Activity of cefiderocol and innovative β-lactam/β-lactamase inhibitor combinations against isogenic strains of Escherichia coli expressing single and double β-lactamases under high and low permeability conditions

OBJECTIVES

To analyse the impact of the most clinically relevant β-lactamases and their interplay with low outer membrane permeability on the activity of cefiderocol, ceftazidime/avibactam, aztreonam/avibactam, cefepime/enmetazobactam, cefepime/taniborbactam, cefepime/zidebactam, imipenem/relebactam, meropenem/vaborbactam, meropenem/xeruborbactam and meropenem/nacubactam against recombinant Escherichia coli strains.

METHODS

We constructed 82 E. coli laboratory transformants expressing the main β-lactamases circulating in Enterobacterales (70 expressing single β-lactamase and 12 producing double carbapenemase) under high (E. coli TG1) and low (E. coli HB4) permeability conditions. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was determined by reference broth microdilution.

RESULTS

Aztreonam/avibactam, cefepime/zidebactam, cefiderocol, meropenem/xeruborbactam and meropenem/nacubactam were active against all E. coli TG1 transformants. Imipenem/relebactam, meropenem/vaborbactam, cefepime/taniborbactam and cefepime/enmetazobactam were also highly active, but unstable against most of MBL-producing transformants. Combination of β-lactamases with porin deficiency (E. coli HB4) did not significantly affect the activity of aztreonam/avibactam, cefepime/zidebactam, cefiderocol or meropenem/nacubactam, but limited the effectiveness of the rest of carbapenem- and cefepime-based combinations. Double-carbapenemase production resulted in the loss of activity of most of the compounds tested, an effect particularly evident for those E. coli HB4 transformants in which MBLs were present.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings highlight the promising activity that cefiderocol and new β-lactam/β-lactamase inhibitors have against recombinant E. coli strains expressing widespread β-lactamases, including when these are combined with low permeability or other enzymes. Aztreonam/avibactam, cefiderocol, cefepime/zidebactam and meropenem/nacubactam will help to mitigate to some extent the urgency of new compounds able to resist MBL action, although NDM enzymes represent a growing challenge against which drug development efforts are still needed.

Interplay between OXA-10 β-Lactamase Production and Low Outer-Membrane Permeability in Carbapenem Resistance in Enterobacterales

The OXA-10 class D β-lactamase has been reported to contribute to carbapenem resistance in non-fermenting Gram-negative bacilli; however, its contribution to carbapenem resistance in Enterobacterales is unknown. In this work, minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs), whole genome sequencing (WGS), cloning experiments, kinetic assays, molecular modelling studies, and biochemical assays for carbapenemase detection were performed to determine the impact of OXA-10 production on carbapenem resistance in two XDR clinical isolates of Escherichia coli with the carbapenem resistance phenotype (ertapenem resistance). WGS identified the two clinical isolates as belonging to ST57 in close genomic proximity to each other. Additionally, the presence of the bla_OXA-10 gene was identified in both isolates, as well as relevant mutations in the genes coding for the OmpC and OmpF porins. Cloning of bla_OXA-10 in an E. coli HB4 (OmpC and OmpF-deficient) demonstrated the important contribution of OXA-10 to increased carbapenem MICs when associated with porin deficiency. Kinetic analysis showed that OXA-10 has low carbapenem-hydrolysing activity, but molecular models revealed interactions of this β-lactamase with the carbapenems. OXA-10 was not detected with biochemical tests used in clinical laboratories. In conclusion, the β-lactamase OXA-10 limits the activity of carbapenems in Enterobacterales when combined with low permeability and should be monitored in the future.