Acquisition of antibiotic resistance plasmids by enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7 within rumen fluid

Conditions Necessary for the Transfer of Antimicrobial Resistance in Poultry Litter

Animal manures contain a large and diverse reservoir of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes that could potentially spillover into the general population through transfer of AMR to antibiotic-susceptible pathogens. The ability of poultry litter microbiota to transmit AMR was examined in this study. Abundance of phenotypic AMR was assessed for litter microbiota to the antibiotics: ampicillin (Ap; 25 μg/mL), chloramphenicol (Cm; 25 μg/mL), streptomycin (Sm; 100 μg/mL), and tetracycline (Tc; 25 μg/mL). qPCR was used to estimate gene load of streptomycin-resistance and sulfonamide-resistance genes aadA1 and sul1, respectively, in the poultry litter community. AMR gene load was determined relative to total bacterial abundance using 16S rRNA qPCR. Poultry litter contained 10⁸ CFU/g, with Gram-negative enterics representing a minor population (<10⁴ CFU/g). There was high abundance of resistance to Sm (10⁶ to 10⁷ CFU/g) and Tc (10⁶ to 10⁷ CFU/g) and a sizeable antimicrobial-resistance gene load in regards to gene copies per bacterial genome (aadA1: 0.0001-0.0060 and sul1: 0.0355-0.2455). While plasmid transfer was observed from Escherichia coli R100, as an F-plasmid donor control, to the Salmonella recipient in vitro, no AMR Salmonella were detected in a poultry litter microcosm with the inclusion of E. coli R100. Confirmatory experiments showed that isolated poultry litter bacteria were not interfering with plasmid transfer in filter matings. As no R100 transfer was observed at 25 °C, conjugative plasmid pRSA was chosen for its high plasmid transfer frequency (10^-4 to 10^-5) at 25 °C. While E. coli strain background influenced the persistence of pRSA in poultry litter, no plasmid transfer to Salmonella was ever observed. Although poultry litter microbiota contains a significant AMR gene load, potential to transmit resistance is low under conditions commonly used to assess plasmid conjugation.

Studies on genes expression pattern of antioxidant enzymes and enzymes involved into the genetic information implementation in E.coli cells due to the antibiotic resistance against apramycin and cefatoxime

The emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria is considered a serious problem. The resistance of bacteria against antimicrobial substances becomes important in the repair systems for damage to DNA and RNA molecules. The role of the antioxidant system in the development of bacterial resistance against antibiotics is not yet practically studied. The article studied the expression regulation of the genes of antioxidant enzymes and enzymes involved in the genetic information in E. coli cells with the antibiotic resistance against apramycin and cefatoxime. The study was conducted on bacterial cells resistant against these two antibiotics. The genes blaOXA-1, blaSHV, blaTEM, mdtK, aadA1, aadA2, sat, strA, blaCTX, blaPER-2, tnpA, tnpR, intC1 and intC1c were identified in bacterial cell case. This indicates the presence of plasmids in bacteria with these genes, which provide bacterial resistance to apramycin and cefatoxime. It was established that during the formation of cefotaxime resistance, there was a sharp increase in the expression of the Cu, Zn superoxide dismutase gene: in comparison with the control group, the representation of its transcripts increased 141.04 times for cefotoxime and 155.42 times for apramycin. It has been established that during the formation of resistance to the studied antibiotics in E. coli, an increase in the expression of the end4 and end3 genes is observed. There is tendency toward an increase in the number of transcripts of the pol3E gene observed in the formation of resistance against cefotaxime and apromycin.

