In vitro activity of cefiderocol against Gram-negative pathogens isolated from people with cystic fibrosis and bronchiectasis

OBJECTIVES

Gram-negative pathogens causing respiratory infection in people with cystic fibrosis and bronchiectasis are becoming progressively more resistant to conventional antibiotics. Although cefiderocol is licenced for the treatment of infections due to Gram-negative organisms, there are limited data on the activity of cefiderocol against pathogens associated with chronic respiratory diseases. The aim of this study was to determine the susceptibility of Gram-negative pathogens from cystic fibrosis and bronchiectasis to cefiderocol and comparator antibiotics.

METHODS

Minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of cefiderocol and 15 comparator antibiotics were determined by broth microdilution against 300 respiratory isolates: Burkholderia spp., Stenotrophomonas spp., Achromobacter spp., Ralstonia spp. and Pandoraea spp., and used to calculate the MIC of each antibiotic required to inhibit 50% (MIC50) and 90% (MIC90) of isolates.

RESULTS

The MIC50 and MIC90 of cefiderocol for all 300 isolates tested was 0.25 and 32 mg/L, with 232 (77.3%) isolates having an MIC value ≤2 mg/L. In addition, cefiderocol demonstrated excellent activity against Stenotrophomonas spp. and Achromobacter spp. isolates, with 86.7% and 87.2%, respectively, exhibiting an MIC of 2 mg/L. Tigecycline also demonstrated good activity against all isolates with an MIC50 of <0.5 mg/L.

CONCLUSIONS

These in vitro data demonstrated that cefiderocol had greater activity than most comparator antibiotics and could be an alternative treatment option for respiratory infection caused by these pathogens that has not responded to first-line therapy.

609. In vivo efficacy of human simulated exposures of cefiderocol (FDC) in combination with ceftazidime/avibactam (CZA) or meropenem (MEM) using in a 72 hour murine thigh infection model

Background

Acinetobacter baumannii continues to challenge clinicians as multi-drug resistance limits therapeutic options. CFDC possesses potent in vitro and in vivo activity however combination therapy has been recommended for A. baumannii due to its propensity for multiple resistance mechanisms. The present study utilized clinically relevant exposures of CFDC (2 g IV q8h 3 h infusion) in combination with CZA (2.5 g IV q8h 2 h infusion) or MEM (2 g IV q8h 3h infusion) to evaluate the bactericidal activity and resistance prevention.

Methods

15 clinical A. baumannii with the following FDC MICs were assessed: 2 mg/L, n = 3; 8 mg/L, n = 2; ≥ 32 mg/L, n = 10). CZA MICs ranged from 16 - >64 mg/L while MEM MICs ranged from 4 - >64 mg/L. Groups of 6 mice received sham control, CFDC HSR, CFDC + CZA HSR, or CFDC + MEM HSR for 72 h. 1 thigh per mouse was harvested to elucidated bacterial burden at 0 h (baseline) and at 72 h (or when the animal succumbed to infection). Efficacy of the combinations was assessed as change in log₁₀ CFU/thigh relative to CFDC HSR. Development of resistance was defined as > 4 fold increase in MIC relative to that from control animals.

Results

Untreated controls resulted in robust growth (3.48±0.67). Against isolates with CFDC MICs of 2 mg/L, 2/3 reached 1-log₁₀ kill with CFDC HSR relative to baseline compared with 1/2 and 0/10 isolates with FDC MICs of 8 mg/L and ≥ 32 mg/L, respectively. Against all 15 isolates, CFDC + CZA HSR produced significant kill with a mean -4.77±1.93 reduction in log₁₀ CFU/thigh relative to CFDC treated mice (15/15 ≥1-log₁₀ kill relative to baseline). Similarly, CFDC + MEM HSR produced a mean reduction of -4.13±2.50 relative to CFDC treated mice (12/15 ≥1-log₁₀ kill relative to baseline). Elevated MICs in CFDC treated animals occurred in 3/3 isolates with baseline MICs of 2 mg/L. Of these isolates, 1 developed elevated MICs with CFDC + CZA HSR compared with no isolates with CFDC + MEM HSR. Figure 1.

