Dataset Information

Emerging plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance associated with the qnr gene in Klebsiella pneumoniae clinical isolates in the United States.

ABSTRACT: Although quinolone resistance commonly results from chromosomal mutation, recent studies indicate that such resistance can also be transferred on plasmids carrying the gene responsible, qnr. One hundred ten ciprofloxacin-resistant clinical isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli from the United States were screened for the qnr gene by PCR and Southern hybridization of plasmid DNA. Conjugation experiments were done with azide-resistant E. coli J53 as the recipient and selection with azide and sulfonamide, a resistance frequently linked to qnr. EcoRI and BamHI digests of qnr-hybridizing plasmids were subjected to electrophoresis on agarose gels and probed with qnr by Southern hybridization. qnr was detected in 8 (11.1%) of 72 K. pneumoniae strains. These eight positive strains were from six states in the United States. qnr was not found in any of the 38 E. coli strains tested. Quinolone resistance was transferred from seven of the eight probe-positive strains. Transconjugants with qnr-hybridizing plasmids had 32-fold increases in ciprofloxacin MICs relative to E. coli J53. For all eight strains, the sequence of qnr was identical to that originally reported. By size and restriction digests, four plasmids were related to the first-reported plasmid, pMG252, and three were different. Five new qnr plasmids encoded FOX-5 beta-lactamase, as did pMG252, but two others produced SHV-7 extended-spectrum beta-lactamase. Transferable plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance associated with qnr is now widely distributed in quinolone-resistant clinical strains of K. pneumoniae in the United States. Plasmid-determined quinolone resistance contributes to the increasing quinolone resistance of K. pneumoniae isolates and to the linkage previously observed between resistance to quinolones and the latest beta-lactam antibiotics.

SUBMITTER: Wang M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC375335 | biostudies-literature | 2004 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Emerging plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance associated with the qnr gene in Klebsiella pneumoniae clinical isolates in the United States.

Wang Minggui M Sahm Daniel F DF Jacoby George A GA Hooper David C DC

Antimicrobial agents and chemotherapy 20040401 4

Although quinolone resistance commonly results from chromosomal mutation, recent studies indicate that such resistance can also be transferred on plasmids carrying the gene responsible, qnr. One hundred ten ciprofloxacin-resistant clinical isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli from the United States were screened for the qnr gene by PCR and Southern hybridization of plasmid DNA. Conjugation experiments were done with azide-resistant E. coli J53 as the recipient and selection wit ...[more]

PMID: 15047532

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Project description:International high-risk clones of Klebsiella pneumoniae are among the most common nosocomial pathogens. Increased diversity of plasmid-encoded antimicrobial resistance genes facilitates spread of these clones causing significant therapeutic difficulties. The purpose of our study was to investigate fluoroquinolone resistance in extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing strains, including four K. pneumoniae and a single K. oxytoca, isolated from blood cultures in Hungary. Whole-genome sequencing and molecular typing including multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) were performed in selected strains. Gene expression of plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance determinants (PMQR) was investigated by quantitative-PCR. MLST revealed that three K. pneumoniae strains belonged to ST11 and one to ST307 whereas K. oxytoca belonged to ST52. The isolates harbored different ?-lactamase genes, however, all K. pneumoniae uniformly carried bla CTX-M-15. The K. pneumoniae isolates exhibited resistance to fluoroquinolones and carried various PMQR genes namely, two ST11 strains harbored qnrB4, the ST307 strain harbored qnrB1 and all K. pneumoniae harbored oqxAB efflux pump. Levofloxacin and moxifloxacin MIC values of K. pneumoniae ST11 and ST307 clones correlated with qnr and oqxAB expression levels. The qnrA1 carrying K. oxytoca ST52 exhibited reduced susceptibility to fluoroquinolones. The maintained expression of qnr genes in parallel with chromosomal mutations indicate an additional protective role of Qnr proteins that can support dissemination of high-risk clones. During development of high-level fluoroquinolone resistance, high-risk clones retain fitness thus, enabling them for dissemination in hospital environment. Based on our knowledge this is the first report of ST307 clone in Hungary, that is emerging as a potential high-risk clone worldwide. High-level fluoroquinolone resistance in parallel with upregulated PMQR gene expression are linked to high-risk K. pneumoniae clones.

Project description:Municipal wastewater treatment facilities are considered to be "hotspots" for antibiotic resistance, since they conjoin high densities of environmental and fecal bacteria with selective pressure in the form of sub-therapeutic concentrations of antibiotics. Discharged effluents and biosolids from these facilities can disseminate antibiotic resistant genes to terrestrial and aquatic environments, potentially contributing to the increasing global trend in antibiotic resistance. This phenomenon is especially pertinent when resistance genes are associated with mobile genetic elements such as conjugative plasmids, which can be transferred between bacterial phyla. Fluoroquinolones are among the most abundant antibiotic compounds detected in wastewater treatment facilities, especially in biosolids, where due to their hydrophobic properties they accumulate to concentrations that may exceed 40 mg/L. Although fluoroquinolone resistance is traditionally associated with mutations in the gyrA/topoisomerase IV genes, there is increasing evidence of plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance, which is primarily encoded on qnr genes. In this study, we sequenced seven qnr-harboring plasmids from a diverse collection of Klebsiella strains, isolated from dewatered biosolids from a large wastewater treatment facility in Israel. One of the plasmids, termed pKPSH-11XL was a large (185.4 kbp), multi-drug resistance, IncF-type plasmid that harbored qnrB and 10 additional antibiotic resistance genes that conferred resistance to five different antibiotic families. It was highly similar to the pKPN3-like plasmid family that has been detected in multidrug resistant clinical Klebsiella isolates. In contrast, the six additional plasmids were much smaller (7-9 Kbp) and harbored a qnrS -type gene. These plasmids were highly similar to each other and closely resembled pGNB2, a plasmid isolated from a German wastewater treatment facility. Comparative genome analyses of pKPSH-11XL and other pKPN3-like plasmids concomitant to phylogenetic analysis of housekeeping genes from host Klebsiella strains, revealed that these plasmids are limited to a predominantly human-associated sub-clade of Klebsiella, suggesting that their host range is very narrow. Conversely, the pGNB2-like plasmids had a much broader host range and appeared to be associated with Klebsiella residing in natural environments. This study suggests that: (A) qnrB-harboring multidrug-resistant pKPN3-like plasmids can endure the rigorous wastewater treatment process and may therefore be disseminated to downstream environments; and (B) that small qnrS-harboring pGNB2-like plasmids are ubiquitous in wastewater treatment facilities and are most likely environmental in origin.

Dataset Information

Emerging plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance associated with the qnr gene in Klebsiella pneumoniae clinical isolates in the United States.

Publications

Emerging plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance associated with the qnr gene in Klebsiella pneumoniae clinical isolates in the United States.

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