Characterization of a genomic Island carrying the tet(X4) gene in porcine Acinetobacter towneri co-harboring plasmid-borne blaNDM−1 and blaOXA−58 genes

Acinetobacter indicus Coharboring Tet(X6) and blaNDM-1 Isolated From Slaughterhouse Waste

OBJECTIVES

Acinetobacter indicus is an important pathogen of nosocomial infection. The purpose of this study was to analyze the resistance and transmission of A. indicus strain AIBD14 isolated from slaughterhouse environment.

METHODS

A total of 96 environmental samples were collected from slaughterhouse. The antimicrobial susceptibility test was carried out by microbroth dilution method and E-test. Whole genome sequencing and bioinformatics analysis of the AIBD14 were performed, then S1-PFGE and southern blot verified the location of blaNDM-1 and tet(X6).

RESULTS

The AIBD14 is resistant to meropenem but susceptibility to tigecycline, and coharboring blaNDM-1 and tet(X6). The blaNDM-1 is located on the pAIBD14-NDM-1 that cannot be transferred by conjugation. Specifically, blaNDM-1 is located on the transposon Tn125, and blaNDM-1 can be transferred to other species with the help of transposon. The genetic background of blaNDM-1 is "ISAba125-blaNDM-1-bleMEL-dsbD-cutA-groES-groEL-insE-ISAba125". pAIBD14-NDM-1 is classified into the GR31 plasmid based on the homology of the repB. Meanwhile, there are two XerC/D-like binding sites on the plasmid, which can mediate the transfer of resistance genes. The tet(X6) gene is located on the chromosome of AIBD14, its downstream is accompanied by the neglected macrolide resistance gene estT, and there is a single copy of the insertion element ISCR2 around tet(X6) as the genetic background "ISAba4-IS3-hp-hp-tet(X6)-estT-guaA-ISCR2".

CONCLUSIONS

This is the first report of the coexistence of tet(X6) and blaNDM-1 in the A. indicus, and it has the risk of horizontal transfer across multiple species. So strict monitoring the multiple-resistant bacteria in the industrial chain is necessary based on the "One Heath".

Aeromonas, an opportunistic pathogen present in wastewater in Tulancingo, Mexico

Wastewater is free in the environment and is an important source of contamination. One of the microorganisms that is present in aquatic environments is Aeromonas, so the objective of this study was to identify the presence of Aeromonas in the Tulancingo River. A total of 55 presumptive isolates of Aeromonas spp. were obtained by means of phenotypic characteristics; of these, 80% (44/55) were positive for the gcat gene, and 100% (44/44) of those were confirmed to be Aeromonas spp. by means of the rpoD gene, where Aeromonas caviae was identified in 43.2%, Aeromonas media in 29.5%, Aeromonas hydrophila in 11.3%, Aeromonas salmonicida in 9.1%, and Aeromonas allosaccharophila, Aeromonas lusitana, and Aeromonas veronii in 2.3% each. The genus Aeromonas is capable of causing infections in humans. Aeromonad wastewater can resist treatment processes if not done correctly, which represents a potential route of contamination. Therefore, its presence should not be underestimated, and it should be considered to be a true gastrointestinal pathogen. In addition, specific actions must be taken, mainly with the use of wastewater treatment plants. All of this will ensure the quality of treated water and its reuse for the irrigation of agricultural growing areas, thus mitigating potential health threats.

Integrative and conjugative elements of Pasteurella multocida: Prevalence and signatures in population evolution

Pasteurella multocida (P. multocida) is a bacterial pathogen responsible for a range of infections in humans and various animal hosts, causing significant economic losses in farming. Integrative and conjugative elements (ICEs) are important horizontal gene transfer elements, potentially enabling host bacteria to enhance adaptability by acquiring multiple functional genes. However, the understanding of ICEs in P. multocida and their impact on the transmission of this pathogen remains limited. In this study, 42 poultry-sourced P. multocida genomes obtained by high-throughput sequencing together with 393 publicly available P. multocida genomes were used to analyse the horizontal transfer of ICEs. Eighty-two ICEs were identified in P. multocida, including SXT/R391 and Tn916 subtypes, as well as three subtypes of ICEHin1056 family, with the latter being widely prevalent in P. multocida and carrying multiple resistance genes. The correlations between insertion sequences and resistant genes in ICEs were also identified, and some ICEs introduced the carbapenem gene blaOXA-2 and the bleomycin gene bleO to P. multocida. Phylogenetic and collinearity analyses of these bioinformatics found that ICEs in P. multocida were transmitted vertically and horizontally and have evolved with host specialization. These findings provide insight into the transmission and evolution mode of ICEs in P. multocida and highlight the importance of understanding these elements for controlling the spread of antibiotic resistance.