Change in log10 CFU/thigh relative to 0 h control after treatment with cefiderocol HSR, cefiderocol + ceftazidime/avibactam HSR, or cefiderocol + meropenem HSR in the 72 h murine thigh infection model. Cefiderocol MICs are displayed in parentheses.

Conclusion

The present study using clinical exposures of CFDC, CZA, and MEM suggest the enhanced microbiologic activity of these combinations relative to CFDC alone. Combinations also prevented the development of elevated MICs against 2/3 and 3/3 susceptible isolates with CFDC + CZA and CFDC + MEM, respectively. These data support the clinical evaluation of such combinations against A. baumannii with high CFDC MICs.

Disclosures

Christian M. Gill, PharmD, Shionogi: Grant/Research Support Miki Takemura, n/a, Shionogi: Employee Christopher M. Longshaw, PhD, Shionogi: Employee Yoshinori Yamano, PhD, Shionogi: Employee Roger Echols, MD, Shionogi: Advisor/Consultant Roger Echols, MD, Shionogi: Advisor/Consultant Roger Echols, MD, Shionogi: Advisor/Consultant David P. Nicolau, PharmD, Shionogi: Grant/Research Support.

677. Systematic Review of the Early Use Experince of Cefiderocol in Real World Practice

Background

Gram-negative bacteria (GNB) with resistance to carbapenems is a growing global public health concern. The World Health Organisation have listed three priority GNB pathogens for the development of novel antimicrobial agents; Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterobacterales. The purpose of this systematic review (SR) was to report evidence on the use of cefiderocol (FDC), a siderophore cephalosporin, for patients with GNB infections in compassionate use or expanded access settings.

Methods

Searches were undertaken to identify relevant evidence up to December 2021. Two independent reviewers screened the records retrieved for relevance to the SR with disagreements adjudicated by a third reviewer. Patients receiving FDC in a compassionate use, expanded access setting or those with limited treatment options for the treatment of GNB infection were eligible. Eligible case reports and case series were assessed for quality using predefined tools and data were extracted (by a single reviewer with data checking performed by a second reviewer), tabulated and summarised.

Results

Forty-four studies (n=150 patients) were identified reporting the use of FDC; 3 case series studies and 41 case reports. The most commonly reported pathogens were P. aeruginosa (41.3%), A. baumannii (36.0%) and A. xylosoxidans (14.3%). The diagnoses varied widely across the included patients. All patients were administered FDC at a dose between 750 mg and 2 g per day on various schedules, adjusted for renal function for between one and six weeks.

Clinical cure was reported in 137 patients using author-specified definitions with 74 patients (54.0%) reporting clinical cure and 18 (13.1%) reporting failure. Microbiological eradication was reported in 78 patients of whom 56 (71.8%) reported success, while 22 (28.2%) reported failure. For mortality (n=123) 80 patients (65.0%) remained alive at the end of treatment, while 43 (35.0%) died. Adverse event (AE) data was reported for 53 patients of whom 13 (24.5%) reported AEs, while 40 (75.5%) did not. See Table 1.0.

Conclusion

FDC is a promising therapy for patients with GNB infections with limited treatment options. Real world practice shows a high microbiological eradication rate and a small number of AEs.

