratio 3·08 [1·81-5·27]) and chickens (2·79 [1·65-4·81]). Sequencing of 277 non-duplicated isolates (82 from pregnant women, 118 from chickens, and 77 from environmental samples) showed high genetic diversity (90 sequence types identified) with sector-specific genomic features. Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis revealed that 169 (61%) of 277 isolates grouped into 44 clusters (two or more isolates) of closely related isolates (<40 SNPs), of which 24 clusters contained isolates from two sectors and five contained isolates from all three sectors. ESBL genes were all blaCTX-M variants (215 [78%] of 277 being blaCTX-M-15) and were located on a plasmid in 113 (41%) of 277 isolates. These ESBL-carrying plasmids were mainly IncF (63 [55%] of 114; one strain carried two plasmids) and IncY (42 [37%] of 114). The F31/36:A4:B1 (n=13) and F-:A-:B53 (n=8) pMLST subtypes, and the IncY plasmids, which were all highly conserved, were observed in isolates of differing genetic backgrounds from all sectors and were transferable in vitro by conjugation. INTERPRETATION Despite sector-specific population structures, both ESBL-E coli strains and plasmids are circulating among humans, chickens, and the environment in Antananarivo, Madagascar. The Tricycle protocol can be implemented in a low-income country and represents a powerful tool for investigating dissemination of AMR from a One Health perspective. FUNDING Fondation Mérieux and INSERM, Université Paris Cité.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Milen Milenkov
- Fondation Mérieux, Lyon, France; Université Paris Cité, IAME, INSERM UMR 1137, Paris, France
| | - Caroline Proux
- Université Paris Cité, IAME, INSERM UMR 1137, Paris, France
| | | | | | - Saida Rasoanandrasana
- Laboratoire de Bactériologie, CHU Joseph Raseta Befelatanana, RESAMAD Network, Antananarivo, Madagascar
| | | | - Christian Rafalimanana
- Laboratoire de Bactériologie, CHU Joseph Ravoahangy Andrianavalona, RESAMAD Network, Antananarivo, Madagascar
| | | | | | | | | | - Valentine Berti
- Université Paris Cité, IAME, INSERM UMR 1137, Paris, France; Laboratoire de Bactériologie, Hôpital Bichat-Claude Bernard, AP-HP Nord-Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Julie Marin
- Université Paris Cité, IAME, INSERM UMR 1137, Paris, France; Université Sorbonne Paris Nord, IAME, INSERM UMR 1137, Bobigny, France
| | - Jimmy Mullaert
- Université Paris Cité, IAME, INSERM UMR 1137, Paris, France
| | - Lien Han
- Université Paris Cité, IAME, INSERM UMR 1137, Paris, France
| | | | | | - Hubert Endtz
- Fondation Mérieux, Lyon, France; Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | | | - Erick Denamur
- Université Paris Cité, IAME, INSERM UMR 1137, Paris, France; Laboratoire de Génétique Moléculaire, Hôpital Bichat-Claude Bernard, AP-HP Nord-Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | | | - Luc Hervé Samison
- Centre d'Infectiologie Charles Mérieux, University of Antananarivo, Antananarivo, Madagascar
| | - Laurence Armand-Lefevre
- Université Paris Cité, IAME, INSERM UMR 1137, Paris, France; Laboratoire de Bactériologie, Hôpital Bichat-Claude Bernard, AP-HP Nord-Université Paris Cité, Paris, France.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Ajeigbe M, Childs S, Paget TA, Bingle LEH. Complete nucleotide sequence and comparative genomic analysis of microcin B17 plasmid pMccB17. Microbiologyopen 2024; 13:e1402. [PMID: 38440924 PMCID: PMC10912980 DOI: 10.1002/mbo3.1402] [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: 11/21/2023] [Revised: 02/11/2024] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/06/2024] Open
Abstract
We present a comprehensive sequence and bioinformatic analysis of the prototypical microcin plasmid, pMccb17, which includes a definitive sequence for the microcin operon, mcb. Microcin B17 (MccB17) is a ribosomally synthesized and posttranslationally modified peptide produced by Escherichia coli. It inhibits bacterial DNA gyrase similarly to quinolone antibiotics. The mcb operon, which consists of seven genes encoding biosynthetic and immunity/export functions, was originally located on the low copy number IncFII plasmid pMccB17 in the Escherichia coli strain LP17. It was later transferred to E. coli K-12 through conjugation. In this study, the plasmid was extracted from the E. coli K-12 strain RYC1000 [pMccB17] and sequenced twice using an Illumina short-read method. The first sequencing was conducted with the host bacterial chromosome, and the plasmid DNA was then purified and sequenced separately. After assembly into a single contig, polymerase chain reaction primers were designed to close the single remaining gap via Sanger sequencing. The resulting complete circular DNA sequence is 69,190 bp long and includes 81 predicted genes. These genes were initially identified by Prokka and subsequently manually reannotated using BLAST. The plasmid was assigned to the F2:A-:B- replicon type with a MOBF12 group conjugation system. A comparison with other IncFII plasmids revealed a large proportion of shared genes, particularly in the conjugative plasmid backbone. However, unlike many contemporary IncFII plasmids, pMccB17 lacks transposable elements and antibiotic resistance genes. In addition to the mcb operon, this plasmid carries 25 genes of unknown function.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mayokun Ajeigbe
- School of Nursing and Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences and WellbeingUniversity of SunderlandSunderlandUK
| | - Stephen Childs
- School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences and WellbeingUniversity of SunderlandSunderlandUK
| | - Timothy A. Paget
- School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences and WellbeingUniversity of SunderlandSunderlandUK
| | - Lewis E. H. Bingle
- School of Nursing and Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences and WellbeingUniversity of SunderlandSunderlandUK
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Kishida K, Li YG, Ogawa-Kishida N, Khara P, Al Mamun AAM, Bosserman RE, Christie PJ. Chimeric systems composed of swapped Tra subunits between distantly-related F plasmids reveal striking plasticity among type IV secretion machines. PLoS Genet 2024; 20:e1011088. [PMID: 38437248 PMCID: PMC10939261 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1011088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2023] [Revised: 03/14/2024] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Bacterial type IV secretion systems (T4SSs) are a versatile family of macromolecular translocators, collectively able to recruit diverse DNA and protein substrates and deliver them to a wide range of cell types. Presently, there is little understanding of how T4SSs recognize substrate repertoires and form productive contacts with specific target cells. Although T4SSs are composed of a number of conserved subunits and adopt certain conserved structural features, they also display considerable compositional and structural diversity. Here, we explored the structural bases underlying the functional versatility of T4SSs through systematic deletion and subunit swapping between two conjugation systems encoded by the distantly-related IncF plasmids, pED208 and F. We identified several regions of intrinsic flexibility among the encoded T4SSs, as evidenced by partial or complete functionality of chimeric machines. Swapping of VirD4-like TraD type IV coupling proteins (T4CPs) yielded functional chimeras, indicative of relaxed specificity at the substrate-TraD and TraD-T4SS interfaces. Through mutational analyses, we further delineated domains of the TraD T4CPs contributing to recruitment of cognate vs heterologous DNA substrates. Remarkably, swaps of components comprising the outer membrane core complexes, a few F-specific subunits, or the TraA pilins supported DNA transfer in the absence of detectable pilus production. Among sequenced enterobacterial species in the NCBI database, we identified many strains that harbor two or more F-like plasmids and many F plasmids lacking one or more T4SS components required for self-transfer. We confirmed that host cells carrying co-resident, non-selftransmissible variants of pED208 and F elaborate chimeric T4SSs, as evidenced by transmission of both plasmids. We propose that T4SS plasticity enables the facile assembly of functional chimeras, and this intrinsic flexibility at the structural level can account for functional diversification of this superfamily over evolutionary time and, on a more immediate time-scale, to proliferation of transfer-defective MGEs in nature.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kouhei Kishida
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, McGovern Medical School at UTHealth, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Yang Grace Li
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, McGovern Medical School at UTHealth, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Natsumi Ogawa-Kishida
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, McGovern Medical School at UTHealth, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Pratick Khara
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, McGovern Medical School at UTHealth, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Abu Amar M. Al Mamun
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, McGovern Medical School at UTHealth, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Rachel E. Bosserman
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, McGovern Medical School at UTHealth, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Peter J. Christie
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, McGovern Medical School at UTHealth, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Finks SS, Moudgalya P, Weihe C, Martiny JBH. The contribution of plasmids to trait diversity in a soil bacterium. ISME COMMUNICATIONS 2024; 4:ycae025. [PMID: 38584646 PMCID: PMC10999282 DOI: 10.1093/ismeco/ycae025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2024] [Revised: 02/11/2024] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
Plasmids are so closely associated with pathogens and antibiotic resistance that their potential for conferring other traits is often overlooked. Few studies consider how the full suite of traits encoded by plasmids is related to a host's environmental adaptation, particularly for Gram-positive bacteria. To investigate the role that plasmid traits might play in microbial communities from natural ecosystems, we identified plasmids carried by isolates of Curtobacterium (phylum Actinomycetota) from a variety of soil environments. We found that plasmids were common, but not ubiquitous, in the genus and varied greatly in their size and genetic diversity. There was little evidence of phylogenetic conservation among Curtobacterium plasmids even for closely related bacterial strains within the same ecotype, indicating that horizontal transmission of plasmids is common. The plasmids carried a wide diversity of traits that were not a random subset of the host chromosome. Furthermore, the composition of these plasmid traits was associated with the environmental context of the host bacterium. Together, the results indicate that plasmids contribute substantially to the microdiversity of a soil bacterium and that this diversity may play a role in niche differentiation and a bacterium's adaptation to its local environment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sarai S Finks
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Irvine, 321 Steinhaus Hall, Irvine, CA 92697-2525, United States
| | - Pranav Moudgalya
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Irvine, 321 Steinhaus Hall, Irvine, CA 92697-2525, United States
| | - Claudia Weihe
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Irvine, 321 Steinhaus Hall, Irvine, CA 92697-2525, United States
| | - Jennifer B H Martiny
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Irvine, 321 Steinhaus Hall, Irvine, CA 92697-2525, United States
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Kishida K, Li YG, Ogawa-Kishida N, Khara P, Al Mamun AAM, Bosserman RE, Christie PJ. Chimeric systems composed of swapped Tra subunits between distantly-related F plasmids reveal striking plasticity among type IV secretion machines. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.12.05.570194. [PMID: 38106057 PMCID: PMC10723329 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.05.570194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Bacterial type IV secretion systems (T4SSs) are a versatile family of macromolecular translocators, collectively able to recruit diverse DNA and protein substrates and deliver them to a wide range of cell types. Presently, there is little understanding of how T4SSs recognize substrate repertoires and form productive contacts with specific target cells. Although T4SSs are composed of a number of conserved subunits and adopt certain conserved structural features, they also display considerable compositional and structural diversity. Here, we explored the structural bases underlying the functional versatility of T4SSs through systematic deletion and subunit swapping between two conjugation systems encoded by the distantly-related IncF plasmids, pED208 and F. We identified several regions of intrinsic flexibility among the encoded T4SSs, as evidenced by partial or complete functionality of chimeric machines. Swapping of VirD4-like TraD type IV coupling proteins (T4CPs) yielded functional chimeras, indicative of relaxed specificity at the substrate - TraD and TraD - T4SS interfaces. Through mutational analyses, we further delineated domains of the TraD T4CPs contributing to recruitment of cognate vs heterologous DNA substrates. Remarkably, swaps of components comprising the outer membrane core complexes, a few F-specific subunits, or the TraA pilins supported DNA transfer in the absence of detectable pilus production. Among sequenced enterobacterial species in the NCBI database, we identified many strains that harbor two or more F-like plasmids and many F plasmids lacking one or more T4SS components required for self-transfer. We confirmed that host cells carrying co-resident, non-selftransmissible variants of pED208 and F elaborate chimeric T4SSs, as evidenced by transmission of both plasmids. We propose that T4SS plasticity enables the facile assembly of functional chimeras, and this intrinsic flexibility at the structural level can account for functional diversification of this superfamily over evolutionary time and, on a more immediate time-scale, to proliferation of transfer-defective MGEs in nature.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kouhei Kishida
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, McGovern Medical School at UTHealth, 6431 Fannin St, Houston, Texas 77030, United States of America
| | - Yang Grace Li
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, McGovern Medical School at UTHealth, 6431 Fannin St, Houston, Texas 77030, United States of America
| | - Natsumi Ogawa-Kishida
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, McGovern Medical School at UTHealth, 6431 Fannin St, Houston, Texas 77030, United States of America
| | - Pratick Khara
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, McGovern Medical School at UTHealth, 6431 Fannin St, Houston, Texas 77030, United States of America
| | - Abu Amar M Al Mamun
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, McGovern Medical School at UTHealth, 6431 Fannin St, Houston, Texas 77030, United States of America
| | - Rachel E. Bosserman
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, McGovern Medical School at UTHealth, 6431 Fannin St, Houston, Texas 77030, United States of America
| | - Peter J. Christie
