ompK36 Gene Research Articles

Outbreak of OXA-48 carbapenemase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae in Greece involving an ST11 clone

First detected in Enterobacteriaceae isolates in Turkey, the OXA-48 carbapenemase has gradually disseminated in the wider Mediterranean area and Europe. Despite reports from other European regions, until now no such isolates have been detected in Greece. We describe the characteristics of the first outbreak caused by OXA-48-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae in Greece. From December 2011 to March 2012, 13 ertapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae isolates, which were positive by the modified Hodge test while remaining negative by phenotypic screening for metallo-β-lactamase (MBL) and KPC production, were recovered from nine patients. Patient records were retrieved to access patterns of acquisition. Resistance genes were identified by PCR and sequencing. ompK35, ompK36 and the genetic environment of the bla(OXA-48) gene were investigated. Plasmid profiling, conjugation experiments, PFGE and multilocus sequence typing (MLST) were performed. All isolates harboured the bla(OXA-48) gene along with the bla(CTX-M-15) and bla(OXA-1) genes. The bla(OXA-48) gene was located on a self-transferable IncL/M-type plasmid of ~62 kb, which harboured no other resistance genes. IS1999 was located upstream of the bla(OXA-48) gene. Genetic disruptions of the ompK35 and ompK36 genes were not detected. The isolates belonged to a unique PFGE clone and MLST assigned them to sequence type ST11. All cases were characterized as hospital acquired and none of them was linked to immigration or history of travel in endemic areas. Carbapenem resistance due to MBL and KPC carbapenemases is currently on an endemic scale in Greece and this report highlights the wider undetected dissemination of yet another carbapenemase in this region.

Outer membrane protein K as a subunit vaccine against V. anguillarum

Vibrio anguillarum has been described as a leading cause of disease in various species of aquatic animals from many parts of the world. Fish vaccination is a useful strategy for several disease problems in aquaculture. Outer membrane proteins of bacteria are considered ideal candidates for vaccine development. In the present study, OmpK gene of V. anguillarum was cloned and sequenced. The recombinant OmpK was overexpressed and purified by affinity chromatography on Ni-NTA Superflow resin. Immunoreactivity of the pure OmpK was studied by western blotting. The fresh water Indian major carp Labeo rohita (Hamilton, 1822) was well protected when challenged with V. anguillarum after vaccination with OmpK compared to non vaccinated fish. Specific antibody against OmpK and bacterial inhibition was detected in the vaccinated fish. Our results suggest OmpK as a candidate vaccine molecule against V. anguillarum.

Resistance of β-lactamase–producing Klebsiella pneumoniae to Imipenem with Ompk36 loss

The present study investigated the mechanisms involved in decreased imipenem susceptibility in Klebsiella pneumoniae. Pulsed field gel electrophoresis was used for homology analysis, and a modified Hodge test was used to detect carbapenemase expression. An ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) synergy test was used to screen for metallo-β-lactamase. An E-test and a conjugation experiment were used to detect drug susceptibility, whereas specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification and sequencing, sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) andcarbonyl cyanide-m-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP) inhibition tests were used to analyze mechanisms underlying the decrease in imipenem susceptibility in K. pneumoniae. Kp1, Kp2, and Kp3 did not belong to the same clone strain and their minimum inhibitory concentrations for imipenem and meropenem were 32, 4, and 24 µg/ml and 4, 8, and 4 µg/ml, respectively. Kp1 and Kp3 were resistant to piperacillin/tazobactam, whereas Kp2 was not. Kp1, Kp2, and Kp3 were highly resistant to cephalosporins and aztreonam. Kp2 and Kp3 were resistant to gentamicin. All produced β-lactamase DHA-1, CTX-M-14, SHV-12, and KPC-2. Kp3 produced CMY-2 and cephalosporinase. Gene sequencing analysis and outer membrane porin SDS-PAGE showed that the Ompk36 gene of Kp1 and Kp3 was inserted by IS5 and IS903, which resulted in the loss of the outer membrane porin Ompk36. CCCP did not increase the sensitivity of Kp1, Kp2, and Kp3 to imipenem. Therefore, the loss of the outer membrane porin Ompk36 in β-lactamase KPC-2, DHA-1, CTX-M-14 and SHV-12 producing K. pneumoniae induces the development of high-level imipenem resistance. Key words: Klebsiella pneumoniae, β-lactamase, imipenem, drug sensitivity and outer membrane porin

Molecular diversity in mechanisms of carbapenem resistance in paediatric Enterobacteriaceae

