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:Infections caused by carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAb) are associated with high patient morbidity and mortality. The serious threat for human health imposed by CRAb was recently underscored by identification of close-to-untouchable carbapenem- and tetracycline-resistant isolates. Since outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) of Gram-negative bacteria may contribute to antimicrobial resistance, our present study was aimed at investigating OMVs produced by the first two carbapenem- and tetracycline-resistant CRAb isolates in Europe. These isolates, denoted CRAb1 and CRAb2 contain large, nearly identical plasmids that specify multiple resistances. Both isolates produce OMVs that were analyzed by differential light scattering, transmission electron microscopy and proteomics. By comparison with OMVs from the plasmid-free non-carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii isolate Ab1, which is an isogenic ancestor of the CRAb1 isolate, we show that plasmid carriage by the CRAb1 and CRAb2 isolates leads to an increased OMV size that is accompanied by increased diversity of the OMV proteome. Our analyses show that OMVs from CRAb1 and CRAb2 are major reservoirs of proteins involved in antimicrobial resistance, including the plasmid-encoded carbapenemases BlaNDM-1, and BlaOXA-97. We also show that these OMV-borne carbapenemases hydrolyze imipenem and protect otherwise carbapenem-sensitive A. baumannii and Escherichia coli isolates against this antibiotic. Altogether, our observations show that OMVs from highly drug-resistant CRAb confer tolerance against last-resort antibiotics to non-resistant bacterial pathogens.
Project description:Unknown are the mechanisms of tolerance and persistence associated to several compounds in A.baumannii clinical isolates. Using transcriptomical and microbiological studies, we found a link between bacterial tolerance mechanisms to clorhexidine as well as the development of persistence in presence of imipenem in an A.baumannii strain belonging to ST-2 clinical clone (carbapenem-resistant with OXA-24 ß-lactamase and AbkAB TA system by plasmid). Interestingly, in A.baumannii ATCC17978 strain (carbapenem-susceptible isolate which carries AbkAB TA system by plasmid) showed persistence in presence of imipenem.
Project description:Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium) definitive phage type 104 (DT104) has caused significant morbidity and mortality in humans and animals for almost three decades. We have completed the full DNA sequence of one DT104 strain, NCTC13348 and show that the main differences between the genome of this isolate and the previously sequenced S. Typhimurium LT2 lie in integrated prophage elements and the Salmonella Genomic Island 1 encoding antibiotic resistance genes. Thirteen isolates of S. Typhimurium DT104 with different pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) profiles were analyzed by multi locus sequence typing (MLST), plasmid profiling, hybridization to a Pan-Salmonella DNA microarray and prophage-based multiplex PCR. All the isolates belonged to a single MLST type ST19. Microarray data demonstrated that the 13 DT104 isolates were remarkably conserved in gene content. The PFGE band-size differences in these isolates could be explained to a great extent by changes in prophage and plasmid content. Thus, here the nature of variation in different S. Typhimurium DT104 isolates is further defined at the genome level illustrating how this phage type is evolving over time.
Project description:In this study, we carried out RNA sequencing (RNAseq) of liver RNA harvested from wild sardine and mackerel exposed under laboratory conditions to EE2 and developed an analytical framework for transcriptomic analyses of species with limited genomic information. EE2 exposure altered expression patterns of key genes involved in important metabolic and physiological processes. The systems approach presented here provides a powerful tool for obtaining a comprehensive picture of endocrine disruption in aquatic organisms.
Project description:Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) arises from complex genetic and regulatory changes, including single mutations, gene acquisitions or cumulative effects. Advancements in genomics and proteomics facilitate more comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms behind antimicrobial resistance. In this study, 74 clinically obtained Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates with increased meropenem and/or imipenem MICs were characterized by broth microdilution and PCR to check for the presence of carbapenemase genes. Subsequently, a representative subset of 15 isolates was selected for whole genome sequencing (WGS) by Illumina and Nanopore sequencing, and proteomic analysis by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) to investigate the mechanisms underlying the differences in carbapenem susceptibility of Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates. Identical techniques were applied to characterize 4 mutants obtained after sequential meropenem exposure. We demonstrated that in clinically obtained isolates, increased copy numbers of blaOXA-48 containing plasmids, combined with OmpK36 loss, contributed to high carbapenem MICs without involvement of OmpK35 or other porins or efflux systems. In the meropenem exposed mutants, increased copy numbers of blaCTX-M-15 or blaOXA-48 containing plasmids, combined with OmpK36 loss was demonstrated. The OmpK36 loss resulted from the insertion of IS1 transposable elements or partial deletion of the ompK36 gene. Additionally, we identified two mutations, C59A and C58A, in the DNA coding the copA antisense RNA of IncFII plasmids and multiple mutations of an IncR plasmid, associated with increased plasmid copy numbers. This study demonstrates that by combining WGS and LC-MS/MS, the effect of genomic changes on protein expression related to antibiotic resistance and the mechanisms behind antibiotic resistance can be elucidated.
Project description:The integrin α11-overexpressing transgenic mouse strain was generated to further understand the function of α11, after generation of our integrin α11-KO strain. Analysis of the strain showed that integrin α11 was highly expressed in heart, which correlated with a fibrotic heart phenotype. To understand the molecular mechanisms underlying this phenotype, we then performed Microarray to investigate the differentially expressed genes between the WT and TG mice (α11-overexpressing mice) which may result from integrin α11 overexpression. The microarray was performed on RNA-isolates from the heart apex of 1-year-old WT (n=4) and α11-TG (n=6) mice. Total RNA isolation was performed using RNeasy Fibrous Tissue Mini Kit (Qiagen) in accordance with the manufacturerâs protocol. Quality of RNA samples was assessed using Agilent Bioanalyzer 2100. Microarray was carried out at the Norwegian Microarray Consortium/University of Bergen Microarray Core Facility at Haukeland University Hospital. Illumina Bead Array Technology was used, and the raw microarray data was quality examined in GenomeStudio. Differentially expressed genes were analysed using the Ingenuity Pathways Analysis (IPA) software (Ingenuity Systems, Redwood City, CA).