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, McGovern Medical School at UTHealth, 6431 Fannin St, Houston, Texas 77030, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Frankel G, David S, Low WW, Seddon C, Wong JC, Beis K. Plasmids pick a bacterial partner before committing to conjugation. Nucleic Acids Res 2023; 51:8925-8933. [PMID: 37592747 PMCID: PMC10516633 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2023] [Revised: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacterial conjugation was first described by Lederberg and Tatum in the 1940s following the discovery of the F plasmid. During conjugation a plasmid is transferred unidirectionally from one bacterium (the donor) to another (the recipient), in a contact-dependent manner. Conjugation has been regarded as a promiscuous mechanism of DNA transfer, with host range determined by the recipient downstream of plasmid transfer. However, recent data have shown that F-like plasmids, akin to tailed Caudovirales bacteriophages, can pick their host bacteria prior to transfer by expressing one of at least four structurally distinct isoforms of the outer membrane protein TraN, which has evolved to function as a highly sensitive sensor on the donor cell surface. The TraN sensor appears to pick bacterial hosts by binding compatible outer membrane proteins in the recipient. The TraN variants can be divided into specialist and generalist sensors, conferring narrow and broad plasmid host range, respectively. In this review we discuss recent advances in our understanding of the function of the TraN sensor at the donor-recipient interface, used by F-like plasmids to select bacterial hosts within polymicrobial communities prior to DNA transfer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gad Frankel
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College, London, UK
| | - Sophia David
- Centre for Genomic Pathogen Surveillance, Big Data Institute, Li Ka Shing Centre for Health Information and Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Wen Wen Low
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College, London, UK
| | - Chloe Seddon
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College, London, UK
- Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Research Complex at Harwell, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 0FA, UK
| | | | - Konstantinos Beis
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College, London, UK
- Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Research Complex at Harwell, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 0FA, UK
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Element SJ, Moran RA, Beattie E, Hall RJ, van Schaik W, Buckner MM. Growth in a biofilm promotes conjugation of a bla NDM-1-bearing plasmid between Klebsiella pneumoniae strains. mSphere 2023; 8:e0017023. [PMID: 37417759 PMCID: PMC10449501 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00170-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing problem, especially in Gram-negative Enterobacteriaceae such as Klebsiella pneumoniae. Horizontal transfer of conjugative plasmids contributes to AMR gene dissemination. Bacteria such as K. pneumoniae commonly exist in biofilms, yet most studies focus on planktonic cultures. Here we studied the transfer of a multi-drug resistance plasmid in planktonic and biofilm populations of K. pneumoniae. We determined plasmid transfer from a clinical isolate, CPE16, which carried four plasmids, including the 119-kbp blaNDM-1-bearing F-type plasmid pCPE16_3, in planktonic and biofilm conditions. We found that transfer frequency of pCPE16_3 in a biofilm was orders-of-magnitude higher than between planktonic cells. In 5/7 sequenced transconjugants (TCs) multiple plasmids had transferred. Plasmid acquisition had no detectable growth impact on TCs. Gene expression of the recipient and a transconjugant was investigated by RNA-sequencing in three lifestyles: planktonic exponential growth, planktonic stationary phase, and biofilm. We found that lifestyle had a substantial impact on chromosomal gene expression, and plasmid carriage affected chromosomal gene expression most in stationary planktonic and biofilm lifestyles. Furthermore, expression of plasmid genes was lifestyle-dependent, with distinct signatures across the three conditions. Our study shows that growth in biofilm greatly increased the risk of conjugative transfer of a carbapenem resistance plasmid in K. pneumoniae without fitness costs and minimal transcriptional rearrangements, thus highlighting the importance of biofilms in the spread of AMR in this opportunistic pathogen. IMPORTANCE Carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae is particularly problematic in hospital settings. Carbapenem resistance genes can transfer between bacteria via plasmid conjugation. Alongside drug resistance, K. pneumoniae can form biofilms on hospital surfaces, at infection sites and on implanted devices. Biofilms are naturally protected and can be inherently more tolerant to antimicrobials than their free-floating counterparts. There have been indications that plasmid transfer may be more likely in biofilm populations, thus creating a conjugation "hotspot". However, there is no clear consensus on the effect of the biofilm lifestyle on plasmid transfer. Therefore, we aimed to explore the transfer of a plasmid in planktonic and biofilm conditions, and the impact of plasmid acquisition on a new bacterial host. Our data show transfer of a resistance plasmid is increased in a biofilm, which may be a significant contributing factor to the rapid dissemination of resistance plasmids in K. pneumoniae.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah J. Element
- Institute of Microbiology and Infection, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, West Midlands, United Kingdom
| | - Robert A. Moran
- Institute of Microbiology and Infection, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, West Midlands, United Kingdom
| | - Emilie Beattie
- Institute of Microbiology and Infection, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, West Midlands, United Kingdom
| | - Rebecca J. Hall
- Institute of Microbiology and Infection, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, West Midlands, United Kingdom
| | - Willem van Schaik
- Institute of Microbiology and Infection, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, West Midlands, United Kingdom
| | - Michelle M.C. Buckner
- Institute of Microbiology and Infection, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, West Midlands, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Garcillán-Barcia MP, Redondo-Salvo S, de la Cruz F. Plasmid classifications. Plasmid 2023; 126:102684. [PMID: 37116631 DOI: 10.1016/j.plasmid.2023.102684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 04/09/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/30/2023]
Abstract
Plasmids are universally present in bacteria and play key roles in the dissemination of genes such as antibiotic resistance determinants. Major concepts in Plasmid Biology derive from the efforts to classify plasmids. Here, we review the main plasmid classification systems, starting by phenotype-based methods, such as fertility inhibition and incompatibility, followed by schemes based on a single gene (replicon type and MOB class), and finishing with recently developed approaches that use genetic distances between whole plasmid sequences. A comparison of the latter highlights significant differences between them. We further discuss the need for an operational definition of plasmid species that reveals their biological features, akin to plasmid taxonomic units (PTUs).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- M Pilar Garcillán-Barcia
- Instituto de Biomedicina y Biotecnología de Cantabria (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas - Universidad de Cantabria), Cantabria, Spain.
| | - Santiago Redondo-Salvo
- Instituto de Biomedicina y Biotecnología de Cantabria (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas - Universidad de Cantabria), Cantabria, Spain; Biomar Microbial Technologies, León, Spain
| | - Fernando de la Cruz
- Instituto de Biomedicina y Biotecnología de Cantabria (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas - Universidad de Cantabria), Cantabria, Spain.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Couturier A, Virolle C, Goldlust K, Berne-Dedieu A, Reuter A, Nolivos S, Yamaichi Y, Bigot S, Lesterlin C. Real-time visualisation of the intracellular dynamics of conjugative plasmid transfer. Nat Commun 2023; 14:294. [PMID: 36653393 PMCID: PMC9849209 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-35978-3] [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: 10/05/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Conjugation is a contact-dependent mechanism for the transfer of plasmid DNA between bacterial cells, which contributes to the dissemination of antibiotic resistance. Here, we use live-cell microscopy to visualise the intracellular dynamics of conjugative transfer of F-plasmid in E. coli, in real time. We show that the transfer of plasmid in single-stranded form (ssDNA) and its subsequent conversion into double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) are fast and efficient processes that occur with specific timing and subcellular localisation. Notably, the ssDNA-to-dsDNA conversion determines the timing of plasmid-encoded protein production. The leading region that first enters the recipient cell carries single-stranded promoters that allow the early and transient synthesis of leading proteins immediately upon entry of the ssDNA plasmid. The subsequent conversion into dsDNA turns off leading gene expression, and activates the expression of other plasmid genes under the control of conventional double-stranded promoters. This molecular strategy allows for the timely production of factors sequentially involved in establishing, maintaining and disseminating the plasmid.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Agathe Couturier
- Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry (MMSB), Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Inserm, UMR5086, 69007, Lyon, France
| | - Chloé Virolle
- Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry (MMSB), Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Inserm, UMR5086, 69007, Lyon, France
| | - Kelly Goldlust
- Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry (MMSB), Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Inserm, UMR5086, 69007, Lyon, France
| | - Annick Berne-Dedieu
- Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry (MMSB), Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Inserm, UMR5086, 69007, Lyon, France
| | - Audrey Reuter
- Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry (MMSB), Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Inserm, UMR5086, 69007, Lyon, France
| | - Sophie Nolivos
- Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry (MMSB), Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Inserm, UMR5086, 69007, Lyon, France
| | - Yoshiharu Yamaichi
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), 91198, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Sarah Bigot
- Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry (MMSB), Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Inserm, UMR5086, 69007, Lyon, France.
| | - Christian Lesterlin
- Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry (MMSB), Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Inserm, UMR5086, 69007, Lyon, France.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Tapia-Arreola AK, Ruiz-Garcia DA, Rodulfo H, Sharma A, De Donato M. High Frequency of Antibiotic Resistance Genes (ARGs) in the Lerma River Basin, Mexico. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph192113988. [PMID: 36360888 PMCID: PMC9657182 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192113988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2022] [Revised: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
The spread of beta-lactamase-producing bacteria is of great concern and the environment has been found to be a main source of contamination. Herein, it was proposed to determine the frequency of antimicrobial-resistant-Gram-negative bacteria throughout the Lerma River basin using phenotypic and molecular methods. Resistant bacteria were isolated with chromogenic media and antimicrobial susceptibility tests were used to characterize their resistance. ARGs for beta-lactams, aminoglycosides, and quinolones were detected by PCR. Species were identified by Sanger sequencing the 16S rRNA gene and the representative genomes of MDR strains were sequenced by NGS. A high variation in the number of isolates was observed in the 20 sampled sites, while observing a low diversity among the resistant bacteria. Of the 12 identified bacterial groups, C. freundii, E. coli, and S. marcescens were more predominant. A high frequency of resistance to beta-lactams, quinolones, and aminoglycosides was evidenced, where the blaCTX,qnrB, qnrS y, and aac(6')lb-cr genes were the most prevalent. C. freundii showed the highest frequency of MDR strains. Whole genome sequencing revealed that S. marcescens and K. pneumoniae showed a high number of shared virulence and antimicrobial resistance genes, while E. coli showed the highest number of unique genes. The contamination of the Lerma River with MDR strains carrying various ARGs should raise awareness among environmental authorities to assess the risks and regulations regarding the optimal hygienic and sanitary conditions for this important river that supports economic activities in the different communities in Mexico.
Collapse
|
11
|
Al Mamun AAM, Kissoon K, Kishida K, Shropshire WC, Hanson B, Christie PJ. IncFV plasmid pED208: Sequence analysis and evidence for translocation of maintenance/leading region proteins through diverse type IV secretion systems. Plasmid 2022; 123-124:102652. [PMID: 36228885 PMCID: PMC10018792 DOI: 10.1016/j.plasmid.2022.102652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Revised: 10/02/2022] [Accepted: 10/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Two phylogenetically distantly-related IncF plasmids, F and pED208, serve as important models for mechanistic and structural studies of F-like type IV secretion systems (T4SSFs) and F pili. Here, we present the pED208 sequence and compare it to F and pUMNF18, the closest match to pED208 in the NCBI database. As expected, gene content of the three cargo regions varies extensively, although the maintenance/leading regions (MLRs) and transfer (Tra) regions also carry novel genes or motifs with predicted modulatory effects on plasmid stability, dissemination and host range. By use of a Cre recombinase assay for translocation (CRAfT), we recently reported that pED208-carrying donors translocate several products of the MLR (ParA, ParB1, ParB2, SSB, PsiB, PsiA) intercellularly through the T4SSF. Here, we extend these findings by reporting that pED208-carrying donors translocate 10 additional MLR proteins during conjugation. In contrast, two F plasmid-encoded toxin components of toxin-antitoxin (TA) modules, CcdB and SrnB, were not translocated at detectable levels through the T4SSF. Remarkably, most or all of the pED208-encoded MLR proteins and CcdB and SrnB were translocated through heterologous T4SSs encoded by IncN and IncP plasmids pKM101 and RP4, respectively. Together, our sequence analyses underscore the genomic diversity of the F plasmid superfamily, and our experimental data demonstrate the promiscuous nature of conjugation machines for protein translocation. Our findings raise intriguing questions about the nature of T4SS translocation signals and of the biological and evolutionary consequences of conjugative protein transfer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Abu Amar M Al Mamun
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Texas Health Science Center, McGovern School of Medicine, Fannin St, Houston, TX 77030, United States of America.
