Genetic variation in the conjugative plasmidome of a hospital effluent multidrug resistant Escherichia coli strain
Journal article, 2019

Bacteria harboring conjugative plasmids have the potential for spreading antibiotic resistance through horizontal gene transfer. It is described that the selection and dissemination of antibiotic resistance is enhanced by stressors, like metals or antibiotics, which can occur as environmental contaminants. This study aimed at unveiling the composition of the conjugative plasmidome of a hospital effluent multidrug resistant Escherichia coli strain (H1FC54) under different mating conditions. To meet this objective, plasmid pulsed field gel electrophoresis, optical mapping analyses and DNA sequencing were used in combination with phenotype analysis. Strain H1FC54 was observed to harbor five plasmids, three of which were conjugative and two of these, pH1FC54_330 and pH1FC54_140, contained metal and antibiotic resistance genes. Transconjugants obtained in the absence or presence of tellurite (0.5 μM or 5 μM), arsenite (0.5 μM, 5 μM or 15 μM) or ceftazidime (10 mg/L) and selected in the presence of sodium azide (100 mg/L) and tetracycline (16 mg/L) presented distinct phenotypes, associated with the acquisition of different plasmid combinations, including two co-integrate plasmids, of 310 kbp and 517 kbp. The variable composition of the conjugative plasmidome, the formation of co-integrates during conjugation, as well as the transfer of non-transferable plasmids via co-integration, and the possible association between antibiotic, arsenite and tellurite tolerance was demonstrated. These evidences bring interesting insights into the comprehension of the molecular and physiological mechanisms that underlie antibiotic resistance propagation in the environment.

PFGE

Optical DNA mapping

Arsenite

Tellurite

PacBio

Author

Catarina Ferreira

Catholic University of Portugal

D. Bogas

Catholic University of Portugal

Santosh K. Bikarolla

Chalmers, Biology and Biological Engineering, Chemical Biology

Ana Rita Varela

University of Porto

Catholic University of Portugal

Karolin Frykholm

Chalmers, Biology and Biological Engineering, Chemical Biology

Raquel Linheiro

Catholic University of Portugal

O. C. Nunes

University of Porto

Fredrik Westerlund

Chalmers, Biology and Biological Engineering, Chemical Biology

C. M. Manaia

Catholic University of Portugal

Chemosphere

0045-6535 (ISSN) 18791298 (eISSN)

Vol. 220 748-759

Subject Categories

Infectious Medicine

Microbiology

Microbiology in the medical area

DOI

10.1016/j.chemosphere.2018.12.130

More information

Latest update

4/17/2020