Hybrid Resistance and Virulence Plasmids in “High-Risk” Clones of Klebsiella pneumoniae, Including Those Carrying blaNDM-5

Microorganisms

Frances Davies¹  Jack Turton²  Jane Turton³  Rachel Pike³  Claire Perry³  Zoë Payne³ 

[1]Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, North West London Pathology, Hammersmith Hospital, Du Cane Road, London W12 0HS, UK

[2]Independent Informatician, NW9 0TA c/o National Infection Service, Public Health England, 61, Colindale Avenue, London NW9 5EQ, UK

[3]National Infection Service, Public Health England, 61, Colindale Avenue, London NW9 5EQ, UK

关键词: virulence plasmid;    rmpA/rmpA2;    carbapenemase;    high-risk clone;    Klebsiella pneumoniae;    nanopore sequencing;   

DOI  :  10.3390/microorganisms7090326

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Virulence plasmids are associated with hypervirulent types of Klebsiella pneumoniae, which generally do not carry antibiotic resistance genes. In contrast, nosocomial isolates are often associated with resistance, but rarely with virulence plasmids. Here, we describe virulence plasmids in nosocomial isolates of “high-risk” clones of sequence types (STs) 15, 48, 101, 147 and 383 carrying carbapenemase genes. The whole genome sequences were determined by long-read nanopore sequencing. The 12 isolates all contained hybrid plasmids containing both resistance and virulence genes. All carried rmpA/rmpA2 and the aerobactin cluster, with the virulence plasmids of two of three representatives of ST383 carrying bla_NDM-5 and seventeen other resistance genes. Representatives of ST48 and ST15 had virulence plasmid-associated genes distributed between two plasmids, both containing antibiotic resistance genes. Representatives of ST101 were remarkable in all sharing virulence plasmids in which iucC and terAWXYZ were missing and iucB and iucD truncated. The combination of resistance and virulence in plasmids of high-risk clones is extremely worrying. Virulence plasmids were often notably consistent within a lineage, even in the absence of epidemiological links, suggesting they are not moving between types. However, there was a common segment containing multiple resistance genes in virulence plasmids of representatives of both STs 48 and 383.

【 授权许可】

Unknown