| | - Kimberly Kissoon
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Texas Health Science Center, McGovern School of Medicine, Fannin St, Houston, TX 77030, United States of America
| | - Kouhei Kishida
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Texas Health Science Center, McGovern School of Medicine, Fannin St, Houston, TX 77030, United States of America
| | - William C Shropshire
- Center for Antimicrobial Resistance and Microbial Genomics, University of Texas Health Science Center, McGovern School of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; Center for Infectious Diseases, University of Texas Health Science Center, School of Public Health, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Blake Hanson
- Center for Antimicrobial Resistance and Microbial Genomics, University of Texas Health Science Center, McGovern School of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; Center for Infectious Diseases, University of Texas Health Science Center, School of Public Health, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Peter J Christie
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Texas Health Science Center, McGovern School of Medicine, Fannin St, Houston, TX 77030, United States of America.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Darphorn TS, Brul S, Ter Kuile BH. Genetic editing of multi-resistance plasmids in Escherichia coli isolated from meat during transfer. Plasmid 2022; 122:102640. [PMID: 35870604 DOI: 10.1016/j.plasmid.2022.102640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Resistance plasmids mediate the rapid spread of antimicrobial resistance, which poses a threat to veterinary and human healthcare. This study addresses the question whether resistance plasmids from Escherichia coli isolated from foodstuffs always transfer unchanged to recipient E. coli cells, or that genetic editing can occur. Strains containing between one and five different plasmids were co-incubated with a standard recipient strain. Plasmids isolated from transconjugant strains were sequenced using short and long read technologies and compared to the original plasmids from the donor strains. After one hour of co-incubation only a single plasmid was transferred from donor to recipient strains. If the donor possessed several plasmids, longer co-incubation resulted in multiple plasmids being transferred. Transferred plasmids showed mutations, mostly in mobile genetic elements, in the conjugative transfer gene pilV and in genes involved in plasmid maintenance. In one transconjugant, a resistance cluster encoding tetracycline resistance was acquired by the IncI1 plasmid from the IncX1 plasmid that was also present in the donor strain, but that was not transferred. A single plasmid transferred twelve times back and forth between E. coli strains resulted in a fully conserved plasmid with no mutations, apart from repetitive rearrangements of pilV from and back to its original conformation in the donor strain. The overall outcome suggests that some genetic mutations and rearrangements can occur during plasmid transfer. The possibility of such mutations should be taken into consideration in epidemiological research aimed at attribution of resistance to specific sources.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tania S Darphorn
- Laboratory for Molecular Biology and Microbial Food Safety, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Stanley Brul
- Laboratory for Molecular Biology and Microbial Food Safety, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Benno H Ter Kuile
- Laboratory for Molecular Biology and Microbial Food Safety, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, Office for Risk Assessment, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Low WW, Wong JLC, Beltran LC, Seddon C, David S, Kwong HS, Bizeau T, Wang F, Peña A, Costa TRD, Pham B, Chen M, Egelman EH, Beis K, Frankel G. Mating pair stabilization mediates bacterial conjugation species specificity. Nat Microbiol 2022; 7:1016-1027. [PMID: 35697796 PMCID: PMC9246713 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-022-01146-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Bacterial conjugation mediates contact-dependent transfer of DNA from donor to recipient bacteria, thus facilitating the spread of virulence and resistance plasmids. Here we describe how variants of the plasmid-encoded donor outer membrane (OM) protein TraN cooperate with distinct OM receptors in recipients to mediate mating pair stabilization and efficient DNA transfer. We show that TraN from the plasmid pKpQIL (Klebsiella pneumoniae) interacts with OmpK36, plasmids from R100-1 (Shigella flexneri) and pSLT (Salmonella Typhimurium) interact with OmpW, and the prototypical F plasmid (Escherichia coli) interacts with OmpA. Cryo-EM analysis revealed that TraNpKpQIL interacts with OmpK36 through the insertion of a β-hairpin in the tip of TraN into a monomer of the OmpK36 porin trimer. Combining bioinformatic analysis with AlphaFold structural predictions, we identified a fourth TraN structural variant that mediates mating pair stabilization by binding OmpF. Accordingly, we devised a classification scheme for TraN homologues on the basis of structural similarity and their associated receptors: TraNα (OmpW), TraNβ (OmpK36), TraNγ (OmpA), TraNδ (OmpF). These TraN-OM receptor pairings have real-world implications as they reflect the distribution of resistance plasmids within clinical Enterobacteriaceae isolates, demonstrating the importance of mating pair stabilization in mediating conjugation species specificity. These findings will allow us to predict the distribution of emerging resistance plasmids in high-risk bacterial pathogens. Combining conjugation and structural analyses, the authors show that TraN-OMP pairings determine bacterial conjugation species specificity, with implications in resistance plasmid distribution within Enterobacteriaceae.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wen Wen Low
- MRC Centre for Molecular Microbiology and Infection, Imperial College, London, UK.,Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College, London, UK
| | - Joshua L C Wong
- MRC Centre for Molecular Microbiology and Infection, Imperial College, London, UK.,Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College, London, UK
| | - Leticia C Beltran
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Chloe Seddon
- MRC Centre for Molecular Microbiology and Infection, Imperial College, London, UK.,Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College, London, UK.,Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Research Complex at Harwell, Oxfordshire, UK
| | - Sophia David
- Centre for Genomic Pathogen Surveillance, Big Data Institute, Li Ka Shing Centre for Health Information and Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Hok-Sau Kwong
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College, London, UK.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Tatiana Bizeau
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College, London, UK
| | - Fengbin Wang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Alejandro Peña
- MRC Centre for Molecular Microbiology and Infection, Imperial College, London, UK.,Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College, London, UK
| | - Tiago R D Costa
- MRC Centre for Molecular Microbiology and Infection, Imperial College, London, UK.,Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College, London, UK
| | - Bach Pham
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Min Chen
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Edward H Egelman
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Konstantinos Beis
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College, London, UK.,Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Research Complex at Harwell, Oxfordshire, UK
| | - Gad Frankel
- MRC Centre for Molecular Microbiology and Infection, Imperial College, London, UK. .,Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College, London, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Coluzzi C, Garcillán-Barcia MP, de la Cruz F, Rocha EPC. Evolution of plasmid mobility: origin and fate of conjugative and non-conjugative plasmids. Mol Biol Evol 2022; 39:6593704. [PMID: 35639760 PMCID: PMC9185392 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msac115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Conjugation drives the horizontal transfer of adaptive traits across prokaryotes. One-fourth of the plasmids encode the functions necessary to conjugate autonomously, the others being eventually mobilizable by conjugation. To understand the evolution of plasmid mobility, we studied plasmid size, gene repertoires, and conjugation-related genes. Plasmid gene repertoires were found to vary rapidly in relation to the evolutionary rate of relaxases, for example, most pairs of plasmids with 95% identical relaxases have fewer than 50% of homologs. Among 249 recent transitions of mobility type, we observed a clear excess of plasmids losing the capacity to conjugate. These transitions are associated with even greater changes in gene repertoires, possibly mediated by transposable elements, including pseudogenization of the conjugation locus, exchange of replicases reducing the problem of incompatibility, and extensive loss of other genes. At the microevolutionary scale of plasmid taxonomy, transitions of mobility type sometimes result in the creation of novel taxonomic units. Interestingly, most transitions from conjugative to mobilizable plasmids seem to be lost in the long term. This suggests a source-sink dynamic, where conjugative plasmids generate nonconjugative plasmids that tend to be poorly adapted and are frequently lost. Still, in some cases, these relaxases seem to have evolved to become efficient at plasmid mobilization in trans, possibly by hijacking multiple conjugative systems. This resulted in specialized relaxases of mobilizable plasmids. In conclusion, the evolution of plasmid mobility is frequent, shapes the patterns of gene flow in bacteria, the dynamics of gene repertoires, and the ecology of plasmids.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Charles Coluzzi
- Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris Cité, CNRS, UMR3525, Microbial Evolutionary Genomics, Paris, 75015, France
| | - M Pilar Garcillán-Barcia
- Instituto de Biomedicina y Biotecnología de Cantabria (IBBTEC), Universidad de Cantabria-CSIC, C/Albert Einstein 22, 39011, Santander, Spain
| | - Fernando de la Cruz
- Instituto de Biomedicina y Biotecnología de Cantabria (IBBTEC), Universidad de Cantabria-CSIC, C/Albert Einstein 22, 39011, Santander, Spain
| | - Eduardo P C Rocha
- Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris Cité, CNRS, UMR3525, Microbial Evolutionary Genomics, Paris, 75015, France
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Montelongo Hernandez C, Putonti C, Wolfe AJ. Profiling the plasmid conjugation potential of urinary Escherichia coli. Microb Genom 2022; 8:mgen000814. [PMID: 35536743 PMCID: PMC9465074 DOI: 10.1099/mgen.0.000814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2021] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Escherichia coli is often associated with urinary tract infection (UTI). Antibiotic resistance in E. coli is an ongoing challenge in managing UTI. Extrachromosomal elements - plasmids - are vectors for clinically relevant traits, such as antibiotic resistance, with conjugation being one of the main methods for horizontal propagation of plasmids in bacterial populations. Targeting of conjugation components has been proposed as a strategy to curb the spread of plasmid-borne antibiotic resistance. Understanding the types of conjugative systems present in urinary E. coli isolates is fundamental to assessing the viability of this strategy. In this study, we profile two well-studied conjugation systems (F-type and P-type) in the draft genomes of 65 urinary isolates of E. coli obtained from the bladder urine of adult women with and without UTI-like symptoms. Most of these isolates contained plasmids and we found that conjugation genes were abundant/ubiquitous, diverse and often associated with IncF plasmids. To validate conjugation of these urinary plasmids, the plasmids from two urinary isolates, UMB1223 (predicted to have F-type genes) and UMB1284 (predicted to have P-type genes), were transferred by conjugation into the K-12 E. coli strain MG1655. Overall, the findings of this study support the notion that care should be taken in targeting any individual component of a urinary E. coli isolate's conjugation system, given the inherent mechanistic redundancy, gene diversity and different types of conjugation systems in this population.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cesar Montelongo Hernandez
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, IL 60153, USA
| | - Catherine Putonti
- Bioinformatics Program, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, IL 60660, USA
- Department of Biology, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, IL 60660, USA
| | - Alan J. Wolfe
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, IL 60153, USA
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Kishida K, Bosserman RE, Harb L, Khara P, Song L, Hu B, Zeng L, Christie PJ. Contributions of F‐specific Subunits to the F
Plasmid‐Encoded
Type
IV
Secretion System and F pilus. Mol Microbiol 2022; 117:1275-1290. [DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Revised: 03/26/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kouhei Kishida
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics McGovern Medical School 6431 Fannin St, Houston, Texas 77030
| | - Rachel E. Bosserman
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics McGovern Medical School 6431 Fannin St, Houston, Texas 77030
- Current address: Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases Washington School of Medicine St. Louis, MO, 63110
| | - Laith Harb
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University College Station TX, 77843 USA
- Center for Phage Technology, Texas A&M University College Station TX, 77843 USA
| | - Pratick Khara
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics McGovern Medical School 6431 Fannin St, Houston, Texas 77030
| | - Liqiang Song
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics McGovern Medical School 6431 Fannin St, Houston, Texas 77030
| | - Bo Hu
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics McGovern Medical School 6431 Fannin St, Houston, Texas 77030
| | - Lanying Zeng
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University College Station TX, 77843 USA
- Center for Phage Technology, Texas A&M University College Station TX, 77843 USA
| | - Peter J. Christie
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics McGovern Medical School 6431 Fannin St, Houston, Texas 77030
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Igler C, Huisman JS, Siedentop B, Bonhoeffer S, Lehtinen S. Plasmid co-infection: linking biological mechanisms to ecological and evolutionary dynamics. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20200478. [PMID: 34839701 PMCID: PMC8628072 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0478] [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: 04/16/2021] [Accepted: 07/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
As infectious agents of bacteria and vehicles of horizontal gene transfer, plasmids play a key role in bacterial ecology and evolution. Plasmid dynamics are shaped not only by plasmid-host interactions but also by ecological interactions between plasmid variants. These interactions are complex: plasmids can co-infect the same cell and the consequences for the co-resident plasmid can be either beneficial or detrimental. Many of the biological processes that govern plasmid co-infection-from systems that exclude infection by other plasmids to interactions in the regulation of plasmid copy number-are well characterized at a mechanistic level. Modelling plays a central role in translating such mechanistic insights into predictions about plasmid dynamics and the impact of these dynamics on bacterial evolution. Theoretical work in evolutionary epidemiology has shown that formulating models of co-infection is not trivial, as some modelling choices can introduce unintended ecological assumptions. Here, we review how the biological processes that govern co-infection can be represented in a mathematical model, discuss potential modelling pitfalls, and analyse this model to provide general insights into how co-infection impacts ecological and evolutionary outcomes. In particular, we demonstrate how beneficial and detrimental effects of co-infection give rise to frequency-dependent selection on plasmid variants. This article is part of the theme issue 'The secret lives of microbial mobile genetic elements'.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Igler
- Institute of Integrative Biology, Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jana S. Huisman
- Institute of Integrative Biology, Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Berit Siedentop
- Institute of Integrative Biology, Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Sebastian Bonhoeffer
- Institute of Integrative Biology, Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Sonja Lehtinen
- Institute of Integrative Biology, Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Crespo I, Bernardo N, Cuppari A, Malfois M, Boer DR. Structural and biochemical characterization of the relaxosome auxiliary proteins encoded on the Bacillus subtilis plasmid pLS20. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2022; 20:757-765. [PMID: 35198129 PMCID: PMC8829557 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2021.12.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2021] [Revised: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 12/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacterial conjugation is an important route for horizontal gene transfer. The initial step in this process involves a macromolecular protein-DNA complex called the relaxosome, which in plasmids consists of the origin of transfer (oriT) and several proteins that prepare the transfer. The relaxosome protein named relaxase introduces a nick in one of the strands of the oriT to initiate the process. Additional relaxosome proteins can exist. Recently, several relaxosome proteins encoded on the Bacillus subtilis plasmid pLS20 were identified, including the relaxase, named RelpLS20, and two auxiliary DNA-binding factors, named Aux1pLS20 and Aux2pLS20. Here, we extend this characterization in order to define their function. We present the low-resolution SAXS envelope of the Aux1pLS20 and the atomic X-ray structure of the C-terminal domain of Aux2pLS20. We also study the interactions between the auxiliary proteins and the full-length RelpLS20, as well as its separate domains. The results show that the quaternary structure of the auxiliary protein Aux1pLS20 involves a tetramer, as previously determined. The crystal structure of the C-terminal domain of Aux2pLS20 shows that it forms a tetramer and suggests that it is an analog of TraMpF of plasmid F. This is the first evidence of the existence of a TraMpF analog in gram positive conjugative systems, although, unlike other TraMpF analogs, Aux2pLS20 does not interact with the relaxase. Aux1pLS20 interacts with the C-terminal domain, but not the N-terminal domain, of the relaxase RelpLS20. Thus, the pLS20 relaxosome exhibits some unique features despite the apparent similarity to some well-studied G- conjugation systems.
