Mechanisms of intrinsic resistance and acquired susceptibility of Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from cystic fibrosis patients to temocillin, a revived antibiotic

Sci Rep. 2017 Jan 16:7:40208. doi: 10.1038/srep40208.

Abstract

The β-lactam antibiotic temocillin (6-α-methoxy-ticarcillin) shows stability to most extended spectrum β-lactamases, but is considered inactive against Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Mutations in the MexAB-OprM efflux system, naturally occurring in cystic fibrosis (CF) isolates, have been previously shown to reverse this intrinsic resistance. In the present study, we measured temocillin activity in a large collection (n = 333) of P. aeruginosa CF isolates. 29% of the isolates had MICs ≤ 16 mg/L (proposed clinical breakpoint for temocillin). Mutations were observed in mexA or mexB in isolates for which temocillin MIC was ≤512 mg/L (nucleotide insertions or deletions, premature termination, tandem repeat, nonstop, and missense mutations). A correlation was observed between temocillin MICs and efflux rate of N-phenyl-1-naphthylamine (MexAB-OprM fluorescent substrate) and extracellular exopolysaccharide abundance (contributing to a mucoid phenotype). OpdK or OpdF anion-specific porins expression decreased temocillin MIC by ~1 two-fold dilution only. Contrarily to the common assumption that temocillin is inactive on P. aeruginosa, we show here clinically-exploitable MICs on a non-negligible proportion of CF isolates, explained by a wide diversity of mutations in mexA and/or mexB. In a broader context, this work contributes to increase our understanding of MexAB-OprM functionality and help delineating how antibiotics interact with MexA and MexB.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • 1-Naphthylamine / analogs & derivatives
  • 1-Naphthylamine / metabolism
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology*
  • Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / genetics
  • Biological Transport
  • Biological Variation, Population
  • Cystic Fibrosis / complications*
  • DNA Mutational Analysis
  • Humans
  • Membrane Transport Proteins / genetics
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests
  • Mutation
  • Penicillins / pharmacology*
  • Polysaccharides, Bacterial / metabolism
  • Porins / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Pseudomonas Infections / microbiology*
  • Pseudomonas aeruginosa / drug effects*
  • Pseudomonas aeruginosa / isolation & purification*

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins
  • Membrane Transport Proteins
  • MexA protein, Pseudomonas aeruginosa
  • MexB protein, Pseudomonas aeruginosa
  • Penicillins
  • Polysaccharides, Bacterial
  • Porins
  • temocillin
  • N-phenyl-1-naphthylamine
  • 1-Naphthylamine