{"title":"Dissemination of clinical Escherichia coli strains harboring mcr-1, bla<sub>NDM-7</sub> and siderophore-producing plasmids in a Chinese hospital.","authors":"Lihua Liu, Mingqi Zhao, Yanhua Tang, Aihua Shen, Xiao Yang, Li Yao, Dongxing Tian","doi":"10.1186/s13756-024-01423-3","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Carbapenem-resistant E. coli (CREco) pose a significant public health threat due to their multidrug resistance. Colistin is often a last-resort treatment against CREco; however, the emergence of colistin resistance gene mcr-1 complicates treatment options.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Two E. coli strains (ECO20 and ECO21), recovered from hospitalized patients in distinct wards, exhibited resistance to carbapenems and colistin. Whole-genome sequencing and phenotypic characterization were employed to study resistance patterns, plasmid profiles, transferability of resistance and virulence genes, and siderophore production capabilities. Comparative genome analysis was used to investigate the genetic environment of mcr-1, bla<sub>NDM-7</sub>, and virulence clusters.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Both E. coli strains exhibited thr presence of both mcr-1 and bla<sub>NDM-7</sub> genes, showing high resistance to multiple antibiotics. Genomic analysis revealed the clonal transmission of these strains, possessing identical plasmid profiles (pMCR, pNDM, and pVir) associated with colistin resistance, carbapenem resistance, and virulence factors. Conjugation experiments confirmed the transferability of these plasmids, indicating their potential to disseminate resistance and virulence traits to other strains. Comparative genomic analyses unveiled the distribution of mcr-1 (IncX4-type) and bla<sub>NDM</sub> (IncX3-type) plasmids across diverse bacterial species, emphasizing their adaptability and threat. The novelty of pVir indicates its potential role in driving the evolution of highly adaptable and pathogenic strains.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Our findings underscore the co-occurrence of mcr-1, bla<sub>NDM-7</sub>, and siderophore-producing plasmids in E. coli, which poses a significant concern for global health. This research is crucial to unravel the complex mechanisms governing plasmid transfer and recombination and to devise robust strategies to control their spread in healthcare settings.</p>","PeriodicalId":7950,"journal":{"name":"Antimicrobial Resistance and Infection Control","volume":"13 1","pages":"66"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8000,"publicationDate":"2024-06-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11184858/pdf/","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Antimicrobial Resistance and Infection Control","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s13756-024-01423-3","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"INFECTIOUS DISEASES","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background: Carbapenem-resistant E. coli (CREco) pose a significant public health threat due to their multidrug resistance. Colistin is often a last-resort treatment against CREco; however, the emergence of colistin resistance gene mcr-1 complicates treatment options.
Methods: Two E. coli strains (ECO20 and ECO21), recovered from hospitalized patients in distinct wards, exhibited resistance to carbapenems and colistin. Whole-genome sequencing and phenotypic characterization were employed to study resistance patterns, plasmid profiles, transferability of resistance and virulence genes, and siderophore production capabilities. Comparative genome analysis was used to investigate the genetic environment of mcr-1, blaNDM-7, and virulence clusters.
Results: Both E. coli strains exhibited thr presence of both mcr-1 and blaNDM-7 genes, showing high resistance to multiple antibiotics. Genomic analysis revealed the clonal transmission of these strains, possessing identical plasmid profiles (pMCR, pNDM, and pVir) associated with colistin resistance, carbapenem resistance, and virulence factors. Conjugation experiments confirmed the transferability of these plasmids, indicating their potential to disseminate resistance and virulence traits to other strains. Comparative genomic analyses unveiled the distribution of mcr-1 (IncX4-type) and blaNDM (IncX3-type) plasmids across diverse bacterial species, emphasizing their adaptability and threat. The novelty of pVir indicates its potential role in driving the evolution of highly adaptable and pathogenic strains.
Conclusions: Our findings underscore the co-occurrence of mcr-1, blaNDM-7, and siderophore-producing plasmids in E. coli, which poses a significant concern for global health. This research is crucial to unravel the complex mechanisms governing plasmid transfer and recombination and to devise robust strategies to control their spread in healthcare settings.
期刊介绍:
Antimicrobial Resistance and Infection Control is a global forum for all those working on the prevention, diagnostic and treatment of health-care associated infections and antimicrobial resistance development in all health-care settings. The journal covers a broad spectrum of preeminent practices and best available data to the top interventional and translational research, and innovative developments in the field of infection control.