Collapse
|
19
|
Montelongo Hernandez C, Putonti C, Wolfe AJ. Characterizing Plasmids in Bacteria Species Relevant to Urinary Health. Microbiol Spectr 2021; 9:e0094221. [PMID: 34937183 PMCID: PMC8694116 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00942-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 11/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The urinary tract has a microbial community (the urinary microbiota or urobiota) that has been associated with human health. Whole genome sequencing of bacteria is a powerful tool, allowing investigation of the genomic content of the urobiota, also called the urinary microbiome (urobiome). Bacterial plasmids are a significant component of the urobiome yet are understudied. Because plasmids can be vectors and reservoirs for clinically relevant traits, they are important for urobiota dynamics and thus may have relevance to urinary health. In this project, we sought plasmids in 11 clinically relevant urinary species: Aerococcus urinae, Corynebacterium amycolatum, Enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia coli, Gardnerella vaginalis, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Lactobacillus gasseri, Lactobacillus jensenii, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Streptococcus anginosus, and Streptococcus mitis. We found evidence of plasmids in E. faecalis, E. coli, K. pneumoniae, S. epidermidis, and S. anginosus but insufficient evidence in other species sequenced thus far. Some identified plasmidic assemblies were predicted to have putative virulence and/or antibiotic resistance genes, although the majority of their annotated coding regions were of unknown predicted function. In this study, we report on plasmids from urinary species as a first step to understanding the role of plasmids in the bacterial urobiota. IMPORTANCE The microbial community of the urinary tract (urobiota) has been associated with human health. Whole genome sequencing of bacteria permits examination of urobiota genomes, including plasmids. Because plasmids are vectors and reservoirs for clinically relevant traits, they are important for urobiota dynamics and thus may have relevance to urinary health. Currently, urobiota plasmids are understudied. Here, we sought plasmids in 11 clinically relevant urinary species. We found evidence of plasmids in E. faecalis, E. coli, K. pneumoniae, S. epidermidis, and S. anginosus but insufficient evidence in the other 6 species. We identified putative virulence and/or antibiotic resistance genes in some of the plasmidic assemblies, but most of their annotated coding regions were of unknown function. This is a first step to understanding the role of plasmids in the bacterial urobiota.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cesar Montelongo Hernandez
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, Illinois, USA
| | - Catherine Putonti
- Bioinformatics Program, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Department of Biology, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Alan J. Wolfe
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, Illinois, USA
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Baquero F, Martínez JL, F. Lanza V, Rodríguez-Beltrán J, Galán JC, San Millán A, Cantón R, Coque TM. Evolutionary Pathways and Trajectories in Antibiotic Resistance. Clin Microbiol Rev 2021; 34:e0005019. [PMID: 34190572 PMCID: PMC8404696 DOI: 10.1128/cmr.00050-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Evolution is the hallmark of life. Descriptions of the evolution of microorganisms have provided a wealth of information, but knowledge regarding "what happened" has precluded a deeper understanding of "how" evolution has proceeded, as in the case of antimicrobial resistance. The difficulty in answering the "how" question lies in the multihierarchical dimensions of evolutionary processes, nested in complex networks, encompassing all units of selection, from genes to communities and ecosystems. At the simplest ontological level (as resistance genes), evolution proceeds by random (mutation and drift) and directional (natural selection) processes; however, sequential pathways of adaptive variation can occasionally be observed, and under fixed circumstances (particular fitness landscapes), evolution is predictable. At the highest level (such as that of plasmids, clones, species, microbiotas), the systems' degrees of freedom increase dramatically, related to the variable dispersal, fragmentation, relatedness, or coalescence of bacterial populations, depending on heterogeneous and changing niches and selective gradients in complex environments. Evolutionary trajectories of antibiotic resistance find their way in these changing landscapes subjected to random variations, becoming highly entropic and therefore unpredictable. However, experimental, phylogenetic, and ecogenetic analyses reveal preferential frequented paths (highways) where antibiotic resistance flows and propagates, allowing some understanding of evolutionary dynamics, modeling and designing interventions. Studies on antibiotic resistance have an applied aspect in improving individual health, One Health, and Global Health, as well as an academic value for understanding evolution. Most importantly, they have a heuristic significance as a model to reduce the negative influence of anthropogenic effects on the environment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- F. Baquero
- Department of Microbiology, Ramón y Cajal University Hospital, Ramón y Cajal Institute for Health Research (IRYCIS), Network Center for Research in Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - J. L. Martínez
- National Center for Biotechnology (CNB-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - V. F. Lanza
- Department of Microbiology, Ramón y Cajal University Hospital, Ramón y Cajal Institute for Health Research (IRYCIS), Network Center for Research in Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
- Central Bioinformatics Unit, Ramón y Cajal Institute for Health Research (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain
| | - J. Rodríguez-Beltrán
- Department of Microbiology, Ramón y Cajal University Hospital, Ramón y Cajal Institute for Health Research (IRYCIS), Network Center for Research in Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - J. C. Galán
- Department of Microbiology, Ramón y Cajal University Hospital, Ramón y Cajal Institute for Health Research (IRYCIS), Network Center for Research in Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - A. San Millán
- National Center for Biotechnology (CNB-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - R. Cantón
- Department of Microbiology, Ramón y Cajal University Hospital, Ramón y Cajal Institute for Health Research (IRYCIS), Network Center for Research in Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - T. M. Coque
- Department of Microbiology, Ramón y Cajal University Hospital, Ramón y Cajal Institute for Health Research (IRYCIS), Network Center for Research in Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Gomi R, Matsuda T, Yamamoto M, Tanaka M, Jové T, Chou PH, Matsumura Y. Occurrence of class 1 integrons carrying two copies of the bla GES-5 gene in carbapenem-non-susceptible Citrobacter freundii and Raoultella ornithinolytica isolated from wastewater. J Glob Antimicrob Resist 2021; 26:230-232. [PMID: 34273594 DOI: 10.1016/j.jgar.2021.06.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Revised: 05/06/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Ryota Gomi
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Katsura, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto, 615-8540, Japan.
| | - Tomonari Matsuda
- Research Center for Environmental Quality Management, Kyoto University, 1-2 Yumihama, Otsu, Shiga, 520-0811, Japan
| | - Masaki Yamamoto
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, 54 Shogoin-kawahara-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8507, Japan
| | - Michio Tanaka
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, 54 Shogoin-kawahara-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8507, Japan
| | - Thomas Jové
- Univ. Limoges, INSERM, CHU Limoges, RESINFIT, U1092, F-87000, Limoges, France
| | - Pei-Hsin Chou
- Department of Environmental Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Yasufumi Matsumura
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, 54 Shogoin-kawahara-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8507, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Ajayi AO, Perry B, Yost CK, Jamieson R, Truelstrup Hansen L, Rahube T. Comparative Genomic Analyses of the β-lactamase (blaCMY-42) Encoding Plasmids Isolated from Wastewater Treatment Plants in Canada. Can J Microbiol 2021; 67:737-748. [PMID: 34077692 DOI: 10.1139/cjm-2021-0012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Wastewater treatment plants are useful environments for investigating the occurrence, diversity, and evolution of plasmids encoding clinically relevant antibiotic resistance genes. Our objective was to isolate and sequence plasmids encoding meropenem resistance from bacterial hosts within Canadian WWTPs. We used two enrichment culture approaches for primary plasmid isolation, followed by screening of antibiotic resistance, conjugative mobility, and stability in enteric bacteria. Isolated plasmids were sequenced using Illumina MiSeq and Sanger sequencing methods. Bioinformatics analyses resolved a multi-resistance IncF/MOBF12 plasmid, pFEMG (209,357 bp), harbouring resistance genes to beta-lactam (blaCMY-42, blaTEM-1β, and blaNDM-5), macrolide (mphA-mrx-mphR), tetracycline (tetR-tetB-tetC-tetD), trimethoprim (dfrA12), aminoglycoside (aadA2), and sulfonamide (sul1) antibiotic classes. We also isolated an IncI1/MOBP12 plasmid pPIMR (172,280 bp), carrying similar beta-lactamase and a small multidrug efflux resistance gene cluster (blaCMY-42-blc-sugE) to pFEMG. The co-occurrence of different ARGs within a single 24,552 bp cluster in pFEMG - intersperced with transposons, insertion sequence elements, and a class 1 integron - maybe of significant interest to human and veterinary medicine. Additionally, the presence of conjugative and plasmid maintenance genes in the studied plasmids corresponds to the observed high conjugative transfer frequencies and stable maintenance. Extensive investigation is required to further understand the fitness trade offs of plasmids having differing types of conjugative transfer and maintenance modules.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Ben Perry
- University of Regina, 6846, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada;
| | | | - Rob Jamieson
- Dalhousie University, 3688, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada;
| | - Lisbeth Truelstrup Hansen
- Dalhousie University, 3688, Department of Process Engineering and Applied Science, Halifax, Canada.,Technical University of Denmark, 5205, Department of Process Engineering and Applied Science, Lyngby, Denmark;
| | - Teddie Rahube
- University of Regina, 6846, Biology Department, Regina, Canada, S4S 0A2.,Botswana International University of Science and Technology, 357305, Biology Department, Palapye, Botswana;
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Properties affecting transfer and expression of degradative plasmids for the purpose of bioremediation. Biodegradation 2021; 32:361-375. [PMID: 34046775 DOI: 10.1007/s10532-021-09950-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2021] [Accepted: 05/15/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Plasmids, circular DNA that exist and replicate outside of the host chromosome, have been important in the spread of non-essential genes as well as the rapid evolution of prokaryotes. Recent advances in environmental engineering have aimed to utilize the mobility of plasmids carrying degradative genes to disseminate them into the environment for cost-effective and environmentally friendly remediation of harmful contaminants. Here, we review the knowledge surrounding plasmid transfer and the conditions needed for successful transfer and expression of degradative plasmids. Both abiotic and biotic factors have a great impact on the success of degradative plasmid transfer and expression of the degradative genes of interest. Properties such as ecological growth strategies of bacteria may also contribute to plasmid transfer and may be an important consideration for bioremediation applications. Finally, the methods for detection of conjugation events have greatly improved and the application of these tools can help improve our understanding of conjugation in complex communities. However, it remains clear that more methods for in situ detection of plasmid transfer are needed to help detangle the complexities of conjugation in natural environments to better promote a framework for precision bioremediation.
