Clonal Spread of 16S rRNA Methyltransferase-Producing Klebsiella pneumoniae ST37 with High Prevalence of ESBLs from Companion Animals in China.

Jing Xia,Jian Sun,Liang-Xing Fang,Xi-Ran Wang,Ya-Hong Liu,Ke Cheng,Xiao-Ping Liao,Guo-Hao Xu

doi:10.3389/fmicb.2017.00529

Jing Xia, Jian Sun + Show 6 more

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https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2017.00529

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Abstract

We screened 30 Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates from dogs and cats at a single animal hospital in Guangdong Province, China. Among them, 12 K. pneumoniae strains possessed high-level resistance to amikacin and gentamicin and these were screened for 16S rRNA methyltransferase (16S-RMTase) genes. And then the genes positive isolates were detected for ESBLs (extended spectrum β-lactamases) and analyzed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, multilocus sequence typing, PCR-based replicon typing and plasmid analysis. The genetic profiles of rmtB were also determined by PCR mapping. The twelve 16S-RMTase gene-positive isolates were rmtB (11/30) and armA (2/30) with one isolate carrying both genes. Extended spectrum β-lactamases genes were represented by blaCTX-M-55 (9/12), blaCTX-M-27 (2/12) and blaCTX-M-14 (1/12). The twelve 16S-RMTase containing strains were grouped into five clonal patterns and ST37 was the most prevalent sequence type. Ten rmtB-bearing plasmids conjugated successfully and all belonged to IncN and IncF (F33:A-:B-) incompatibility groups. Nine of the transconjugants carried a 97 kb plasmid and the other harbored both ∼60 and ∼200 kb plasmids. rmtB and blaCTX-M-55 were present on the same plasmid and indicated the co-transfer of these two genes, with the rmtB gene showing highly relevant relationships with IS26 and Tn3. Our findings suggested a high prevalence of 16S-RMTase genes in K. pneumonia ST37 from dogs and cats. Additional studies are needed to trace the evolutionary path of this type of resistance among the K. pneumonia isolates, and to determine whether they have been transferred to humans.

Highlights

Klebsiella pneumoniae is an opportunistic pathogen associated with a wide spectrum of community- and hospital-acquired infections (Lee et al, 2011)
16S rRNA Methyltransferases in K. pneumoniae of the spread of resistance determinants (Luo et al, 2011). This has resulted in the appearance of multidrug resistant (MDR) or even pan drug-resistant (PDR) strains (Luo et al, 2011)
We examined the prevalence of ESBL and AME genes in the 16S-RMTase gene-positive isolates

Summary

Introduction

Klebsiella pneumoniae is an opportunistic pathogen associated with a wide spectrum of community- and hospital-acquired infections (Lee et al, 2011). 16S rRNA Methyltransferases in K. pneumoniae of the spread of resistance determinants (Luo et al, 2011). This has resulted in the appearance of multidrug resistant (MDR) or even pan drug-resistant (PDR) strains (Luo et al, 2011). Plasmid-encoded 16S rRNA methyltransferases (16S-RMTase) have emerged in the Enterobacteriaceae family and in a group of glucose-nonfermentative microbes (Zacharczuk et al, 2011b). This is a new resistance mechanism to 4,6-disubstituted 2-deoxystreptamines and 4,5-disubstituted 2-deoxystreptamines. Since the first report in 2003, ten 16S-RMTase-encoding genes, rmtA, rmtB, rmtC, rmtD, rmtE, rmtF, rmtG, rmtH, armA, and npmA, have been identified (O’Hara et al, 2013)

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