Molecular mechanisms of tigecycline-resistance among Enterobacterales

The global emergence of antimicrobial resistance to multiple antibiotics has recently become a significant concern. Gram-negative bacteria, known for their ability to acquire mobile genetic elements such as plasmids, represent one of the most hazardous microorganisms. This phenomenon poses a serious threat to public health. Notably, the significance of tigecycline, a member of the antibiotic group glycylcyclines and derivative of tetracyclines has increased. Tigecycline is one of the last-resort antimicrobial drugs used to treat complicated infections caused by multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria, extensively drug-resistant (XDR) bacteria or even pan-drug-resistant (PDR) bacteria. The primary mechanisms of tigecycline resistance include efflux pumps' overexpression, tet genes and outer membrane porins. Efflux pumps are crucial in conferring multi-drug resistance by expelling antibiotics (such as tigecycline by direct expelling) and decreasing their concentration to sub-toxic levels. This review discusses the problem of tigecycline resistance, and provides important information for understanding the existing molecular mechanisms of tigecycline resistance in Enterobacterales. The emergence and spread of pathogens resistant to last-resort therapeutic options stands as a major global healthcare concern, especially when microorganisms are already resistant to carbapenems and/or colistin.

Decoding the enigma: unveiling the molecular transmission of avian-associated tet(X4)-positive E. coli in Sichuan Province, China

Tigecycline is considered one of the "last resort antibiotics" for treating complex infections caused by multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria, especially for combating clinical resistant strains that produce carbapenemases. However, the tet(X4) gene, which carried by different plasmids can mediate high levels of bacterial resistance to tigecycline, was first reported in 2019. Here, we report the emergence of the plasmid-mediated tet(X4) in avian environment of Sichuan Province. A total of 21 tet(X4)-positive Escherichia coli (E. coli) strains were isolated and identified from avian samples in selected regions, with an isolation rate of 1.6% (21/1,286), and all of them were MDR strains. Multilocus Sequence Typing (MLST) method was used to classify the 21 tet(X4)-positive E. coli into the ST206, ST761, ST155, ST1638, ST542, and ST767 types, which also belong to the 3 phylogenetic subgroups A, B1, and C. Tet(X4) is located on mobile plasmids that can be efficiently and stably propagated. The results of fitness cost experiments showed that tet(X4)-positive plasmids may incur some fitness cost to host bacteria, but different tet(X4)-positive plasmids bring about differential fitness costs. Whole-genome sequencing further confirmed the tet(X4) gene can be located on IncX1-type plasmids and the core genetic structures are ISVsa3-rdmc-tet(X4) or rdmc-tet(X4)-ISVsa3, the former is a 7 copies tandem repeat structure. In this study, we isolated and identified tet(X4)-positive E. coli from the avian origin in Sichuan, analyzed the mobility of the tet(X4) by conjugational transfer and S1-PFGE, and evaluated the biological characteristics of the tet(X4)-positive plasmid using the results of conjugational frequency, plasmid stability, and fitness costs. Finally, combined with the third-generation whole-genome sequencing analysis, the molecular transmission characteristics of the tet(X4) were preliminarily clarified, providing a scientific basis for guiding veterinary clinical use in this area, as well as risk assessment and prevention of the transfer and spread of tigecycline resistant strains or genes.

Uncovering the diverse hosts of tigecycline resistance gene tet(X4) in anaerobic digestion systems treating swine manure by epicPCR

The tet(X4) gene is a clinically important tigecycline resistance gene and has shown high persistence in livestock-related environments. However, the bacterial hosts of tet(X4) remain unknown due to the lack of appropriate approaches. Herein, a culture-independent and high-throughput epicPCR (emulsion, paired isolation, and concatenation polymerase chain reaction) method was developed, optimized, and demonstrated for the identification of bacterial hosts carrying tet(X4) from environmental samples. Considering the high sequence similarity between tet(X4) and other tet(X)-variant genes, specific primers and amplification conditions were screened and optimized to identify tet(X4) accurately and link tet(X4) with the 16S rRNA gene, which were further validated using artificially constructed bacterial communities. The epicPCR targeting tet(X4) was applied for the identification of bacterial hosts carrying this resistance gene in anaerobic digestion systems treating swine manure. A total of 19 genera were identified as tet(X4) hosts, which were distributed in the phyla Proteobacteria, Bacteroidota, Firmicutes, and Caldatribacteriota. Sixteen genera and two phyla that were identified have not been previously reported as tet(X4) bacterial hosts. The results indicated that a far more diverse range of bacteria was involved in harboring tet(X4) than previously realized. Compared with the tet(X4) hosts determined by correlation-based network analysis and metagenomic binning, epicPCR revealed a high diversity of tet(X4) hosts even at the phylum level. The epicPCR method developed in this study could be effectively employed to reveal the presence of tet(X4) bacterial hosts from a holistic viewpoint.