Collapse
|
24
|
Munhoz DD, Santos FF, Mitsunari T, Schüroff PA, Elias WP, Carvalho E, Piazza RMF. Hybrid Atypical Enteropathogenic and Extraintestinal Escherichia coli (aEPEC/ExPEC) BA1250 Strain: A Draft Genome. Pathogens 2021; 10:475. [PMID: 33919948 PMCID: PMC8070890 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10040475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2021] [Revised: 04/07/2021] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Diarrheagenic Escherichia coli is the major bacterial etiological agent of severe diarrhea and a major concern of public health. These pathogens have acquired genetic characteristics from other pathotypes, leading to unusual and singular genetic combinations, known as hybrid strains and may be more virulent due to a set of virulence factors from more than one pathotype. One of the possible combinations is with extraintestinal E. coli (ExPEC), a leading cause of urinary tract infection, often lethal after entering the bloodstream and atypical enteropathogenic E. coli (aEPEC), responsible for death of thousands of people every year, mainly children under five years old. Here we report the draft genome of a strain originally classified as aEPEC (BA1250) isolated from feces of a child with acute diarrhea. Phylogenetic analysis indicates that BA1250 genome content is genetically closer to E. coli strains that cause extraintestinal infections, other than intestinal infections. A deeper analysis showed that in fact this is a hybrid strain, due to the presence of a set of genes typically characteristic of ExPEC. These genomic findings expand our knowledge about aEPEC heterogeneity allowing further studies concerning E. coli pathogenicity and may be a source for future comparative studies, virulence characteristics, and evolutionary biology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Danielle D. Munhoz
- Laboratório de Bacteriologia, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo 05503-900, Brazil; (T.M.); (P.A.S.); (W.P.E.); (E.C.)
| | - Fernanda F. Santos
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo 04023-062, Brazil;
| | - Thais Mitsunari
- Laboratório de Bacteriologia, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo 05503-900, Brazil; (T.M.); (P.A.S.); (W.P.E.); (E.C.)
| | - Paulo A. Schüroff
- Laboratório de Bacteriologia, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo 05503-900, Brazil; (T.M.); (P.A.S.); (W.P.E.); (E.C.)
| | - Waldir P. Elias
- Laboratório de Bacteriologia, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo 05503-900, Brazil; (T.M.); (P.A.S.); (W.P.E.); (E.C.)
| | - Eneas Carvalho
- Laboratório de Bacteriologia, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo 05503-900, Brazil; (T.M.); (P.A.S.); (W.P.E.); (E.C.)
| | - Roxane M. F. Piazza
- Laboratório de Bacteriologia, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo 05503-900, Brazil; (T.M.); (P.A.S.); (W.P.E.); (E.C.)
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Plasmid- and strain-specific factors drive variation in ESBL-plasmid spread in vitro and in vivo. THE ISME JOURNAL 2021; 15:862-878. [PMID: 33149210 PMCID: PMC8026971 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-020-00819-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2020] [Revised: 09/15/2020] [Accepted: 10/21/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Horizontal gene transfer, mediated by conjugative plasmids, is a major driver of the global rise of antibiotic resistance. However, the relative contributions of factors that underlie the spread of plasmids and their roles in conjugation in vivo are unclear. To address this, we investigated the spread of clinical Extended Spectrum Beta-Lactamase (ESBL)-producing plasmids in the absence of antibiotics in vitro and in the mouse intestine. We hypothesised that plasmid properties would be the primary determinants of plasmid spread and that bacterial strain identity would also contribute. We found clinical Escherichia coli strains natively associated with ESBL-plasmids conjugated to three distinct E. coli strains and one Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium strain. Final transconjugant frequencies varied across plasmid, donor, and recipient combinations, with qualitative consistency when comparing transfer in vitro and in vivo in mice. In both environments, transconjugant frequencies for these natural strains and plasmids covaried with the presence/absence of transfer genes on ESBL-plasmids and were affected by plasmid incompatibility. By moving ESBL-plasmids out of their native hosts, we showed that donor and recipient strains also modulated transconjugant frequencies. This suggests that plasmid spread in the complex gut environment of animals and humans can be predicted based on in vitro testing and genetic data.
Collapse
|
26
|
Darphorn TS, Bel K, Koenders-van Sint Anneland BB, Brul S, Ter Kuile BH. Antibiotic resistance plasmid composition and architecture in Escherichia coli isolates from meat. Sci Rep 2021; 11:2136. [PMID: 33483623 PMCID: PMC7822866 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-81683-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2020] [Accepted: 01/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Resistance plasmids play a crucial role in the transfer of antimicrobial resistance from the veterinary sector to human healthcare. In this study plasmids from foodborne Escherichia coli isolates with a known (ES)BL or tetracycline resistance were sequenced entirely with short- and long-read technologies to obtain insight into their composition and to identify driving factors for spreading. Resistant foodborne E. coli isolates often contained several plasmids coding for resistance to various antimicrobials. Most plasmids were large and contained multiple resistance genes in addition to the selected resistance gene. The majority of plasmids belonged to the IncI, IncF and IncX incompatibility groups. Conserved and variable regions could be distinguished in each of the plasmid groups. Clusters containing resistance genes were located in the variable regions. Tetracycline and (extended spectrum) beta-lactamase resistance genes were each situated in separate clusters, but sulphonamide, macrolide and aminoglycoside formed one cluster and lincosamide and aminoglycoside another. In most plasmids, addiction systems were found to maintain presence in the cell.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tania S. Darphorn
- grid.7177.60000000084992262Laboratory for Molecular Biology and Microbial Food Safety, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Keshia Bel
- grid.7177.60000000084992262Laboratory for Molecular Biology and Microbial Food Safety, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands ,grid.4818.50000 0001 0791 5666Present Address: Wageningen Food Safety Research, Wageningen University and Research, Postbus 230, 6700 AE Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Belinda B. Koenders-van Sint Anneland
- grid.7177.60000000084992262Laboratory for Molecular Biology and Microbial Food Safety, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Stanley Brul
- grid.7177.60000000084992262Laboratory for Molecular Biology and Microbial Food Safety, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Benno H. Ter Kuile
- grid.7177.60000000084992262Laboratory for Molecular Biology and Microbial Food Safety, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands ,grid.435742.30000 0001 0726 7822Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, Office for Risk Assessment, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Antimicrobials and Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria: A Risk to the Environment and to Public Health. WATER 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/w12123313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 222] [Impact Index Per Article: 55.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The release of antibiotics to the environment, and the consequences of the presence of persistent antimicrobial residues in ecosystems, have been the subject of numerous studies in all parts of the world. The overuse and misuse of antibiotics is a common global phenomenon, which substantially increases the levels of antibiotics in the environment and the rates of their spread. Today, it can be said with certainty that the mass production and use of antibiotics for purposes other than medical treatment has an impact on both the environment and human health. This review aims to track the pathways of the environmental distribution of antimicrobials and identify the biological effects of their subinhibitory concentration in different environmental compartments; it also assesses the associated public health risk and government policy interventions needed to ensure the effectiveness of existing antimicrobials. The recent surge in interest in this issue has been driven by the dramatic increase in the number of infections caused by drug-resistant bacteria worldwide. Our study is in line with the global One Health approach.
Collapse
|
28
|
McMillan EA, Jackson CR, Frye JG. Transferable Plasmids of Salmonella enterica Associated With Antibiotic Resistance Genes. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:562181. [PMID: 33133037 PMCID: PMC7578388 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.562181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2020] [Accepted: 09/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Salmonella enterica is a common foodborne illness in the United States and globally. An increasing number of Salmonella infections are resistant to antibiotics, and many of the genes responsible for those resistances are carried by plasmids. Plasmids are important mediators of horizontal gene exchange, which could potentially increase the spread of antibiotic resistance (AR) genes. Twenty-eight different incompatibility groups of plasmids have been described in Enterobacteriaceae. Incompatibility groups differ in their accessory gene content, replication mechanisms, and their associations with Salmonella serotypes and animal sources. Plasmids also differ in their ability to conjugate or be mobilized, essential genes, and conditions required for transfer. It is important to understand the differences in gene content and transfer mechanisms to accurately determine the impact of plasmids on the dissemination and persistence of antibiotic resistance genes. This review will cover the most common plasmid incompatibility groups present in S. enterica with a focus on the transfer mechanisms and associated antibiotic resistance genes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A McMillan
- Bacterial Epidemiology and Antimicrobial Resistance Research Unit, U.S. National Poultry Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Athens, GA, United States
| | - Charlene R Jackson
- Bacterial Epidemiology and Antimicrobial Resistance Research Unit, U.S. National Poultry Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Athens, GA, United States
| | - Jonathan G Frye
- Bacterial Epidemiology and Antimicrobial Resistance Research Unit, U.S. National Poultry Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Athens, GA, United States
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Protein Dynamics in F-like Bacterial Conjugation. Biomedicines 2020; 8:biomedicines8090362. [PMID: 32961700 PMCID: PMC7555446 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines8090362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2020] [Revised: 09/15/2020] [Accepted: 09/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Efficient in silico development of novel antibiotics requires high-resolution, dynamic models of drug targets. As conjugation is considered the prominent contributor to the spread of antibiotic resistance genes, targeted drug design to disrupt vital components of conjugative systems has been proposed to lessen the proliferation of bacterial antibiotic resistance. Advancements in structural imaging techniques of large macromolecular complexes has accelerated the discovery of novel protein-protein interactions in bacterial type IV secretion systems (T4SS). The known structural information regarding the F-like T4SS components and complexes has been summarized in the following review, revealing a complex network of protein-protein interactions involving domains with varying degrees of disorder. Structural predictions were performed to provide insight on the dynamicity of proteins within the F plasmid conjugative system that lack structural information.
Collapse
|
30
|
Gama JA, Fredheim EGA, Cléon F, Reis AM, Zilhão R, Dionisio F. Dominance Between Plasmids Determines the Extent of Biofilm Formation. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:2070. [PMID: 32983050 PMCID: PMC7479130 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.02070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2020] [Accepted: 08/06/2020] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacterial biofilms have an impact in medical and industrial environments because they often confer protection to bacteria against harmful agents, and constitute a source from which microorganisms can disperse. Conjugative plasmids can enhance bacterial ability to form biofilms because conjugative pili act as adhesion factors. However, plasmids may interact with each other, either facilitating or inhibiting plasmid transfer. Accordingly, we asked whether effects on plasmid transfer also impacts biofilm formation. We measured biofilm formation of Escherichia coli cells harboring two plasmid types, or when the two plasmids were present in the same population but carried in different cells. Using eleven natural isolated conjugative plasmids, we confirmed that some indeed promote biofilm formation and, importantly, that this ability is correlated with conjugative efficiency. Further we studied the effect of plasmid pairs on biofilm formation. We observed increased biofilm formation in approximately half of the combinations when both plasmids inhabited the same cell or when the plasmids were carried in different cells. Moreover, in approximately half of the combinations, independent of the co-inhabitation conditions, one of the plasmids alone determined the extent of biofilm formation – thus having a dominant effect over the other plasmid. The molecular mechanisms responsible for these interactions were not evaluated here and future research is required to elucidate them.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- João Alves Gama
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | | | - François Cléon
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Ana Maria Reis
- Biosystems and Integrative Sciences Institute (BioISI), Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal.,Departamento de Biologia Vegetal, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Rita Zilhão
- Departamento de Biologia Vegetal, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Francisco Dionisio
- Departamento de Biologia Vegetal, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal.,Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes (cE3c), Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Redondo-Salvo S, Fernández-López R, Ruiz R, Vielva L, de Toro M, Rocha EPC, Garcillán-Barcia MP, de la Cruz F. Pathways for horizontal gene transfer in bacteria revealed by a global map of their plasmids. Nat Commun 2020; 11:3602. [PMID: 32681114 PMCID: PMC7367871 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-17278-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 168] [Impact Index Per Article: 42.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2019] [Accepted: 06/19/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Plasmids can mediate horizontal gene transfer of antibiotic resistance, virulence genes, and other adaptive factors across bacterial populations. Here, we analyze genomic composition and pairwise sequence identity for over 10,000 reference plasmids to obtain a global map of the prokaryotic plasmidome. Plasmids in this map organize into discrete clusters, which we call plasmid taxonomic units (PTUs), with high average nucleotide identity between its members. We identify 83 PTUs in the order Enterobacterales, 28 of them corresponding to previously described archetypes. Furthermore, we develop an automated algorithm for PTU identification, and validate its performance using stochastic blockmodeling. The algorithm reveals a total of 276 PTUs in the bacterial domain. Each PTU exhibits a characteristic host distribution, organized into a six-grade scale (I–VI), ranging from plasmids restricted to a single host species (grade I) to plasmids able to colonize species from different phyla (grade VI). More than 60% of the plasmids in the global map are in groups with host ranges beyond the species barrier. Plasmids can mediate gene transfer across bacterial populations. Here, the authors describe a global map of the prokaryotic plasmidome, where plasmids organize into discrete ‘plasmid taxonomic units’ based on their genomic composition and pairwise sequence identity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Santiago Redondo-Salvo
- Instituto de Biomedicina y Biotecnología de Cantabria (IBBTEC), Universidad de Cantabria-CSIC, C/Albert Einstein 22, 39011, Santander, Spain
| | - Raúl Fernández-López
- Instituto de Biomedicina y Biotecnología de Cantabria (IBBTEC), Universidad de Cantabria-CSIC, C/Albert Einstein 22, 39011, Santander, Spain
| | - Raúl Ruiz
- Instituto de Biomedicina y Biotecnología de Cantabria (IBBTEC), Universidad de Cantabria-CSIC, C/Albert Einstein 22, 39011, Santander, Spain
| | - Luis Vielva
- Departamento de Ingeniería de las Comunicaciones, Universidad de Cantabria, Santander, Spain
| | - María de Toro
- CIBIR, Centro de Investigación Biomédica de La Rioja, Logroño, Spain
| | - Eduardo P C Rocha
- Microbial Evolutionary Genomics, Institut Pasteur, CNRS, UMR3525, Paris, France
| | - M Pilar Garcillán-Barcia
- Instituto de Biomedicina y Biotecnología de Cantabria (IBBTEC), Universidad de Cantabria-CSIC, C/Albert Einstein 22, 39011, Santander, Spain
| | - Fernando de la Cruz
- Instituto de Biomedicina y Biotecnología de Cantabria (IBBTEC), Universidad de Cantabria-CSIC, C/Albert Einstein 22, 39011, Santander, Spain.
