Antibiotic resistant bacteria with diverse resistance phenotypes and genotypes are ubiquitous in the environments that have become a global health concern. The role of DNA methylation in the dissemination of antibiotic resistance among different environments is currently unclear. We recovered 646 Enterobacteriaceae (Eb) isolates from hospital, livestock manure, municipal wastewater-treatment plants, river sediment and soil for comprehensive analysis of resistance phenotypes, β-lactamase genes, integrons, integron-associated gene cassettes and the levels of DNA methylation. Antibiotic susceptibility testing revealed that approximately 87.31 % isolates were multidrug resistant Eb. The β-lactamase genes were positively detected in 473 isolates with greater diversity in human or animal sourced Eb, while its prevalence was found to be highest in the Eb isolates from the natural environments. Forty-three gene cassettes (28 different types mediated by intI1) were detected in 53 (19.63 %) isolates, with greater diversity in Eb isolates from hospital and livestock manure. The multiple antibiotic resistance index of single strain was positively correlated with the 5-methylcytosine and showed a negative correlation with 6-methylademine. We conclude that the development of antibiotic resistance could possibly be coupled with DNA methylation, which might enhance the antimicrobial resistance and survival capacity of Eb.
Keywords: Antibiotic resistance; DNA methylation; Gene cassettes; Integrons; β-lactamase genes.
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