Disclosures

Carlo Tascini, n/a, Shionogi: Grant/Research Support Aurelien Dinh, Professor of Infectious Disease, Shionogi: Advisor/Consultant|Shionogi: Board Member Christopher M. Longshaw, PhD, Shionogi: Employee Anita C. Fitzgerald, MPH, Shionogi: Shionogi commissioned York Health Economics Consortium of which I am an associate, to conduct the systematic review we are submitting to IDWeek Hannah Wood, BA MA, Shionogi: Shionogi commissioned York Health Economics Consortium of which I am an employee, to conduct the systematic review we are submitting to IDWeek Jacoby Vivien M. Patterson, MA Cantab, MB BChir, FFPH MD, Shionogi: Shionogi commissioned York Health Economics Consortium of which I am an associate, to conduct the systematic review we are submitting to IDW Deborah Watkins, MSc, Shionogi: Shionogi commissioned York Health Economics Consortium of which I am an employee, to conduct the systematic review we are submitting to IDWeek Katy Wilson, LLM, Shionogi: Shionogi commissioned York Health Economics Consortium of which I am an employee to conduct the systematic review we are submitting to IDWeek Karan Gill, Master of Science, Shionogi: Employee.

1715. In Vitro Antibacterial Activity of Cefiderocol against Difficult-to-treat Resistant (DTR) Gram-negative Pathogens in United States from SENTRY Antimicrobial Surveillance Program in 2020/2021

Background

Difficult-to-treat resistant (DTR) isolates are defined as resistance to all first-line high-efficacy, low-toxicity antibiotics (penicillins, cephalosporins, carbapenems and quinolones), leaving physicians with limited treatment options. Cefiderocol (CFDC) is a siderophore cephalosporin with activity against a wide variety of Gram-negative bacteria, including carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales and non-fermenters. We evaluated the in vitro activity of cefiderocol against DTR isolates collected in United States as part of SENTRY surveillance program in 2020 and 2021.

In vitro susceptibility of cefiderocol and comparator agents to DTR isolates

Methods

Susceptibility testing was performed by broth microdilution according to CLSI guidelines. All antibiotics were tested in cation-adjusted Mueller-Hinton broth (CAMHB) except for CFDC, for which iron-depleted CAMHB was used. Susceptibility rate (%) was determined according to CLSI breakpoints, and DTR pathogens were defined as being resistant to cefepime, ceftazidime ceftriaxone (only for Enterobacterales), imipenem, meropenem, ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin according to CLSI/FDA breakpoints.

Results

Among a total of 8,328 Enterobacterales, 2,241 Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and 586 Acinetobacter calcoaceticus-baumannii complex (ACB) clinical isolates from the United States, 50 Enterobacterales (0.6%), 36 P. aeruginosa (1.6%) and 114 ACB (19.5%) isolates showed a DTR phenotype, respectively. CFDC demonstrated its potent in vitro activity against these DTR isolates with MIC₉₀ of ≤4 μg/mL with a susceptibility rate of ≥92% except for DTR ACB based on FDA breakpoint (75.4%). In contrast, MIC₉₀s of β-lactam/β-lactamase inhibitor combination drugs showed lower activity (Table).

Conclusion

Cefiderocol demonstrated potent in vitro activity against DTR isolates of Enterobacterales, P. aeruginosa and ACB, indicating cefiderocol has high potential for treating infections caused by these difficult-to-treat strains.

Disclosures

Yoshinori Yamano, PhD, Shionogi: Employee Miki Takemura, n/a, Shionogi: Employee Dee Shortridge, PhD, AbbVie: Grant/Research Support|JMI Laboratory: Employee|Melinta: Grant/Research Support|Menarini: Grant/Research Support|Shionogi: Grant/Research Support Christine M. Slover, PharmD, Shionogi: Employee Christopher M. Longshaw, PhD, Shionogi: Employee Roger Echols, MD, Shionogi: Advisor/Consultant Roger Echols, MD, Shionogi: Advisor/Consultant Roger Echols, MD, Shionogi: Advisor/Consultant.