Development of carbapenem resistance in Enterobacteriaceae has impacted Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) guidelines, infection control approaches and treatment strategies. The clinical, phenotypic and genotypic characteristics of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) infections at paediatric referral centres are not well described. CRE were identified through the clinical microbiology laboratory at Seattle Children's Hospital (Seattle, WA). Clinical data were retrieved from medical records. Resistance testing, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for resistance determinants, and Escherichia coli transformation were carried out for each isolate. Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) were used to characterise strain relatedness. PCR amplification and sequencing as well as sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) were used to investigate porin alterations. Six CRE isolates were identified between 2002 and 2010. Significant molecular diversity was documented in their mechanisms of resistance, including plasmid-mediated serine carbapenemase (KPC) and metallo-β-lactamase (IMP), chromosomally encoded β-lactamase (SME) and porin alterations with extended-spectrum β-lactamases. Patients had underlying health conditions and were from geographically diverse regions. In one case, PFGE of serial isolates documented the development of resistance in a previously susceptible strain. Molecular investigation of this strain identified insertion of the genetic mobile element insertion sequence IS Ecp1 in the ompK36 gene, conferring a functional porin alteration as demonstrated by SDS-PAGE. This is the first description of porin disruption by IS Ecp1 in a CTX-M-15-positive isolate. This is the largest report of paediatric CRE to date. This diverse description of demographic, phenotypic and molecular characteristics highlights the challenge of CRE infections in high-risk paediatric patients and that attention to emerging resistance mechanisms (including membrane alteration) at paediatric referral centres is essential.

KPC-2-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae isolated from a Czech patient previously hospitalized in Greece and in vivo selection of colistin resistance

Carbapenemase-producing Gram-negative bacteria peak clinical interest due to their ability to hydrolyze most β-lactams, including carbapenems; moreover, their genes spread through bacterial populations by horizontal transfer. Bacteria with acquired carbapenemase have sporadically been reported in the Czech Republic, so far only in Enterobacteriaceae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. In this study, we described the first finding of a KPC-2-producing strain of Klebsiella pneumoniae, which was isolated from a surgical wound swab, decubitus ulcer, and urine of a patient previously hospitalized in Greece. The patient underwent various antibiotic therapies including a colistin treatment. However, after approximately 20days of the colistin therapy, the strain developed a high-level resistance to this drug. All the isolates were indistinguishable by pulsed field gel electrophoretic analysis and belonged to the international clone ST258, which is typical of KPC-producing K. pneumoniae isolates. The bla (KPC-2) gene was located on a Tn4401a transposon variant. The OmpK35 and OmpK36 genes analysis performed due to the high resistance level of the strains to β-lactams exhibited no changes in their sequence or in their expression when compared with carbapenem-susceptible isolates.

Cloning, Expression, and Genus‐Specificity Analysis of 28‐kDa OmpK from Vibrio alginolyticus

Some Vibrio species are universal marine pathogens and Vibrio infections are often encountered due to consumption of raw or uncooked seafood. The outer membrane proteins, playing a key role in interaction between bacteria and hosts, are potential candidates for development of vaccine and markers of the genus Vibrio. In this study, the ompK (outer membrane protein K) genes of Vibrio alginolyticus, V. vulnificus, V. parahaemolyticus, V. fluvialis, and V. mimicu were cloned with 798 to 822 nucleotides encoding 266 to 274 amino acids. The ompK gene from V. alginolyticus was expressed in Escherichia coli using pET-22b expression vector. The recombinant fusion OmpK protein with 6xHis tag was purified with nickel chelate affinity chromatography. The polyclonal antibody (titer, 1:102400) against V. alginolyticus OmpK was developed in guinea pigs and it positively reacted with each of 5 Vibrio species but negative to other 18 Gram-negative bacterial strains. The result suggests that Vibrio OmpK protein could be a genus-specific antigen, which can be used for developing vaccines and rapid detection of multiple Vibrio species.

