Development of ceftriaxone resistance affects the virulence properties of Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium strains

Foodborne Pathog Dis. 2013 Jan;10(1):28-34. doi: 10.1089/fpd.2012.1216.

Abstract

Development of antibiotic resistance may alter the virulence properties of bacterial organisms. In this study, nine clinical ceftriaxone-susceptible Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium strains were subjected to stepwise selection with increasing concentrations of ceftriaxone in culture media. Mutations in virulence-associated genes and antibiotic efflux genes were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and DNA sequencing. The expression levels of virulence genes invA and stn as well as efflux pump genes tolC, arcA, and arcB before and after the selection were measured by real-time quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The stepwise selection resulted in the development of Salmonella strains that were highly resistant to ceftriaxone. Sequence analysis did not reveal any mutations or deletions in the examined virulence genes and regulatory gene, but a silent mutation (T423C) in acrR (encoding a repressor for the efflux pump) was detected in most of the ceftriaxone-resistant strains. The qRT-PCR revealed increased expression of the AcrAB-TolC efflux pump and decreased expression of invA and stn in the ceftriaxone-resistant strains. Moreover, decreased invasion into cultured epithelial cells and reduced growth rates were observed with the resistant strains. These results suggest that acquisition of ceftriaxone resistance is associated with the overexpression of the AcrAB-TolC efflux pump and leads to reduced virulence in Salmonella Typhimurium.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology*
  • Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / genetics
  • Bacterial Proteins / genetics
  • Base Sequence
  • Ceftriaxone / pharmacology*
  • Cephalosporin Resistance / genetics*
  • Down-Regulation
  • Enterotoxins / genetics
  • Escherichia coli Proteins / genetics
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial*
  • HeLa Cells
  • Humans
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Point Mutation
  • Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Repressor Proteins / genetics
  • Salmonella Infections / microbiology
  • Salmonella typhimurium / drug effects*
  • Salmonella typhimurium / genetics
  • Salmonella typhimurium / pathogenicity*
  • Salmonella typhimurium / physiology
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA
  • Up-Regulation
  • Virulence / genetics

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins
  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Enterotoxins
  • Escherichia coli Proteins
  • Repressor Proteins
  • arcA protein, E coli
  • enterotoxin, Salmonella
  • invA protein, Bacteria
  • Ceftriaxone

Associated data

  • GENBANK/JQ689080