1711. In Vitro Activity of Cefiderocol Against US Achromobacter spp. and Burkholderia spp. Clinical Isolates from the SENTRY Surveillance Program 2020-2021

Background

Infections caused by Achromobacter spp. and Burkholderia spp. have limited clinical treatment options due to the intrinsic resistance of these non-fermenters to several antimicrobial agents. These pathogens are known to cause severe nosocomial infections such as bloodstream infections and pneumonia in immunocompromised patients. Cefiderocol (CFDC) is a siderophore cephalosporin antibiotic approved in the US and Europe, with potent activity against Gram-negative bacteria including carbapenem-resistant strains. We evaluated the in vitro activity of CFDC and comparator agents against Achromobacter spp. and Burkholderia spp. clinical isolates, collected from hospitalized patients in US medical centers as part of the SENTRY Antimicrobial Surveillance Program.

Methods

Susceptibility testing for CFDC and comparators were performed by broth microdilution according to the CLSI guidance. CFDC was tested in iron-depleted cation-adjusted Mueller Hinton broth. The susceptibilities of CFDC and comparators against a total of 78 strains of Achromobacter spp. and a total of 99 strains of Burkholderia spp. isolated in the US between 2020 to 2021 were analyzed. CLSI breakpoints were used where available. Isolate identification was provided by the submitting site and confirmed at JMI Laboratories using MALDI-TOF.

Results

The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) range, MIC50/90, and susceptible rate for CFDC and comparators for Achromobacter spp. and Burkholderia spp. are shown in the Table 1 and 2, respectively. CFDC inhibited the growth of all 78 Achromobacter spp. isolates tested at ≤4 µg/mL and showed MIC90 of 0.5 μg/mL. CFDC inhibited the growth of 96% (95/99) of Burkholderia spp. isolates tested at ≤4 µg/mL and showed MIC90 of 1 μg/mL. There were 4 strains with high CFDC MIC (≥16 µg/mL), 3 of which were Burkholderia gladioli and 1 was Burkholderia multivorans. Table 1Activity of cefiderocol and comparator antimicrobial agents tested against 78 Achromobacter spp. isolates collected from medical centers in the US during 2020 and 2021Table 2Activity of cefiderocol and comparator antimicrobial agents tested against 99 Burkholderia spp. isolates collected from medical centers in the US during 2020 and 2021

Conclusion

CFDC demonstrated potent in vitro activity against Achromobacter spp. and Burkholderia spp. collected in the US between 2020 and 2021, indicating that CFDC has high potential for treating infections caused by these pathogens.

Disclosures

Miki Takemura, n/a, Shionogi: Employee Dee Shortridge, PhD, AbbVie: Grant/Research Support|JMI Laboratory: Employee|Melinta: Grant/Research Support|Menarini: Grant/Research Support|Shionogi: Grant/Research Support Christine M. Slover, PharmD, Shionogi: Employee Christopher M. Longshaw, PhD, Shionogi: Employee Roger Echols, MD, Shionogi: Advisor/Consultant Roger Echols, MD, Shionogi: Advisor/Consultant Roger Echols, MD, Shionogi: Advisor/Consultant Yoshinori Yamano, PhD, Shionogi: Employee.

660. In vitro activity of cefiderocol against difficult-to-treat resistance European Gram-negative bacterial pathogens from the multi-national sentinel surveillance study, SENTRY in 2020 and 2021

Background

Difficult-to-treat resistance (DTR) organisms are defined as non-susceptible to all first-line high-efficacy, low-toxicity antibiotics (penicillins, cephalosporins, carbapenems and fluoroquinolones), leaving physicians with limited treatment options. Cefiderocol is a parenteral siderophore cephalosporin with potent activity against aerobic Gram-negative pathogens, including carbapenem-resistant strains. We evaluated the in vitro activity of cefiderocol and comparators against DTR pathogens collected in Europe by the SENTRY surveillance study in 2020 and 2021.

Methods

A total of 11434 clinical isolates of Gram-negative bacilli were systematically collected from 16 EU countries, Israel and Turkey in 2020 and 2021. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were determined by broth microdilution for a panel of twenty-two antibiotics according to CLSI guidelines. All antibiotics were tested in cation-adjusted Mueller-Hinton broth (CAMHB) except for cefiderocol, for which iron-depleted CAMHB was used. Susceptibility was determined according to CLSI breakpoints, and DTR pathogens were defined as being resistant to cefepime, ceftazidime ceftriaxone, imipenem, meropenem, ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin according to CLSI breakpoints.

