Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
8738502 | International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents | 2018 | 24 Pages |
Abstract
Global dissemination of the mobile colistin resistance mcr-1 is of particular concern as colistin is one of the last-resort antibiotics for the treatment of severe infections caused by carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacteria. In this study, an inactive form of mcr-1 in a fluoroquinolone-resistant and colistin-susceptible uropathogenic Escherichia coli isolate (ECO3347) was characterised. The mcr-1 gene was deactivated by insertion of a 1.7-kb IS1294b element flanked by two tetramers (GTTC) and located on a 62-kb pHNSHP45-like plasmid (p3347-mcr-1). Single-step and multistep selections were used to induce colistin resistance in vitro in ECO3347. ECO3347 acquired colistin resistance (MICâ=â16-32âmg/L) only after a serial passage selection with increasing concentrations of colistin (2-8âmg/L). Deactivated mcr-1 was re-activated by loss of IS1294b without any remnants in most colistin-resistant mutants. In addition, a novel amino acid variant (Leu105Pro) in the CheY homologous receiver domain of PmrA was detected in one colistin-resistant mutant. Plasmid p3347-mcr-1+ carrying the re-activated mcr-1 gene is transferrable to E. coli J53 recipient with a high conjugation rate (ca. 10-1 cells per recipient cell). Transconjugants showed an identical growth status to J53, suggesting lack of a fitness cost after acquiring p3347-mcr-1+. These results highlight that the disrupted mcr-1 gene has the potential for wide silent dissemination with the help of pHNSHP45-like epidemic plasmids. Inducible colistin resistance may likely compromise the success of clinical treatment and infection control. Continuous monitoring of mcr-1 is imperative for understanding and tackling its dissemination in different forms.
Keywords
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Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology
Authors
Kai Zhou, Qixia Luo, Qin Wang, Chen Huang, Haifeng Lu, John W.A. Rossen, Yonghong Xiao, Lanjuan Li,