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Bischof K, Schiffer D, Trunk S, Höfler T, Hopfer A, Rechberger G, Koraimann G. Regulation of R1 Plasmid Transfer by H-NS, ArcA, TraJ, and DNA Sequence Elements. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:1254. [PMID: 32595626 PMCID: PMC7303359 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.01254] [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: 03/07/2020] [Accepted: 05/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
In conjugative elements such as integrating conjugative elements (ICEs) or conjugative plasmids (CPs) transcription of DNA transfer genes is a prerequisite for cells to become transfer competent, i.e., capable of delivering plasmid DNA via bacterial conjugation into new host bacteria. In the large family of F-like plasmids belonging to the MobF12A group, transcription of DNA transfer genes is tightly controlled and dependent on the activation of a single promoter, designated PY. Plasmid encoded TraJ and chromosomally encoded ArcA proteins are known activators, whereas the nucleoid associated protein heat-stable nucleoid structuring (H-NS) silences the PY promoter. To better understand the role of these proteins in PY promoter activation, we performed in vitro DNA binding studies using purified H-NS, ArcA, and TraJR1 (TraJ encoded by the conjugative resistance plasmid R1). All proteins could bind to R1PY DNA with high affinities; however, only ArcA was found to be highly sequence specific. DNase I footprinting studies revealed three H-NS binding sites, confirmed the binding site for ArcA, and suggested that TraJ contacts a dyad symmetry DNA sequence located between −51 and −38 in the R1PY promoter region. Moreover, TraJR1 and ArcA supplied together changed the H-NS specific protection pattern suggesting that these proteins are able to replace H-NS from R1PY regions proximal to the transcription start site. Our findings were corroborated by PY-lacZ reporter fusions with a series of site specific R1PY promoter mutations. Sequential changes of some critical DNA bases in the TraJ binding site (jbs) from plasmid R1 to plasmid F led to a remarkable specificity switch: The PY promoter became activatable by F encoded TraJ whereas TraJR1 lost its activation function. The R1PY mutagenesis approach also confirmed the requirement for the host-encoded response-regulator ArcA and indicated that the sequence context, especially in the −35 region is critical for PY regulation and function.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Karin Bischof
- Institute of Molecular Biosciences, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Doris Schiffer
- Institute of Molecular Biosciences, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Sarah Trunk
- Institute of Molecular Biosciences, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Thomas Höfler
- Institute of Molecular Biosciences, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Anja Hopfer
- Institute of Molecular Biosciences, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Gerald Rechberger
- Institute of Molecular Biosciences, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Günther Koraimann
- Institute of Molecular Biosciences, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Nyong EC, Zaia SR, Allué-Guardia A, Rodriguez AL, Irion-Byrd Z, Koenig SSK, Feng P, Bono JL, Eppinger M. Pathogenomes of Atypical Non-shigatoxigenic Escherichia coli NSF/SF O157:H7/NM: Comprehensive Phylogenomic Analysis Using Closed Genomes. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:619. [PMID: 32351476 PMCID: PMC7175801 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.00619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2019] [Accepted: 03/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The toxigenic conversion of Escherichia coli strains by Shiga toxin-converting (Stx) bacteriophages were prominent and recurring events in the stepwise evolution of enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) O157:H7 from an enteropathogenic (EPEC) O55:H7 ancestor. Atypical, attenuated isolates have been described for both non-sorbitol fermenting (NSF) O157:H7 and SF O157:NM serotypes, which are distinguished by the absence of Stx, the characteristic virulence hallmark of Stx-producing E. coli (STEC). Such atypical isolates either never acquired Stx-phages or may have secondarily lost stx during the course of infection, isolation, or routine subculture; the latter are commonly referred to as LST (Lost Shiga Toxin)-isolates. In this study we analyzed the genomes of 15 NSF O157:H7 and SF O157:NM strains from North America, Europe, and Asia that are characterized by the absence of stx, the virulence hallmark of STEC. The individual genomic basis of the Stx (-) phenotype has remained largely undetermined as the majority of STEC genomes in public genome repositories were generated using short read technology and are in draft stage, posing a major obstacle for the high-resolution whole genome sequence typing (WGST). The application of LRT (long-read technology) sequencing provided us with closed genomes, which proved critical to put the atypical non-shigatoxigenic NSF O157:H7 and SF O157:NM strains into the phylogenomic context of the stepwise evolutionary model. Availability of closed chromosomes for representative Stx (-) NSF O157:H7 and SF O157:NM strains allowed to describe the genomic basis and individual evolutionary trajectories underlying the absence of Stx at high accuracy and resolution. The ability of LRT to recover and accurately assemble plasmids revealed a strong correlation between the strains' featured plasmid genotype and chromosomally inferred clade, which suggests the coevolution of the chromosome and accessory plasmids. The identified ancestral traits in the pSFO157 plasmid of NSF O157:H7 strain LSU-61 provided additional evidence for its intermediate status. Taken together, these observations highlight the utility of LRTs for advancing our understanding of EHEC O157:H7/NM pathogenome evolution. Insights into the genomic and phenotypic plasticity of STEC on a lineage- and genome-wide scale are foundational to improve and inform risk assessment, biosurveillance, and prevention strategies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuel C. Nyong
- Department of Biology, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States
- South Texas Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, San Antonio, TX, United States
| | - Sam R. Zaia
- Department of Biology, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States
- South Texas Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, San Antonio, TX, United States
| | - Anna Allué-Guardia
- Department of Biology, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States
- South Texas Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, San Antonio, TX, United States
| | - Armando L. Rodriguez
- Research Computing Support Group, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States
| | - Zaina Irion-Byrd
- Department of Biology, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States
- South Texas Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, San Antonio, TX, United States
| | - Sara S. K. Koenig
- Department of Biology, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States
- South Texas Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, San Antonio, TX, United States
| | | | - James L. Bono
- United States Meat Animal Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture (ARS-USDA), Clay Center, NE, United States
| | - Mark Eppinger
- Department of Biology, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States
- South Texas Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, San Antonio, TX, United States
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Johanns VC, Ghazisaeedi F, Epping L, Semmler T, Lübke-Becker A, Pfeifer Y, Bethe A, Eichhorn I, Merle R, Walther B, Wieler LH. Effects of a Four-Week High-Dosage Zinc Oxide Supplemented Diet on Commensal Escherichia coli of Weaned Pigs. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:2734. [PMID: 31849886 PMCID: PMC6892955 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.02734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2019] [Accepted: 11/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Strategies to reduce economic losses associated with post-weaning diarrhea in pig farming include high-level dietary zinc oxide supplementation. However, excessive usage of zinc oxide in the pig production sector was found to be associated with accumulation of multidrug resistant bacteria in these animals, presenting an environmental burden through contaminated manure. Here we report on zinc tolerance among a random selection of intestinal Escherichia coli comprising of different antibiotic resistance phenotypes and sampling sites isolated during a controlled feeding trial from 16 weaned piglets: In total, 179 isolates from "pigs fed with high zinc concentrations" (high zinc group, [HZG]: n = 99) and a corresponding "control group" ([CG]: n = 80) were investigated with regard to zinc tolerance, antimicrobial- and biocide susceptibilities by determining minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs). In addition, in silico whole genome screening (WGSc) for antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) as well as biocide- and heavy metal tolerance genes was performed using an in-house BLAST-based pipeline. Overall, porcine E. coli isolates showed three different ZnCl2 MICs: 128 μg/ml (HZG, 2%; CG, 6%), 256 μg/ml (HZG, 64%; CG, 91%) and 512 μg/ml ZnCl2 (HZG, 34%, CG, 3%), a unimodal distribution most likely reflecting natural differences in zinc tolerance associated with different genetic lineages. However, a selective impact of the zinc-rich supplemented diet seems to be reasonable, since the linear mixed regression model revealed a statistically significant association between "higher" ZnCl2 MICs and isolates representing the HZG as well as "lower ZnCl2 MICs" with isolates of the CG (p = 0.005). None of the zinc chloride MICs was associated with a particular antibiotic-, heavy metal- or biocide- tolerance/resistance phenotype. Isolates expressing the 512 μg/ml MIC were either positive for ARGs conferring resistance to aminoglycosides, tetracycline and sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim, or harbored no ARGs at all. Moreover, WGSc revealed a ubiquitous presence of zinc homeostasis and - detoxification genes, including zitB, zntA, and pit. In conclusion, we provide evidence that zinc-rich supplementation of pig feed selects for more zinc tolerant E. coli, including isolates harboring ARGs and biocide- and heavy metal tolerance genes - a putative selective advantage considering substances and antibiotics currently used in industrial pork production systems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa C Johanns
- Advanced Light and Electron Microscopy (ZBS-4), Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - Fereshteh Ghazisaeedi
- Institute of Microbiology and Epizootics, Centre for Infection Medicine, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Lennard Epping
- Microbial Genomics (NG1), Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - Torsten Semmler
- Microbial Genomics (NG1), Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - Antina Lübke-Becker
- Institute of Microbiology and Epizootics, Centre for Infection Medicine, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Yvonne Pfeifer
- Nosocomial Pathogens and Antibiotic Resistances, Robert Koch Institute, Wernigerode, Germany
| | - Astrid Bethe
- Institute of Microbiology and Epizootics, Centre for Infection Medicine, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Inga Eichhorn
- Institute of Microbiology and Epizootics, Centre for Infection Medicine, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Roswitha Merle
- Institute for Veterinary Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Birgit Walther
- Advanced Light and Electron Microscopy (ZBS-4), Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | | |
Collapse
|
35
|
Colom J, Batista D, Baig A, Tang Y, Liu S, Yuan F, Belkhiri A, Marcelino L, Barbosa F, Rubio M, Atterbury R, Berchieri A, Barrow P. Sex pilus specific bacteriophage to drive bacterial population towards antibiotic sensitivity. Sci Rep 2019; 9:12616. [PMID: 31471549 PMCID: PMC6717204 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-48483-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2018] [Accepted: 07/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is now a major global problem largely resulting from the overuse of antibiotics in humans and livestock. In some AMR bacteria, resistance is encoded by conjugative plasmids expressing sex-pili that can readily spread resistance through bacterial populations. The aim of this study was to use sex pilus-specific (SPS) phage to reduce the carriage of AMR plasmids. Here, we demonstrate that SPS phage can kill AMR Escherichia coli and select for AMR plasmid loss in vitro. For the first time, we also demonstrate that SPS phage can both prevent the spread of AMR Salmonella Enteritidis infection in chickens and shift the bacterial population towards antibiotic sensitivity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joan Colom
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, Leicestershire, LE12 5RD, UK
| | - Diego Batista
- School of Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences, São Paulo State University (FCAV/UNESP), São Paulo, 14884-900, Brazil
| | - Abiyad Baig
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, Leicestershire, LE12 5RD, UK
| | - Ying Tang
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, Leicestershire, LE12 5RD, UK
| | - Siyang Liu
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, Leicestershire, LE12 5RD, UK
| | - Fangzhong Yuan
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, Leicestershire, LE12 5RD, UK
| | - Aouatif Belkhiri
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, Leicestershire, LE12 5RD, UK
| | - Lucas Marcelino
