Project description:The study aimed to characterize plasmids mediating carbepenem resistance in Klebsiella pneumoniae in Pretoria, South Africa. We analysed 56 K. pneumoniae isolates collected from academic hospital around Pretoria. Based on phenotypic and molecular results of these isolates, 6 representative isolates were chosen for further analysis using long reads sequencing platform. We observed multidrug resistant phenotype in all these isolates, including resistance to aminoglycosides, tetracycline, phenicol, fosfomycin, floroquinolones, and beta-lactams antibiotics. The blaOXA-48/181 and blaNDM-1/7 were manily the plasmid-mediated carbapenemases responsible for carbapenem resistance in the K. pneumoniae isolates in these academic hospitals. These carbapenemase genes were mainly associated with plasmid replicon groups IncF, IncL/M, IncA/C, and IncX3. This study showed plasmid-mediated carbapenemase spread of blaOXA and blaNDM genes mediated by conjugative plasmids in Pretoria hospitals.
Project description:Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) is the major mechanism responsible for spread of antibiotic resistance. Antibiotic treatment has been suggested to promote HGT, either by directly affecting the conjugation process itself or by selecting for conjugations subsequent to DNA transfer. However, recent research suggests that the effect of antibiotic treatment on plasmid conjugation frequencies, and hence the spread of resistance plasmids, may have been overestimated. We addressed the question by quantifying transfer proteins and conjugation frequencies of a blaCTX-M-1 encoding IncI1 resistance plasmid in Escherichia coli MG1655 in the presence and absence of therapeutically relevant concentrations of cefotaxime (CTX). Analysis of the proteome by iTRAQ labeling and liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry revealed that Tra proteins were significantly up regulated in the presence of CTX. The up-regulation of the transfer machinery was confirmed at the transcriptional level for five selected genes. The CTX treatment did not cause induction of the SOS39 response as revealed by absence of significantly regulated SOS associated proteins in the proteome and no significant up-regulation of recA and sfiA genes. The frequency of plasmid conjugation, measured in an antibiotic free environment, increased significantly when the donor was pre-grown in broth containing CTX compared to growth without this drug, regardless of whether blaCTX-M-1 was located on the plasmid or in trans on the chromosome. The results shows that antibiotic treatment can affect expression of a plasmid conjugation machinery and subsequent DNA transfer.
2017-11-21 | PXD006679 | Pride
Project description:Characterization of plasmids carrying blaKPC-2 and blaNDM-1 in K. pneumoniae
Project description:Plasmid fitness is directed by two orthogonal processes—vertical transfer through cell division and horizontal transfer through conjugation. When considered individually, improvements in either mode of transfer can promote how well a plasmid spreads and persists. Together, however, the metabolic cost of conjugation could create a tradeoff that constrains plasmid evolution. Here we present evidence for the presence, consequences, and molecular basis of a conjugation-growth tradeoff across 40 plasmids derived from clinical E. coli pathogens. We discover that most plasmids operate below a conjugation efficiency threshold for major growth effects, indicating strong natural selection for vertical transfer. Below this threshold, E. coli demonstrates a remarkable growth tolerance to over four orders of magnitude change in conjugation efficiency. This tolerance fades as nutrients become scarce and horizontal transfer attracts a greater share of host resources. Our results provide insight into evolutionary constraints directing plasmid fitness and strategies to combat the spread of antibiotic resistance.
Project description:Horizontal transfer of plasmids is one of the main drivers of bacterial adaptation, resulting e.g. in the spread of antibiotic resistance. We investigated the marine Roseobacter group and studied how conjugation affects the gene expression and biology of the new host. We showed that the two syntenic 126 kb and 191 kb plasmids of Dinoroseobacter shibae can be conjugated into representatives of all major lineages of Rhodobacteraceae. In the model organism Phaeobacter inhibens their acquisition resulted in differential expression of genes related to motility, transport and the synthesis of vitamins. Moreover, the decrease of the potent antibiotic tropodithietic acid reduced the energetic burden of Phaeobacter and resulted in an enhanced growth. While the T4SS systems of both plasmids were silenced in the new host, the ability to kill the dinoflagellate was exclusively transferred via the 191 kb plasmid from D. shibae to P. inhibens. Our findings showed drastic consequences of plasmid conjugation; genetic reprogramming of the novel host resulted in considerable fitness changes leading to the prediction that horizontal gene transfer triggers bacterial speciation.
Project description:Chromosomes and plasmids are two forms of genetic carriers. Exogenous yeast artificial chromosomes are also considered as yeast centromeric plasmids in many cases. Here, we used state-of-the-art sequencing technologies to comprehensively profile the genetic, epigenetic, transcriptional and proteomic characteristics of an exogenous data-carrying chromosome. We found that the data-carrying DNA formed active chromatin with high chromatin accessibility and H3K4 tri-methylation levels. We also confirmed that the data-carrying chromosome had a circular shape in the nucleus and was arranged in the Rabl configuration, which may contribute to the self-replication and haploidy of the chromosome in vivo. The data-carrying chromosome displayed highly pervasive transcriptional ability and transcribed hundreds of non-coding RNAs. In summary, this work explores the chromatin epigenetic state, chromatin structure and transcriptional landscape of an exogenous artificial chromosome. The results demonstrated that the exogenous artificial chromosome did form a chromatin structure and was not a naked and incompact plasmid, which strengthen our understanding of artificial chromosomes.
Project description:Chromosomes and plasmids are two forms of genetic carriers. Exogenous yeast artificial chromosomes are also considered as yeast centromeric plasmids in many cases. Here, we used state-of-the-art sequencing technologies to comprehensively profile the genetic, epigenetic, transcriptional and proteomic characteristics of an exogenous data-carrying chromosome. We found that the data-carrying DNA formed active chromatin with high chromatin accessibility and H3K4 tri-methylation levels. We also confirmed that the data-carrying chromosome had a circular shape in the nucleus and was arranged in the Rabl configuration, which may contribute to the self-replication and haploidy of the chromosome in vivo. The data-carrying chromosome displayed highly pervasive transcriptional ability and transcribed hundreds of non-coding RNAs. In summary, this work explores the chromatin epigenetic state, chromatin structure and transcriptional landscape of an exogenous artificial chromosome. The results demonstrated that the exogenous artificial chromosome did form a chromatin structure and was not a naked and incompact plasmid, which strengthen our understanding of artificial chromosomes.