Results

Among 11434 Gram-negative isolates collected in 2020 and 2021, 792 (7.0%) were resistant to all 1^st line therapy including cephalosporins, carbapenems and fluoroquinolone and could be defined as DTR. DTR was most frequently observed in Acinetobacter spp. (530/931, 56.9%), Enterobacterales (201/7739, 2.6%) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (61/2440, 2.5. Based on CLSI breakpoints, cefiderocol was the most active antibiotic tested against DTR-Acinetobacter spp. (MIC₉₀= 2mg/L, 97.4% susceptibility). Ampicillin/sulbactam was active in less than 1% of the DTR-Acinetobacter spp isolates. None of the drugs recommended by the IDSA for the treatment of resistant Gram-negative infections were as potent as cefiderocol (Table 1).

Conclusion

Cefiderocol was the only treatment option with demonstrated in vitro activity against more than 95% of all the tested DTR Gram-negative pathogens with limited treatment options.

Disclosures

Anne Laurence Santerre Henriksen, PhD, Shionogi: Contractor|UTILITY therapeutics Ltd: Advisor/Consultant Christopher M. Longshaw, PhD, Shionogi: Employee Dee Shortridge, PhD, AbbVie: Grant/Research Support|JMI Laboratory: Employee|Melinta: Grant/Research Support|Menarini: Grant/Research Support|Shionogi: Grant/Research Support Jennifer M. Streit, BS, MT(ASCP), Cidara: Grant/Research Support|GSK: Grant/Research Support|Melinta: Grant/Research Support|Shionogi: Grant/Research Support Miki Takemura, n/a, Shionogi: Employee Yoshinori Yamano, PhD, Shionogi: Employee.

Systematic review of the impact of appropriate versus inappropriate initial antibiotic therapy on outcomes of patients with severe bacterial infections

We investigated the impact of appropriate versus inappropriate initial antimicrobial therapy on the clinical outcomes of patients with severe bacterial infections as part of a systematic review and meta-analyses assessing the impact of delay in appropriate antimicrobial therapy. Literature searches of MEDLINE and Embase, conducted on 24 July 2018, identified studies published after 2007 reporting the impact of delay in appropriate antibiotic therapy for hospitalised adult patients with bacterial infections. Results were statistically pooled for outcomes including mortality, hospital length of stay (LOS) and treatment failure. Subgroup analyses were explored by site of infection where data permitted. Inclusion criteria were met by 145 studies, of which 114 reported data on the impact of appropriate versus inappropriate initial therapy. In the pooled analysis, rates of mortality were significantly in favour of appropriate therapy [odds ratio (OR) = 0.44, 95% CI 0.38-0.50]. Across eight studies, LOS was shorter with appropriate therapy compared with inappropriate therapy [mean difference (MD) -2.54 days (95% CI -5.30 to 0.23)], but not significantly so. The incidence of treatment failure was significantly lower in patients who received appropriate therapy compared with patients who received inappropriate therapy (six studies: OR = 0.33, 95% CI 0.16-0.66) as was mean hospital costs (four studies: MD -7.38 thousand US$ or Euros, 95% CI -14.14 to -0.62). Initiation of appropriate versus inappropriate antibiotics can reduce mortality, reduce treatment failure and decrease LOS, highlighting the importance of broad‑spectrum empirical therapy and rapid diagnostics for early identification of the causative pathogen. [Study registration: PROSPERO: CRD42018104669].

A Systematic Review of the Effect of Delayed Appropriate Antibiotic Treatment on the Outcomes of Patients With Severe Bacterial Infections

BACKGROUND

Patients with severe bacterial infections often experience delay in receiving appropriate treatment. Consolidated evidence of the impact of delayed appropriate treatment is needed to guide treatment and improve outcomes.