- School of Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences, São Paulo State University (FCAV/UNESP), São Paulo, 14884-900, Brazil
| | - Fernanda Barbosa
- School of Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences, São Paulo State University (FCAV/UNESP), São Paulo, 14884-900, Brazil
| | - Marcela Rubio
- School of Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences, São Paulo State University (FCAV/UNESP), São Paulo, 14884-900, Brazil
| | - Robert Atterbury
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, Leicestershire, LE12 5RD, UK
| | - Angelo Berchieri
- School of Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences, São Paulo State University (FCAV/UNESP), São Paulo, 14884-900, Brazil
| | - Paul Barrow
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, Leicestershire, LE12 5RD, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Iasakov TR, Anisimova LG, Zharikova NV, Zhurenko EI, Korobov VV, Markusheva TV. Evolution and Comparative Genomics of the pSM22 Plasmid of the IncF/MOBF12 Group. Mol Biol 2019. [DOI: 10.1134/s0026893319040162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
|
37
|
Fontana H, Skaf LB, Martins AFM, Corrêa LL, Moreira BM, Bonelli RR. First report of a cefepime-resistant Escherichia coli clinical isolate carrying bla CMY-33 from Brazil. J Glob Antimicrob Resist 2019; 18:153-154. [PMID: 31306815 DOI: 10.1016/j.jgar.2019.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2019] [Revised: 06/28/2019] [Accepted: 07/02/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Herrison Fontana
- Instituto de Microbiologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Larissa Brasil Skaf
- Instituto de Microbiologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | | | - Laís Lisboa Corrêa
- Instituto de Microbiologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Beatriz Meurer Moreira
- Instituto de Microbiologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Raquel Regina Bonelli
- Instituto de Microbiologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Dimitriu T, Marchant L, Buckling A, Raymond B. Bacteria from natural populations transfer plasmids mostly towards their kin. Proc Biol Sci 2019; 286:20191110. [PMID: 31238848 PMCID: PMC6599995 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.1110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasmids play a key role in microbial ecology and evolution, yet the determinants of plasmid transfer rates are poorly understood. Particularly, interactions between donor hosts and potential recipients are understudied. Here, we investigate the importance of genetic similarity between naturally co-occurring Escherichia coli isolates in plasmid transfer. We uncover extensive variability, spanning over five orders of magnitude, in the ability of isolates to donate and receive two different plasmids, R1 and RP4. Overall, transfer is strongly biased towards clone-mates, but not correlated to genetic distance when donors and recipients are not clone-mates. Transfer is limited by the presence of a functional restriction-modification system in recipients, suggesting sharing of strain-specific defence systems contributes to bias towards kin. Such restriction of transfer to kin sets the stage for longer-term coevolutionary interactions leading to mutualism between plasmids and bacterial hosts in natural communities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tatiana Dimitriu
- Department of Biosciences, University of Exeter , Penryn Campus, Cornwall TR10 9FE , UK
| | - Lauren Marchant
- Department of Biosciences, University of Exeter , Penryn Campus, Cornwall TR10 9FE , UK
| | - Angus Buckling
- Department of Biosciences, University of Exeter , Penryn Campus, Cornwall TR10 9FE , UK
| | - Ben Raymond
- Department of Biosciences, University of Exeter , Penryn Campus, Cornwall TR10 9FE , UK
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Stingl K, Koraimann G. Prokaryotic Information Games: How and When to Take up and Secrete DNA. Curr Top Microbiol Immunol 2019. [PMID: 29536355 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-75241-9_3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Besides transduction via bacteriophages natural transformation and bacterial conjugation are the most important mechanisms driving bacterial evolution and horizontal gene spread. Conjugation systems have evolved in eubacteria and archaea. In Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, cell-to-cell DNA transport is typically facilitated by a type IV secretion system (T4SS). T4SSs also mediate uptake of free DNA in Helicobacter pylori, while most transformable bacteria use a type II secretion/type IV pilus system. In this chapter, we focus on how and when bacteria "decide" that such a DNA transport apparatus is to be expressed and assembled in a cell that becomes competent. Development of DNA uptake competence and DNA transfer competence is driven by a variety of stimuli and often involves intricate regulatory networks leading to dramatic changes in gene expression patterns and bacterial physiology. In both cases, genetically homogeneous populations generate a distinct subpopulation that is competent for DNA uptake or DNA transfer or might uniformly switch into competent state. Phenotypic conversion from one state to the other can rely on bistable genetic networks that are activated stochastically with the integration of external signaling molecules. In addition, we discuss principles of DNA uptake processes in naturally transformable bacteria and intend to understand the exceptional use of a T4SS for DNA import in the gastric pathogen H. pylori. Realizing the events that trigger developmental transformation into competence within a bacterial population will eventually help to create novel and effective therapies against the transmission of antibiotic resistances among pathogens.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kerstin Stingl
- National Reference Laboratory for Campylobacter, Department Biological Safety, Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Diedersdorfer Weg 1, 12277, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Günther Koraimann
- Institute of Molecular Biosciences, University of Graz, Humboldtstrasse 50, 8010, Graz, Austria.
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Spread and Persistence of Virulence and Antibiotic Resistance Genes: A Ride on the F Plasmid Conjugation Module. EcoSal Plus 2019; 8. [PMID: 30022749 DOI: 10.1128/ecosalplus.esp-0003-2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The F plasmid or F-factor is a large, 100-kbp, circular conjugative plasmid of Escherichia coli and was originally described as a vector for horizontal gene transfer and gene recombination in the late 1940s. Since then, F and related F-like plasmids have served as role models for bacterial conjugation. At present, more than 200 different F-like plasmids with highly related DNA transfer genes, including those for the assembly of a type IV secretion apparatus, are completely sequenced. They belong to the phylogenetically related MOBF12A group. F-like plasmids are present in enterobacterial hosts isolated from clinical as well as environmental samples all over the world. As conjugative plasmids, F-like plasmids carry genetic modules enabling plasmid replication, stable maintenance, and DNA transfer. In this plasmid backbone of approximately 60 kbp, the DNA transfer genes occupy the largest and mostly conserved part. Subgroups of MOBF12A plasmids can be defined based on the similarity of TraJ, a protein required for DNA transfer gene expression. In addition, F-like plasmids harbor accessory cargo genes, frequently embedded within transposons and/or integrons, which harness their host bacteria with antibiotic resistance and virulence genes, causing increasingly severe problems for the treatment of infectious diseases. Here, I focus on key genetic elements and their encoded proteins present on the F-factor and other typical F-like plasmids belonging to the MOBF12A group of conjugative plasmids.
Collapse
|
41
|
IS26 mediated antimicrobial resistance gene shuffling from the chromosome to a mosaic conjugative FII plasmid. Plasmid 2018; 100:22-30. [PMID: 30336162 DOI: 10.1016/j.plasmid.2018.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2018] [Revised: 09/21/2018] [Accepted: 10/15/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
In the present study we report the identification of a sul3-associated class 1 integron containing the dfrA12-orfF-aadA2-cmlA1-aadA1-qacH array embedded in a Tn21-derived element that is part of a conjugative FII plasmid named pST1007-1A. The plasmid was identified in the Salmonella Typhimurium strain ST1007, a member of a clinically relevant clonal MDR lineage diffuse in Italy. ST1007 exhibited resistance to ampicillin, chloramphenicol, streptomycin, sulphamethoxazole, tetracycline and trimethoprim encoded by blaTEM-1, cmlA1, (aadA1, aadA2, strAB), (sul2, sul3), tet(B) and dfrA12 genes, respectively. Apart from pST1007-1A, ST1007 also harbours two chromosome-integrated resistance units RU1 (blaTEM-1-sul2-strAB) and RU2 (tet(B)), flanked by IS26 elements. RU1 and RU2 were able to move as translocatable units, respectively TU1 and TU2, and integrate via IS26 mediated recombination into pST1007-1A. A family of conjugative plasmids, harbouring different sets of antimicrobial resistance genes (ARG) was then generated: pST1007-1B (dfrA12-aadA2-cmlA1-aadA1-sul3- tet(B)), pST1007-1C (dfrA12-aadA2-cmlA1-aadA1-sul3-blaTEM-1-sul2-strAB), pST1007-1D (blaTEM-1-sul2-strAB), pST1007-1E (tet(B)) and pST1007-1F (dfrA12-aadA2-cmlA1-aadA1-sul3- tet(B) -blaTEM-1-sul2-strAB). pST1007-1A is also a mosaic plasmid containing two distinct DNA fragments acquired from I1 plasmids through recombination within the repA4, rfsF and repeat-3 sites. This study further highlights the role played by IS26 in intracellular ARGs shuffling. Moreover, attention has been focused on recombination hot spots that might play a key role in generating mosaic plasmids.
Collapse
|
42
|
Partridge SR, Kwong SM, Firth N, Jensen SO. Mobile Genetic Elements Associated with Antimicrobial Resistance. Clin Microbiol Rev 2018; 31:e00088-17. [PMID: 30068738 PMCID: PMC6148190 DOI: 10.1128/cmr.00088-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1159] [Impact Index Per Article: 193.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Strains of bacteria resistant to antibiotics, particularly those that are multiresistant, are an increasing major health care problem around the world. It is now abundantly clear that both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria are able to meet the evolutionary challenge of combating antimicrobial chemotherapy, often by acquiring preexisting resistance determinants from the bacterial gene pool. This is achieved through the concerted activities of mobile genetic elements able to move within or between DNA molecules, which include insertion sequences, transposons, and gene cassettes/integrons, and those that are able to transfer between bacterial cells, such as plasmids and integrative conjugative elements. Together these elements play a central role in facilitating horizontal genetic exchange and therefore promote the acquisition and spread of resistance genes. This review aims to outline the characteristics of the major types of mobile genetic elements involved in acquisition and spread of antibiotic resistance in both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, focusing on the so-called ESKAPEE group of organisms (Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterobacter spp., and Escherichia coli), which have become the most problematic hospital pathogens.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sally R Partridge
- Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, The Westmead Institute for Medical Research, The University of Sydney and Westmead Hospital, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Stephen M Kwong
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Neville Firth
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Slade O Jensen
- Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Antibiotic Resistance & Mobile Elements Group, Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
In Silico Typing and Comparative Genomic Analysis of IncFII K Plasmids and Insights into the Evolution of Replicons, Plasmid Backbones, and Resistance Determinant Profiles. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2018; 62:AAC.00764-18. [PMID: 30012771 DOI: 10.1128/aac.00764-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2018] [Accepted: 07/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
IncFIIK plasmids are associated with the acquisition and dissemination of multiple-antimicrobial resistance in Klebsiella pneumoniae and often encountered in clinical isolates of this species. Since the phylogeny and evolution of IncFIIK plasmids remain unclear, here we performed large-scale in silico typing and comparative analysis of these plasmids in publicly available bacterial/plasmid genomes. IncFIIK plasmids are prevalent in K. pneumoniae, being found in 69% of sequenced genomes, covering 66% of sequenced STs (sequence types), but sparse in other Enterobacteriaceae IncFIIK replicons have three lineages. One IncFIIK allele could be found in distinct K. pneumoniae STs, highlighting the lateral genetic flow of IncFIIK plasmids. A set of 77 IncFIIK plasmids with full sequences were further analyzed. A pool of 327 antibiotic resistance genes or remnants were annotated in 75.3% of these plasmids. Plasmid genome comparison reiterated that they often contain other replicons belonging to IncFIA, IncFIB, IncFIIYp, IncFIIpCRY, IncR, IncL, and IncN groups and that they share a conserved backbone featuring an F-like conjugation module that has divergent components responsible for regulation and mating pair stabilization. Further epidemiological studies of IncFIIK plasmids are required due to the sample bias of K. pneumoniae genomes in public databases. This study provides insights into the evolution and structures of IncFIIK plasmids.