Effect of backgrounding and transition diets on fecal concentration and strain types of commensalEscherichia coliin beef cattle

Su, R., Munns, K., Beauchemin, K. A., Schwartzkopf-Genswein, K., Jin-Quan, L., Topp, E. and Sharma, R. 2011. Effect of backgrounding and transition diets on fecal concentration and strain types of commensal Escherichia coli in beef cattle. Can. J. Anim. Sci. 91: 449–458. The aim of the study was to assess the effect of four different backgrounding diets [55% corn silage in combination with 40% of either temper rolled barley-grain, wheat dried distillers' grain, corn dried distillers' grain or millrun (dry matter basis)] and a transition diet containing increasing amount of concentrate (60 to 90%) on fecal Escherichia coli in feedlot heifers. Heifers were fed backgrounding forage based diets for 91 d and then were shifted to a transition diet for an additional 18 d. Strain characterization of E. coli (n=224) was carried out at time time points over 109 d and indicated that heifers fed the barley–grain diet shed higher (P<0.001) total and tetracycline-resistant (Tetr) E. coli in the backgrounding phase. Of the total E. coli examined (n=224), 70.3% showed resistance to one or more of the 14 antimicrobials examined, which increased to 82.3% by day 109. Among the recovered E. coli, 23 phenotypes and 154 pulsed field gel electrophoresis patterns grouped into 38 clusters indicative of extensive E. coli diversity in heifers. Although supplementation of 40% barley-grain was correlated to higher total E. coli shedding in the backgrounding phase, the backgrounding diets did not influence strain clustering. Strains collected during the transition phase clustered more closely than those collected during the backgrounding phase. This increased strain clustering with high concentrate inclusion in the transition diet was observed within 18 d of the transition phase. Our study indicated variations in E. coli shedding rates and strain clustering in relation to time and diet.

Transfer of antibiotic resistance marker genes between lactic acid bacteria in model rumen and plant environments

Three wild-type dairy isolates of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and one Lactococcus lactis control strain were analyzed for their ability to transfer antibiotic resistance determinants (plasmid or transposon located) to two LAB recipients using both in vitro methods and in vivo models. In vitro transfer experiments were carried out with the donors and recipients using the filter mating method. In vivo mating examined transfer in two natural environments, a rumen model and an alfalfa sprout model. All transconjugants were confirmed by Etest, PCR, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, and Southern blotting. The in vitro filter mating method demonstrated high transfer frequencies between all LAB pairs, ranging from 1.8 x 10(-5) to 2.2 x 10(-2) transconjugants per recipient. Transconjugants were detected in the rumen model for all mating pairs tested; however, the frequencies of transfer were low and inconsistent over 48 h (ranging from 1.0 x 10(-9) to 8.0 x 10(-6) transconjugants per recipient). The plant model provided an environment that appeared to promote comparatively higher transfer frequencies between all LAB pairs tested over the 9-day period (transfer frequencies ranged from 4.7 x 10(-4) to 3.9 x 10(-1) transconjugants per recipient). In our test models, dairy cultures of LAB can act as a source of mobile genetic elements encoding antibiotic resistance that can spread to other LAB. This observation could have food safety and public health implications.

Enhancement of bacterial competitive fitness by apramycin resistance plasmids from non-pathogenic Escherichia coli

The study of antibiotic resistance has in the past focused on organisms that are pathogenic to humans or animals. However, the development of resistance in commensal organisms is of concern because of possible transfer of resistance genes to zoonotic pathogens. Conjugative plasmids are genetic elements capable of such transfer and are traditionally thought to engender a fitness burden on host bacteria. In this study, conjugative apramycin resistance plasmids isolated from newborn calves were characterized. Calves were raised on a farm that had not used apramycin or related aminoglycoside antibiotics for at least 20 months prior to sampling. Of three apramycin resistance plasmids, one was capable of transfer at very high rates and two were found to confer fitness advantages on new Escherichia coli hosts. This is the first identification of natural plasmids isolated from commensal organisms that are able to confer a fitness advantage on a new host. This work indicates that reservoirs of antibiotic resistance genes in commensal organisms might not decrease if antibiotic usage is halted.