RESEARCH QUESTION

What is the impact of delayed appropriate antibacterial therapy on clinical outcomes in patients with severe bacterial infections?

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

Literature searches of MEDLINE and Embase, conducted on July 24, 2018, identified studies published after 2007 reporting the impact of delayed appropriate therapy on clinical outcomes for hospitalized adult patients with bacterial infections. Where appropriate, results were pooled and analyzed with delayed therapy modeled three ways: delay vs no delay in receiving appropriate therapy; duration of delay; and inappropriate vs appropriate initial therapy. This article reports meta-analyses on the effect of delay and duration of delay.

RESULTS

The eligibility criteria were met by 145 studies, of which 37 contributed data to analyses of effect of delay. Mortality was significantly lower in patients receiving appropriate therapy without delay compared with those experiencing delay (OR, 0.57; 95% CI, 0.45-0.72). Mortality was also lower in the no-delay group compared with the delay group in subgroups of studies reporting mortality at 20 to 30 days, during ICU stay, or in patients with bacteremia (OR, 0.57 [95% CI, 0.43-0.76]; OR, 0.47 [95% CI, 0.27-0.80]; and OR, 0.54 [95% CI, 0.40-0.75], respectively). No difference was found in time to appropriate therapy between those who died and those who survived (P = .09), but heterogeneity between studies was high.

INTERPRETATION

Avoiding delayed appropriate therapy is essential to reduce mortality in patients with severe bacterial infections.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION

PROSPERO; No.: CRD42018104669; URL: www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/.

Diversity of Clostridium difficile PCR ribotypes in Europe: results from the European, multicentre, prospective, biannual, point-prevalence study of Clostridium difficile infection in hospitalised patients with diarrhoea (EUCLID), 2012 and 2013

Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is the major cause of infective diarrhoea in healthcare environments. As part of the European, multicentre, prospective, biannual, point-prevalence study of Clostridium difficile infection in hospitalised patients with diarrhoea (EUCLID), the largest C. difficile epidemiological study of its type, PCR ribotype distribution of C. difficile isolates in Europe was investigated. PCR ribotyping was performed on 1,196 C. difficile isolates from diarrhoeal samples sent to the European coordinating laboratory in 2012–13 and 2013 (from two sampling days) by 482 participating hospitals from 19 European countries. A total of 125 ribotypes were identified, of which ribotypes 027 (19%, n =222), 001/072 (11%, n = 134) and 014/020 (10%, n = 119) were the most prevalent. Distinct regional patterns of ribotype distribution were noted. Of 596 isolates from patients with toxin-positive stools (CDI cases), ribotype 027 accounted for 22% (32/144) of infections in cases aged from 18 to less than 65 years, but the prevalence decreased in those aged ≥ 65 years (14% (59/412)) and further decreased in those aged ≥ 81 years (9% (18/195)). The prevalence of ribotype 027 and 176, but not other epidemic strains, was inversely proportional to overall ribotype diversity (R2 = 0.717). This study highlights an increased diversity of C. difficile ribotypes across Europe compared with previous studies, with considerable intercountry variation in ribotype distribution. Continuous surveillance programmes are necessary to monitor the changing epidemiology of C. difficile.

Underdiagnosis of Clostridium difficile across Europe: the European, multicentre, prospective, biannual, point-prevalence study of Clostridium difficile infection in hospitalised patients with diarrhoea (EUCLID)

BACKGROUND

Variations in testing for Clostridium difficile infection can hinder patients' care, increase the risk of transmission, and skew epidemiological data. We aimed to measure the underdiagnosis of C difficile infection across Europe.