Collapse
|
44
|
Takeuchi D, Akeda Y, Yoshida H, Hagiya H, Yamamoto N, Nishi I, Yoshioka N, Sugawara Y, Sakamoto N, Shanmugakani RK, Deguchi M, Tomono K, Hamada S. Genomic reorganization by IS26 in a bla
NDM-5-bearing FII plasmid of Klebsiella pneumoniae isolated from a patient in Japan. J Med Microbiol 2018; 67:1221-1224. [DOI: 10.1099/jmm.0.000817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Dan Takeuchi
- 1Japan–Thailand Research Collaboration Center for Infectious Diseases, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Yukihiro Akeda
- 2Division of Infection Control and Prevention, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
- 1Japan–Thailand Research Collaboration Center for Infectious Diseases, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Hisao Yoshida
- 2Division of Infection Control and Prevention, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Hideharu Hagiya
- 2Division of Infection Control and Prevention, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Norihisa Yamamoto
- 2Division of Infection Control and Prevention, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Isao Nishi
- 3Laboratory for Clinical Investigation, Osaka University Hospital, Osaka, Japan
| | - Nori Yoshioka
- 2Division of Infection Control and Prevention, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
- 3Laboratory for Clinical Investigation, Osaka University Hospital, Osaka, Japan
| | - Yo Sugawara
- 1Japan–Thailand Research Collaboration Center for Infectious Diseases, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Noriko Sakamoto
- 1Japan–Thailand Research Collaboration Center for Infectious Diseases, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Rathina Kumar Shanmugakani
- 2Division of Infection Control and Prevention, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Matsuo Deguchi
- 2Division of Infection Control and Prevention, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Kazunori Tomono
- 2Division of Infection Control and Prevention, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Shigeyuki Hamada
- 1Japan–Thailand Research Collaboration Center for Infectious Diseases, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Branger C, Ledda A, Billard-Pomares T, Doublet B, Fouteau S, Barbe V, Roche D, Cruveiller S, Médigue C, Castellanos M, Decré D, Drieux-Rouze L, Clermont O, Glodt J, Tenaillon O, Cloeckaert A, Arlet G, Denamur E. Extended-spectrum β-lactamase-encoding genes are spreading on a wide range of Escherichia coli plasmids existing prior to the use of third-generation cephalosporins. Microb Genom 2018; 4. [PMID: 30080134 PMCID: PMC6202452 DOI: 10.1099/mgen.0.000203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
To understand the evolutionary dynamics of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-encoding genes in Escherichia coli, we undertook a comparative genomic analysis of 116 whole plasmid sequences of human or animal origin isolated over a period spanning before and after the use of third-generation cephalosporins (3GCs) using a gene-sharing network approach. The plasmids included 82 conjugative, 22 mobilizable and 9 non-transferable plasmids and 3 P-like bacteriophages. ESBL-encoding genes were found on 64 conjugative, 6 mobilizable, 2 non-transferable plasmids and 2 P1-like bacteriophages, indicating that these last three types of mobile elements also play a role, albeit modest, in the diffusion of the ESBLs. The network analysis showed that the plasmids clustered according to their genome backbone type, but not by origin or period of isolation or by antibiotic-resistance type, including type of ESBL-encoding gene. There was no association between the type of plasmid and the phylogenetic history of the parental strains. Finer scale analysis of the more abundant clusters IncF and IncI1 showed that ESBL-encoding plasmids and plasmids isolated before the use of 3GCs had the same diversity and phylogenetic history, and that acquisition of ESBL-encoding genes had occurred during multiple independent events. Moreover, the blaCTX-M-15 gene, unlike other CTX-M genes, was inserted at a hot spot in a blaTEM-1-Tn2 transposon. These findings showed that ESBL-encoding genes have arrived on wide range of pre-existing plasmids and that the successful spread of blaCTX-M-15 seems to be favoured by the presence of well-adapted IncF plasmids that carry a Tn2-blaTEM-1 transposon.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Catherine Branger
- 1IAME, UMR1137, INSERM, Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, UFR de Medecine, 16 Rue Henri Huchard, Paris 75018, France
| | - Alice Ledda
- 2Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Imperial College, London, W2 1PG, UK
| | | | - Benoît Doublet
- 4ISP, INRA, Université François Rabelais de Tours, UMR 1282, 37380 Nouzilly, France
| | - Stéphanie Fouteau
- 5Laboratoire de Biologie Moléculaire pour l'Etude des Génomes, (LBioMEG), CEA, Genoscope, Institut de Biologie François-Jacob, 9100, Evry, France
| | - Valérie Barbe
- 5Laboratoire de Biologie Moléculaire pour l'Etude des Génomes, (LBioMEG), CEA, Genoscope, Institut de Biologie François-Jacob, 9100, Evry, France
| | - David Roche
- 6UMR8030, CNRS, Laboratoire d'Analyses Bioinformatiques pour la Génomique et le Métabolisme, CEA, Institut de Génomique - Genoscope, Université Évry-Val-d'Essonne, 91000, Evry, France
| | - Stéphane Cruveiller
- 6UMR8030, CNRS, Laboratoire d'Analyses Bioinformatiques pour la Génomique et le Métabolisme, CEA, Institut de Génomique - Genoscope, Université Évry-Val-d'Essonne, 91000, Evry, France
| | - Claudine Médigue
- 6UMR8030, CNRS, Laboratoire d'Analyses Bioinformatiques pour la Génomique et le Métabolisme, CEA, Institut de Génomique - Genoscope, Université Évry-Val-d'Essonne, 91000, Evry, France
| | - Miguel Castellanos
- 7IAME, UMR 1137, INSERM, Université Paris Diderot, Université Paris13, Sorbonne Paris Cité, 75018, Paris, France
| | - Dominique Decré
- 8CIMI, UMR 1135, INSERM, Université Pierre et Marie Curie Sorbonne Université, 75013, Paris, France
| | - Laurence Drieux-Rouze
- 9APHP, Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière Service de Bactériologie-Hygiène, 75015, Paris, France
| | - Olivier Clermont
- 7IAME, UMR 1137, INSERM, Université Paris Diderot, Université Paris13, Sorbonne Paris Cité, 75018, Paris, France
| | - Jérémy Glodt
- 7IAME, UMR 1137, INSERM, Université Paris Diderot, Université Paris13, Sorbonne Paris Cité, 75018, Paris, France
| | - Olivier Tenaillon
- 7IAME, UMR 1137, INSERM, Université Paris Diderot, Université Paris13, Sorbonne Paris Cité, 75018, Paris, France
| | - Axel Cloeckaert
- 4ISP, INRA, Université François Rabelais de Tours, UMR 1282, 37380 Nouzilly, France
| | - Guillaume Arlet
- 8CIMI, UMR 1135, INSERM, Université Pierre et Marie Curie Sorbonne Université, 75013, Paris, France
| | - Erick Denamur
- 7IAME, UMR 1137, INSERM, Université Paris Diderot, Université Paris13, Sorbonne Paris Cité, 75018, Paris, France
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Shala-Lawrence A, Bragagnolo N, Nowroozi-Dayeni R, Kheyson S, Audette GF. The interaction of TraW and TrbC is required to facilitate conjugation in F-like plasmids. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2018; 503:2386-2392. [PMID: 29966652 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2018.06.166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2018] [Accepted: 06/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Bacterial conjugation, such as that mediated by the E. coli F plasmid, is a main mechanism driving bacterial evolution. Two important proteins required for F-pilus assembly and DNA transfer proficiency are TraW and TrbC. As members of a larger complex, these proteins assemble into a type IV secretion system and are essential components of pore formation and mating pair stabilization between the donor and the recipient cells. In the current report, we demonstrate the physical interaction of TraW and TrbC, show that TraW preferentially interacts with the N-terminal domain of TrbC, and that this interaction is important in restoring conjugation in traW/trbC knockouts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Agnesa Shala-Lawrence
- Department of Chemistry & Centre for Research on Biomolecular Interactions, York University, 4700 Keele St., Toronto, ON, M3J 1P3, Canada
| | - Nicholas Bragagnolo
- Department of Chemistry & Centre for Research on Biomolecular Interactions, York University, 4700 Keele St., Toronto, ON, M3J 1P3, Canada
| | - Roksana Nowroozi-Dayeni
- Department of Chemistry & Centre for Research on Biomolecular Interactions, York University, 4700 Keele St., Toronto, ON, M3J 1P3, Canada
| | - Sasha Kheyson
- Department of Chemistry & Centre for Research on Biomolecular Interactions, York University, 4700 Keele St., Toronto, ON, M3J 1P3, Canada
| | - Gerald F Audette
- Department of Chemistry & Centre for Research on Biomolecular Interactions, York University, 4700 Keele St., Toronto, ON, M3J 1P3, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Gama JA, Zilhão R, Dionisio F. Conjugation efficiency depends on intra and intercellular interactions between distinct plasmids: Plasmids promote the immigration of other plasmids but repress co-colonizing plasmids. Plasmid 2017; 93:6-16. [PMID: 28842132 DOI: 10.1016/j.plasmid.2017.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2017] [Revised: 08/17/2017] [Accepted: 08/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Conjugative plasmids encode the genes responsible for the synthesis of conjugative pili and plasmid transfer. Expression of the conjugative machinery (including conjugative pili) may be costly to bacteria, not only due to the energetic/metabolic cost associated with their expression but also because they serve as receptors for certain viruses. Consequently, the presence of two plasmids in the same cell may be disadvantageous to each plasmid, because they may impose a higher fitness cost on the host. Therefore, plasmids may encode mechanisms to cope with co-resident plasmids. Moreover, it is possible that the transfer rate of a plasmid is affected by the presence of a distinct plasmid in the recipient cell. In this work, we measured transfer rates of twelve natural plasmids belonging to seven incompatibility groups in three situations, namely when: (i) donor cells contain a plasmid and recipient cells are plasmid-free; (ii) donor cells contain two unrelated plasmids and recipient cells are plasmid-free; and (iii) half of the cells contain a given plasmid and the other half contain another, unrelated, plasmid. In the third situation, recipient cells of a plasmid are the donor cells of the other plasmid. We show that there are more negative interactions (reduction of a plasmid's conjugative efficiency) between plasmids if they reside in the same cell than if they reside in different cells. However, if plasmids interacted intercellularly, the transfer rate of one of the plasmids was often higher (when the unrelated conjugative plasmid was present in the recipient cell) than if the recipient cell was plasmid-free - a positive effect. Experimental data retrieved from the study of mutant plasmids not expressing conjugative pili on the cell surface suggest that positive effects result from a higher efficiency of mating pair formation. Overall, our results suggest that negative interactions are significantly more frequent when plasmids occupy the same cell. Such interactions may determine how antibiotic resistance disseminates in bacterial populations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- João Alves Gama
- cE3c-Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal; Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Rita Zilhão
- Departamento de Biologia Vegetal, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Francisco Dionisio
- cE3c-Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal; Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Oeiras, Portugal; Departamento de Biologia Vegetal, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal.
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Genomic characterization of novel IncFII-type multidrug resistant plasmids p0716-KPC and p12181-KPC from Klebsiella pneumoniae. Sci Rep 2017; 7:5830. [PMID: 28725038 PMCID: PMC5517477 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-06283-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2017] [Accepted: 06/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to genetically characterize two fully-sequenced novel IncFII-type multidrug resistant (MDR) plasmids, p0716-KPC and p12181-KPC, recovered from two different clinical Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates. p0716-KPC and p12181-KPC had a very similar genomic content. The backbones of p0716-KPC/p12181-KPC contained two different replicons (belonging to a novel IncFII subtype and the Rep_3 family), the IncFIIK and IncFIIY maintenance regions, and conjugal transfer gene sets from IncFIIK-type plasmids and unknown origins. p0716-KPC and p12181-KPC carried similar three accessory resistance regions, namely ΔTn6209, a MDR region, and the blaKPC-2 region. Resistance genes blaKPC-2, mph(A), strAB, aacC2, qacEΔ1, sul1, sul2, and dfrA25, which are associated with transposons, integrons, and insertion sequence-based mobile units, were located in these accessory regions. p0716-KPC carried two additional resistance genes: aphA1a and blaTEM-1. Together, our analyses showed that p0716-KPC and p12181-KPC belong to a novel IncFII subtype and display a complex chimeric nature, and that the carbapenem resistance gene blaKPC-2 coexists with a lot of additional resistance genes on these two plasmids.
Collapse
|
49
|
Fernandez-Lopez R, Redondo S, Garcillan-Barcia MP, de la Cruz F. Towards a taxonomy of conjugative plasmids. Curr Opin Microbiol 2017; 38:106-113. [PMID: 28586714 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2017.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2017] [Revised: 05/10/2017] [Accepted: 05/17/2017] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Conjugative plasmids are the keystone of horizontal gene transfer. Metagenomic research and clinical understanding of plasmid transmission beg for a taxonomical approach to conjugative plasmid classification. Up to now, a meaningful classification was difficult to achieve for lack of appropriate analytical tools. The advent of the genomic era revolutionized the landscape, offering a plethora of plasmid sequences as well as bioinformatic analytical tools. Given the need and the opportunity, in view of the available evidence, a taxonomy of conjugative plasmids is proposed in the hope that it will leverage plasmid studies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Raul Fernandez-Lopez
- Instituto de Biomedicina y Biotecnología de Cantabria (IBBTEC), Universidad de Cantabria, Santander, Spain
| | - Santiago Redondo
- Instituto de Biomedicina y Biotecnología de Cantabria (IBBTEC), Universidad de Cantabria, Santander, Spain
| | - M Pilar Garcillan-Barcia
- Instituto de Biomedicina y Biotecnología de Cantabria (IBBTEC), Universidad de Cantabria, Santander, Spain
| | - Fernando de la Cruz
- Instituto de Biomedicina y Biotecnología de Cantabria (IBBTEC), Universidad de Cantabria, Santander, Spain.
| |
Collapse
|