Combination of IMP-4 metallo-β-lactamase production and porin deficiency causes carbapenem resistance in a Klebsiella oxytoca clinical isolate

This study shows for the first time the mechanism of carbapenem resistance of a Klebsiella oxytoca clinical isolate ZC101 recovered from a Zhejiang University Hospital in Hangzhou, China. MIC values of imipenem, meropenem, and ertapenem for K. oxytoca ZC101 were 16, 16, and 128 μg/mL, respectively. Conjugation experiments demonstrated the transferability of a resistance determinant from K. oxytoca ZC101 to Escherichia coli EC600. Results from isoelectric focusing, polymerase chain reactions, and DNA sequencing confirmed that K. oxytoca ZC101 produced IMP-4 metallo-β-lactamase (MBL) and CTX-M-14 extended-spectrum β-lactamase, whereas E. coli transconjugant only produced the IMP-4. Amplification of integron revealed that bla IMP-4 gene is located within a class I integron that was carried in a plasmid approximately 55 kb in size. Sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis profiling of outer membrane proteins of K. oxytoca ZC101 indicated lack of expression of the OmpK36 porin. DNA sequence analysis of ompK36 gene of K. oxytoca ZC101 showed the gene was disrupted by an insertion sequence IS5. In all, the results show that plasmid-mediated IMP-4 MBL production combined with the loss of OmpK36 porin caused the resistance in K. oxytoca ZC101 to carbapenems.

A novel multiplex PCR method for detecting virulent strains of Vibrio alginolyticus

The bacterial strains obtained from various origins were tested with the novel primers targeting the collagenase gene, ompK gene and toxR gene to establish a multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method. These primers successfully recognized all virulent strains of Vibrio alginolyticus, but the avirulent strains were not recognized by the multiplex PCR because of lack of the collagenase and toxR genes. In a 50 μL multiplex PCR mixture, the lowest detection limit is 8.8 × 102 cells of virulent strains of V. alginolyticus. The multiplex PCR method was successfully developed to identify virulent strains of V. alginolyticus, and provides a rapid, sensitive, specific and reliable technology for diagnosing virulent strains of V. alginolyticus. Therefore, the novel multiplex PCR in the present paper can be useful for any laboratory working with vibriosis detection of aquatic animals.

An outer membrane protein, OmpK, is an effective vaccine candidate for Vibrio harveyi in Orange-spotted grouper ( Epinephelus coioides)

The outer membrane proteins of the fish pathogen, Vibrio harveyi, have a role in interaction between bacterium and host and are potential candidates for vaccine development. In this study, the gene encoding an outer membrane protein, OmpK, which serves as the receptor for broad-host-range vibriophage KVP40 in V. harveyi, was isolated and characterized. Then the OmpK gene coding for mature peptide was subcloned into prokaryotic expression vector pBV220 and transformed into Escherichia coli DH5α strain. After temperature induction, a recombinant protein was detected about 28 kDa in molecular weight and accounted for 24.8% of total proteins of whole cell as estimated by SDS–PAGE and scanning analysis of gel image. Polyclonal antibodies were raised in rabbits against the purified protein and the reaction of the antibody was confirmed by western blotting using the purified protein and crude extract of V. harveyi. Orange-spotted groupers ( Epinephelus coioides) vaccinated with recombinant OmpK produced specific antibodies, and were highly resistant to infection by virulent V. harveyi. These results indicate that the OmpK is an effective vaccine candidate against V. harveyi in Orange-spotted groupers.

A conserved outer membrane protein as an effective vaccine candidate from Vibrio alginolyticus

Vibrio alginolyticus, a Gram-negative bacterium, is one of the Vibrio pathogens common to human and marine animals. Outer membrane proteins of bacteria play an important role during infection and induction of host immune response. In present research, the OmpK gene of V. alginolyticus was cloned and expressed. The open reading frame contains 846 bp, and the mature protein consists of 261 amino acid residues. The alignment analysis indicated that OmpK was highly conserved, which could serve as a surface antigen for good vaccine candidate. SDS-PAGE indicated the OmpK could over-express in E. coli BL21 (DE3). The recombinant protein was purified by affinity chromatography on Ni-NTA Superflow resin. Western blot analysis revealed that the OmpK protein had immunoreactivity. The large yellow croakers vaccinated with the OmpK were significantly protected against the infection by V. alginolyticus. This study showed that the conserved OmpK was an effective vaccine candidate against infection by V. alginolyticus.