METHODS

We did a questionnaire-based study at 482 participating hospitals across 20 European countries. Hospitals were questioned about their methods and testing policy for C difficile infection during the periods September, 2011, to August, 2012, and September, 2012, to August, 2013. On one day in winter, 2012-13 (December, 2012, or January, 2013), and summer, 2013 (July or August), every hospital sent all diarrhoeal samples submitted to their microbiology laboratory to a national coordinating laboratory for standardised testing of C difficile infection. Our primary outcome measures were the rates of testing for and cases of C difficile infection per 10 000 patient bed-days. Results of local and national C difficile infection testing were compared with each other. If the result was positive at the national laboratory but negative at the local hospital, the result was classified as undiagnosed C difficile infection. We compared differences in proportions with the Mann-Whitney test, or McNemar's test if data were matched.

FINDINGS

During the study period, participating hospitals reported a mean of 65·8 tests (country range 4·6-223·3) for C difficile infection per 10 000 patient-bed days and a mean of 7·0 cases (country range 0·7-28·7) of C difficile infection per 10 000 patient-bed days. Only two-fifths of hospitals reported using optimum methods for testing of C difficile infection (defined by European guidelines), although the number of participating hospitals using optimum methods increased during the study period, from 152 (32%) of 468 in 2011-12 to 205 (48%) of 428 in 2012-13. Across all 482 European hospitals on the two sampling days, 148 (23%) of 641 samples positive for C difficile infection (as determined by the national laboratory) were not diagnosed by participating hospitals because of an absence of clinical suspicion, equating to about 74 missed diagnoses per day.

INTERPRETATION

A wide variety of testing strategies for C difficile infection are used across Europe. Absence of clinical suspicion and suboptimum laboratory diagnostic methods mean that an estimated 40 000 inpatients with C difficile infection are potentially undiagnosed every year in 482 European hospitals.

FUNDING

Astellas Pharmaceuticals Europe.

Unsaturated fatty acids are inhibitors of bacterial conjugation

This report describes a high-throughput assay to identify substances that reduce the frequency of conjugation in Gram-negative bacteria. Bacterial conjugation is largely responsible for the spread of multiple antibiotic resistances in human pathogens. Conjugation inhibitors may provide a means to control the spread of antibiotic resistance. An automated conjugation assay was developed that used plasmid R388 and a laboratory strain of Escherichia coli as a model system, and bioluminescence as a reporter for conjugation activity. Frequencies of conjugation could be measured continuously in real time by the amount of light produced, and thus the effects of inhibitory compounds could be determined quantitatively. A control assay, run in parallel, allowed elimination of compounds affecting cell growth, plasmid stability or gene expression. The automated conjugation assay was used to screen a database of more than 12 000 microbial extracts known to contain a wide variety of bioactive compounds (the NatChem library). The initial hit rate was 1·4 %. From these, 48 extracts containing active compounds and representing a variety of organisms and extraction conditions were subjected to fractionation (24 fractions per extract). The 52 most active fractions were subjected to a secondary analysis to determine the range of plasmid inhibition. Plasmids R388, R1 and RP4 were used as representatives of a variety of plasmid transfer systems. Only one fraction (of complex composition) affected transfer of all three plasmids, while four other fractions were active against two of them. Two separate compounds were identified from these fractions: linoleic acid and dehydrocrepenynic acid. Downstream analysis showed that the chemical class of unsaturated fatty acids act as true inhibitors of conjugation.

Kytococcus sedentarius, the organism associated with pitted keratolysis, produces two keratin-degrading enzymes

AIMS

To determine characteristics of the extracellular enzyme activity of Kytococcus sedentarius on human callus.

METHODS AND RESULTS

A concentrate of a continuous culture supernatant fluid of K. sedentarius, which had callus-degrading activity, was subjected to a series of chromatographic purification procedures. The enzyme activity was found to be attributable to two proteases. These were capable of degrading both native callus and extracted keratin polypeptides and were purified to homogeneity, as shown by SDS-PAGE with silver staining. The enzymes P1 and P2 were 30 kDa and 50 kDa in size with isoelectric points of 4.6 and 2.7, respectively. The optimum conditions for callus-degrading activity were 40 degrees C, pH 7.1 for P1 and 50 degrees C, pH 7.5 for P2. P2 displayed increased activity in the presence of 800 mmol l(-1) NaCl and both enzymes were inhibited by PMSF (1 mmol(-1) Phenylmethylsulphoryl fluoride) and 1 mmol l(-1) EDTA. The main enzyme cleavage sites were Lys-Trp, Val-Lys, Gly-Asp and Asp-Arg, as determined after incubation of P1 and P2 with the beta-chain of insulin.

