A novel family of genomic resistance islands, AbGRI2, contributing to aminoglycoside resistance in Acinetobacter baumannii isolates belonging to global clone 2.

OBJECTIVES

To determine the context and location of antibiotic resistance genes in carbapenem- and aminoglycoside-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii global clone 2 (GC2) isolates carrying a class 1 integron.

METHODS

Isolates were from Sydney hospitals. Resistance to antibiotics was determined by disc diffusion. BLAST searches identified relevant DNA fragments in a draft genome sequence. PCR was used to assemble fragments and map equivalent regions.

RESULTS

In two isolates belonging to GC2, WM99c and A91, the bla(TEM) gene, the class 1 integron carrying the aacC1-orfP-orfP-orfQ-aadA1 cassette array and sul1 gene, and the aphA1b gene in Tn6020 were each in segments flanked by IS26. These, together with a fourth IS26-flanked segment, formed a 19.5 kb genomic resistance island (GRI), designated AbGRI2-1, containing five copies of IS26. Part of this island was identical to part of the multiple antibiotic resistance region of AbaR-type islands found in global clone 1 (GC1). AbGRI2-1 has replaced a 40.9 kb segment found in the AB0057 genome. Related GRIs were identified in the same location in published GC2 genomes and appear to have arisen from AbGRI2-1 via IS26-mediated deletions. Like A91, WM99c carries ISAba1 upstream of ampC and Tn6167, an AbGRI1-type island in the chromosomal comM gene containing sul2, tet(B), strA and strB genes and bla(OXA-23) in Tn2006. In WM99c, the chromosomal gene encoding OXA-Ab is interrupted by ISAba17.

CONCLUSIONS

AbGRI2-1 is the largest so far of a new type of GRI designated AbGRI2 to distinguish them from the islands in comM in GC1 isolates (AbaR type) and in GC2 isolates (AbGRI1 type).