Characterization of OmpK, GAPDH and their fusion OmpK-GAPDH derived from Vibrio harveyi outer membrane proteins: their immunoprotective ability against vibriosis in large yellow croaker (Pseudosciaena crocea)

To investigate the immunoprotection of three recombinant proteins derived from the Vibrio harveyi outer membrane proteins (OMPs) OmpK, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) and their fusion OmpK-GAPDH as vaccine candidates from vibriosis of large yellow croaker (Pseudosciaena crocea). The ompK gene, of which the leader sequence was omitted, was fused with the gapdh gene. Three recombinant proteins r-OmpK, r-GAPDH and r-OmpK-GAPDH were expressed and purified. Western blots were carried out to detect the specificity of the antibodies raised against the recombinant proteins; Fish were immunized with recombinant proteins and challenged by native V. harveyi. The immunoresponse to the recombinant proteins were determined by ELISA and phagocytic activity assay. The fusion protein r-OmpK-GAPDH can afford greater protection against the wild V. harveyi than r-OmpK or r-GAPDH alone or their mixture in humoral and cellular immunity, indicating that OmpK and GAPDH could produce a synergistic immunoprotection against vibriosis of large yellow croaker (Pseudosciaena crocea) when fused into OmpK-GAPDH with a linker. It has been realized that a multi-component OMP antigen can induce a higher frequency of immune effectors than a single OMP. The results presented here bring forth a good suggestion for the subunit vaccine design based on the OMPs of gram-negative pathogens.

Roles of beta-lactamases and porins in activities of carbapenems and cephalosporins against Klebsiella pneumoniae.

Two clinical isolates of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae were noted to be less susceptible than expected to imipenem. Both were missing outer membrane proteins that serve as channels for antibiotic entry. The role of beta-lactamase in resistance was investigated by eliminating the original ESBL and introducing plasmids encoding various ESBLs and AmpC beta-lactamase types, by studying the effect of an increased inoculum, and by evaluating interactions with beta-lactamase inhibitors. The contribution of porin deficiency was investigated by restoring a functional ompK36 gene on a plasmid. Plasmids encoding AmpC-type beta-lactamases provided resistance to imipenem (up to 64 microg/ml) and meropenem (up to 16 microg/ml) in strains deficient in porins. Carbapenem resistance showed little inoculum effect, was not affected by clavulanate but was blocked by BRL 42715, and was diminished if OmpK36 porin was restored. Plasmids encoding TEM- and SHV-type ESBLs conferred resistance to cefepime and cefpirome, as well as to earlier oxyimino-beta-lactams. This resistance was magnified with an increased inoculum, was blocked by clavulanate, and was also lowered by OmpK36 porin restoration. In addition, SHV-2 beta-lactamase had a small effect on carbapenem resistance (imipenem MIC, 4 microg/ml, increasing to 16 microg/ml with a higher inoculum) when porins were absent. In K. pneumoniae porin loss can thus augment resistance provided either by TEM- or SHV-type ESBLs or by plasmid-mediated AmpC enzymes to include the latest oxyimino-beta-lactams and carbapenems.

Identification and characterization of a new porin gene of Klebsiella pneumoniae: its role in beta-lactam antibiotic resistance.

Klebsiella pneumoniae porin genes were analyzed to detect mutations accounting for the porin deficiency observed in many beta-lactam-resistant strains. PCR and Southern blot analysis revealed the existence of a third porin gene in addition to the OmpK36 and OmpK35 porin genes previously described. This new porin gene was designated ompK37 and is present in all of the clinical isolates tested. The OmpK37 porin gene was cloned, sequenced, and overexpressed in Escherichia coli. In contrast to that of the major porins, OmpK37 porin expression was only detectable by Western blot analysis in porin-deficient beta-lactam-resistant strains, suggesting strong down regulation under standard laboratory conditions. Functional characterization suggested a narrower pore for the OmpK37 porin than for K. pneumoniae porins OmpK36 and OmpK35. This correlated with the susceptibility to certain beta-lactam antibiotics, since a K. pneumoniae strain expressing porin OmpK37, but not porin OmpK36 or OmpK35, was less susceptible to beta-lactam antibiotics than the same strain expressing either porin OmpK36 or OmpK35.

Cloning and sequence analysis of Vibrio parahaemolyticus ompK gene encoding a 26-kDa outer membrane protein, OmpK, that serves as receptor for a broad-host-range vibriophage, KVP40

The ompK gene of Vibrio parahaemolyticus 1010 (RIMD 2210001) encoding an outer membrane protein (OMP), OmpK, which serves as the receptor for a broad-host-range vibriophage, KVP40, was cloned and sequenced. The gene consisted of 789 nucleotides encoding 263 amino acids. Since the first 20 amino acids most likely constitute the signal peptide, mature OmpK would consist of 243 amino acids with a calculated molecular mass of 27458 Da. Sequence comparisons indicate that OmpK is unique among Vibrio OMPs so far sequenced, but may be distantly related to Tsx of enteric bacteria and is homologous to an Aeromonas hydrophila OMP, protein IV.