Impact of hospitalization and antimicrobial drug administration on antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of commensalEscherichia coliisolated from the feces of horses

Objective-To evaluate antimicrobial susceptibility of commensal Escherichia coli strains isolated from the feces of horses and investigate relationships with hospitalization and antimicrobial drug (AMD) administration. Design-Observational study. Animals-68 hospitalized horses that had been treated with AMDs for at least 3 days (HOSP-AMD group), 63 hospitalized horses that had not received AMDs for at least 4 days (HOSP-NOAMD group), and 85 healthy horses that had not been hospitalized or treated with AMDs (community group). Procedures-Fecal samples were submitted for bacterial culture, and up to 3 E coli colonies were recovered from each sample. Antimicrobial susceptibility of 724 isolates was evaluated. Prevalence of resistance was compared among groups by use of log-linear modeling. Results-For 12 of the 15 AMDs evaluated, prevalence of antimicrobial resistance differed significantly among groups, with prevalence being highest among isolates from the HOSP-AMD group and lowest among isolates from the community group. Isolates recovered from the HOSP-AMD and HOSP-NOAMD groups were also significantly more likely to be resistant to multiple AMDs. Resistance to sulfamethoxazole and resistance to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole were most common, followed by resistance to gentamicin and resistance to tetracycline. Use of a potentiated sulfonamide, aminoglycosides, cephalosporins, or metronidazole was positively associated with resistance to 1 or more AMDs, but use of penicillins was not associated with increased risk of resistance to AMDs. Conclusion and Clinical Relevance-Results suggest that both hospitalization and AMD administration were associated with prevalence of antimicrobial resistance among E coli strains isolated from the feces of horses.

Survival of antibiotic resistant and antibiotic sensitive strains of E. coli O157 and E. coli O26 in food matrices

Escherichia coli O157:H7 or E. coli O26, which were AS (antibiotic sensitive), AR (laboratory created antibiotic resistant mutants), or naturally MAR (multi-antibiotic resistant), were inoculated into laboratory media, yoghurt or orange juice and their growth/survival monitored during enrichment at 37 degrees C or storage at 4 degrees C. The strains were also inoculated into minced beef and their thermal inactivation (D-values) examined at 55 degrees C, with and without a prior heat shock at 48 degrees C. The growth kinetics (lag phases, growth rates) of the VTEC (verocytotoxigenic E. coli), incubated over 24 h at 37 degrees C in laboratory media, were similar regardless of the presence or absence of antibiotic resistance. In yoghurt and orange juice, E. coli O157:H7 MAR died off significantly faster (P<0.05) than any of other VTEC strains examined. E. coli O157:H7 MAR was also found to be significantly more heat sensitive (P<0.05) than the other VTEC strains tested. The reasons for the observed differences in survival of the different VTEC strains and the link between antibiotic resistance and survival in VTEC organisms are discussed.

Antimicrobial resistance in Irish isolates of verocytotoxigenic Escherichia coli (E. coli)—VTEC

This study compared the antimicrobial resistance profiles of Escherichia coli O157:H7 isolates (n=257) recovered from bovine hides, minced beef and human clinical samples in Ireland, to those profiles of a range of Irish non-O157 E. coli (O111 and O26) isolates (n=31) from a variety of clinical and veterinary sources. Four multi-drug resistant (MDR) E. coli O157:H7 food isolates were identified, with resistance to 10 (1 isolate), 6 (1 isolate) and 4 (2 isolates) antimicrobial agents, respectively. Two of these isolates (resistant to 7 and 4 antimicrobial classes) were characterised further by molecular methods and found to contain class 1 integrons along with a beta-lactamase-encoding tem-1 gene. Transfer of antimicrobial resistance (ampicillin, streptomycin and sulphonamides), the tem-1 gene and markers (int1, qacEDelta1, sul1) characteristic of class 1 integrons were evident in one MDR isolate (resistant to 4 antimicrobial classes) when conjugation and transformation experiments were performed. A clinical isolate and a veterinary isolate of the O111 serotype were MDR and resistant to 4 and 3 antimicrobial classes, respectively. These data suggest that the prevalence of antimicrobial resistance among the three VTEC serotypes examined in this study is low. However, these organisms may become a public health risk should they enter the food chain.