Characterisation of blaKPC-2-harbouring plasmids recovered from Pseudomonas aeruginosa ST654 and ST235 high-risk clones

Daniela Cejas; Alan Elena; Francisco E González-Espinosa; Lucia Pallecchi; Carlos Vay; Gian Maria Rossolini; Gabriel Gutkind; Vincenzo Di Pilato; Marcela Radice

doi:10.1016/j.jgar.2022.04.017

Characterisation of bla_KPC-2-harbouring plasmids recovered from Pseudomonas aeruginosa ST654 and ST235 high-risk clones

J Glob Antimicrob Resist. 2022 Jun:29:310-312. doi: 10.1016/j.jgar.2022.04.017. Epub 2022 Apr 25.

Authors

Daniela Cejas¹, Alan Elena¹, Francisco E González-Espinosa¹, Lucia Pallecchi², Carlos Vay³, Gian Maria Rossolini⁴, Gabriel Gutkind¹, Vincenzo Di Pilato⁵, Marcela Radice⁶

Affiliations

¹ Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Instituto de Investigaciones en Bacteriología y Virología Molecular (IBaViM), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina; CONICET (Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
² Department of Medical Biotechnologies, University of Siena, Siena, Italy.
³ Hospital de Clínicas José de San Martín, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
⁴ Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
⁵ Department of Surgical Sciences and Integrated Diagnostics (DISC), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy.
⁶ Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Instituto de Investigaciones en Bacteriología y Virología Molecular (IBaViM), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina; CONICET (Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina. Electronic address: marcelaradice@gmail.com.

PMID: 35483613
DOI: 10.1016/j.jgar.2022.04.017

Abstract

Objective: The main objectives were to describe two bla_KPC-2 plasmids recovered from Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates belonging to the ST654 and ST235 high-risk clones, and to compare with complete sequences of bla_KPC-2 harbouring plasmids available in public databases.

Methods: Antimicrobial susceptibility was determined according to CLSI (Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute) guidelines. Genomes were sequenced using an Illumina MiSeq platform, and bla_KPC-2 plasmid sequences were achieved using MinION platform. Sequences were analysed using Unicycler and RAST. In silico predictions of the isolates sequence type (ST), antimicrobial resistance genes, plasmid replicon typing and MOB relaxases were fulfilled using bioinformatics tools.

Results: PA_2047 and PA_HdC isolates corresponded to the high-risk clones ST654 and ST235, respectively. The carbapenem resistance was mediated by KPC-2. Both bla_KPC-2 harbouring plasmids, pPA_2047 and pPA_HdC, were different among them, non-conjugative and untypable by PlasmidFinder. pPA_2047 presented high identity with a Pae-13 plasmid, and these both located bla_KPC-2 in Tn4401b isoform. pPA_HdC displayed a novel architecture, and the genetic context of bla_KPC-2 was original. Besides the bla_KPC-2 gene, resistance genes to aminoglycosides and quinolones were detected, including the novel phosphotransferase CrpP in PA_HdC.

Conclusion: This study expands the limited knowledge about the molecular epidemiology of bla_KPC-2 in P. aeruginosa from Latin America. Two novel plasmids harbouring bla_KPC-2 were described that were untypable by their incompatibility group. The plasmid recovered from P. aeruginosa PA_HdC (ST235) displayed a novel architecture and an original context for bla_KPC-2. On the other hand, the genetic platform carrying bla_KPC-2 in P. aeruginosa PA_2047 (ST654) seems to a be a classical one.

Keywords: Plasmids; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; ST235; ST654; bla(KPC-2).

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology
Clone Cells
Microbial Sensitivity Tests
Plasmids / genetics
Pseudomonas aeruginosa* / genetics
beta-Lactamases* / genetics

Substances

Anti-Bacterial Agents
beta-Lactamases