Neonatal Pseudomonas putida Infection Presenting as Staphylococcal Scalded Skin Syndrome

Narrative of a versatile and adept species Pseudomonas putida

Pseudomonas putidais a fast-growing bacterium found mostly in temperate soil and water habitats. The metabolic versatility ofP. putidamakes this organism attractive for biotechnological applications such as biodegradation of environmental pollutants and synthesis of added-value chemicals (biocatalysis). This organism has been extensively studied in respect to various stress responses, mechanisms of genetic plasticity and transcriptional regulation of catabolic genes.P. putidais able to colonize the surface of living organisms, but is generally considered to be of low virulence. A number ofP. putidastrains are able to promote plant growth. The aim of this review is to give historical overview of the discovery of the speciesP. putidaand isolation and characterization ofP. putidastrains displaying potential for biotechnological applications. This review also discusses some major findings inP. putidaresearch encompassing regulation of catabolic operons, stress-tolerance mechanisms and mechanisms affecting evolvability of bacteria under conditions of environmental stress.

Mechanisms of resistance to fluoroquinolones and carbapenems in Pseudomonas putida

OBJECTIVES

Pseudomonas putida is an uncommon opportunistic pathogen, usually susceptible to antimicrobial agents. Data concerning resistance to antimicrobial agents in clinical P. putida isolates are limited.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Susceptibilities to fluoroquinolones, carbapenems and other antibiotics were characterized in five clinical isolates of P. putida recovered from different patients with urinary tract infections as causative pathogens. Fluoroquinolone and carbapenem resistance were characterized genetically by the methods of PCR and DNA sequencing. Outer membrane protein (OMP) profiles were characterized by SDS-PAGE.

RESULTS

Four of five isolates were resistant or intermediate to both fluoroquinolones and carbapenems. Nucleotide sequences in the quinolone resistance-determining regions suggested that amino acid mutations such as Thr-83-->Ile in GyrA and Glu-469-->Asp in GyrB may contribute to high resistance to fluoroquinolones. Four metallo-beta-lactamase-producing isolates that showed resistance to carbapenems carried the IMP-type metallo-beta-lactamase genes. A combined effect of reduced production of 46 kDa OMP and metallo-beta-lactamase production was shown by a P. putida isolate exhibiting the highest MICs of carbapenems.

CONCLUSIONS

This study identified mechanisms of resistance to fluoroquinolones and carbapenems in clinical P. putida isolates.