Escherichia coli belonging to ST131 rarely transfers bla ctx-m-15 to fecal Escherichia coli.
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ABSTRACT: Background:Extended spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli (E. coli) causing urinary tract infections often belong to sequence type 131 (ST131), serotype O25, carrying bla CTX-M-15. Aim:The main aim of this study was to examine the conjugational frequencies of E. coli with plasmids carrying bla CTX-M-15 to E. coli isolates from the fecal flora of healthy humans to determine whether ST131 is more likely to uptake or donate ESBL resistance compared to other E. coli clones. Methods: Donors and recipients were all clinical isolates and did not harbor plasmids with identical incompatibility groups (Inc-groups) based on in silico analyses of Inc-groups and restriction/modification systems (R/M-systems). The in vitro conjugation experiments were performed as filter conjugation with verification of transconjugants by random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) PCR and bla CTX-M-15 PCR. Results:The frequencies of conjugation with bla CTX-M-15-carrying plasmids were found to be very rare with detectable conjugation frequencies in the range of 4x10-9-7x10-7 transconjugants/recipient. Recipients of O25/ST131 type yielded significantly lower conjugation frequencies compared to recipients of other O-types (P=0.004). The applied ST131/O25 donors did not yield detectable levels of transconjugants regardless of the applied recipient. Presence of sub-MIC levels of ampicillin increased plasmid transfer frequencies x100 fold (P=0.07). Conclusion:The results indicate that bla CTX-M-15 is rarely transferred by conjugation to E. coli isolates of the intestinal flora, even when the gene is plasmid-borne.
SUBMITTER: Thingholm KR
PROVIDER: S-EPMC6689528 | biostudies-literature | 2019
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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