CONCLUSIONS

K. sedentarius produces two extracellular enzymes that independently degrade natural, insoluble human callus. Both enzymes are serine proteases and have cleavage preference sites that are present in a range of human keratins.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

The identification, in K. sedentarius cultures, of two enzymes which can degrade human callus strengthens the hypothesis that this organism is responsible for the pitting in human epidermis observed in pitted keratolysis. These enzymes may be of commercial use in the biodegradation of a range of keratin polymers, biological washing powders and in the treatment of unwanted callus on human skin.

Is the GehD lipase from Staphylococcus epidermidis a collagen binding adhesin?

The opportunistic human pathogen Staphylococcus epidermidis is the major cause of nosocomial biomaterial infections. S. epidermidis has the ability to attach to indwelling materials coated with extracellular matrix proteins such as fibrinogen, fibronectin, vitronectin, and collagen. To identify the proteins necessary for S. epidermidis attachment to collagen, we screened an expression library using digoxigenin-labeled collagen as well as two monoclonal antibodies generated against the Staphylococcus aureus collagen-adhesin, Cna, as probes. These monoclonal antibodies recognize collagen binding epitopes on the surface of S. aureus and S. epidermidis cells. Using this approach, we identified GehD, the extracellular lipase originally found in S. epidermidis 9, as a collagen-binding protein. Despite the monoclonal antibody cross-reactivity, the GehD amino acid sequence and predicted structure are radically different from those of Cna. The mature GehD circular dichroism spectra differs from that of Cna but strongly resembles that of a mammalian cell-surface collagen binding receptor, known as the alpha(1) integrin I domain, suggesting that they have similar secondary structures. The GehD protein is translated as a preproenzyme, secreted, and post-translationally processed into mature lipase. GehD does not have the conserved LPXTG C-terminal motif present in cell wall-anchored proteins, but it can be detected in lysostaphin cell wall extracts. A recombinant version of mature GehD binds to collagens type I, II, and IV adsorbed onto microtiter plates in a dose-dependent saturable manner. Recombinant, mature GehD protein and anti-GehD antibodies can inhibit the attachment of S. epidermidis to immobilized collagen. These results provide evidence that GehD may be a bi-functional molecule, acting not only as a lipase but also as a cell surface-associated collagen adhesin.

Identification of a second lipase gene, gehD, in Staphylococcus epidermidis: comparison of sequence with those of other staphylococcal lipases

The identification and molecular characterization of a previously unidentified lipase, gehD, from the human cutaneous commensal Staphylococcus epidermidis is reported. A lipase-GehC-deficient but otherwise isogenic mutant of S. epidermidis 9 was constructed by allele replacement. However, the mutant was found to retain 50% of the wild-type lipase activity in liquid culture. Rescreening of a genomic library revealed the presence of a second lipase gene, gehD, which was subsequently mapped and sequenced. In common with other staphylococcal lipases, GehD appeared to be translated as a 650-700 amino acid precursor which is processed post-translationally to an extracellular mature lipase of 360 amino acids with a size of approximately 45 kDa. Comparison of the amino acid sequence of GehD with those of other staphylococcal lipases revealed a high level of conservation between the mature lipase domains of different species. By hybridization studies, both gehC and gehD genes were found to be present in S. epidermidis isolates from both clinical and non-clinical backgrounds, but neither hybridized to DNA isolated from other staphylococcal strains. Construction of a phylogenetic tree and calculation of amino acid sequence homologies between mature lipases, however, suggested that the lipases of S. epidermidis may be more closely related to those of Staphylococcus aureus than to each other.