Department of Epidemiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China.
College of Biomedical Sciences, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, China.
Microbiol Spectr. 2021 Dec 22;9(3):e0200521. doi: 10.1128/Spectrum.02005-21.
Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and horizontal transfer of ARGs among bacterial species in the environment can have serious clinical implications as such transfers can lead to disease outbreaks from multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria. Infections due to antibiotic-resistant and in intensive care units have been increasing in recent years. In this study, the multi-antibiotic-resistant strain sp. POL2 was isolated from the wastewater of a livestock farm. Whole-genome sequencing and annotation revealed that the POL2 genome encodes dozens of ARGs. The integrative and conjugative element (ICE) ICEPOL2, which encodes ARGs associated with four types of antibiotics, including carbapenem, was identified in the POL2 genome, and phylogenetic affiliation analysis suggested that ICEPOL2 evolved from related ICEs of spp. Conjugation assays verified that ICEPOL2 can horizontally transfer to species, suggesting that ICEPOL2 contributes to the dissemination of multiple ARGs among spp. and spp. Because spp. is associated with clinically significant infections and high mortality, there would be challenges to clinical treatment if these bacteria acquire ICEPOL2 with its multiple ARGs, especially the carbapenem resistance gene. Therefore, the results of this study support the need for monitoring the dissemination of this type of ICE in and strains to prevent further outbreaks of MDR bacteria. Infections with multiple antibiotic-resistant and in intensive care units have been increasing in recent years. In this study, the mobile integrative and conjugative element ICEPOL2, which was associated with the transmission of a carbapenem resistance gene, was identified in the genome of the multi-antibiotic-resistant strain sp. POL2. ICEPOL2 is closely related to the ICEs from species, and ICEPOL2 can horizontally transfer to species with the gene as the insertion site. Because species are associated with clinically significant infections and high mortality, the ability of ICEPOL2 to transfer carbapenem resistance from environmental strains of to is of clinical concern.
抗生素耐药基因（ARGs）和环境中细菌种间 ARGs 的水平转移可能具有严重的临床意义，因为这种转移可导致多药耐药（MDR）细菌引起的疾病爆发。近年来，重症监护病房中因抗生素耐药和的感染呈上升趋势。在这项研究中，从一个养殖场的废水分离出多抗生素耐药菌株 sp. POL2。全基因组测序和注释表明，POL2 基因组编码数十个 ARGs。在 POL2 基因组中发现了整合子和可移动性基因元件（ICE）ICEPOL2，其编码与四种抗生素相关的 ARGs，包括碳青霉烯类抗生素。系统发育分析表明，ICEPOL2 是从相关的 spp. ICEs 进化而来。接合试验证实，ICEPOL2 可水平转移到 spp. 物种，表明 ICEPOL2 有助于 spp. 和 spp. 之间多种 ARGs 的传播。由于 spp. 与临床上重要的感染和高死亡率有关，如果这些细菌获得了携带多种 ARGs 的 ICEPOL2，尤其是碳青霉烯类耐药基因，将会给临床治疗带来挑战。因此，本研究结果支持有必要监测 spp. 和 spp. 中这种 ICE 的传播，以防止 MDR 细菌的进一步爆发。近年来，重症监护病房中感染多种抗生素耐药和的情况有所增加。在这项研究中，在多抗生素耐药菌株 sp. POL2 的基因组中发现了与碳青霉烯类耐药基因传播相关的移动整合子和可移动性基因元件 ICEPOL2。ICEPOL2 与 spp. 的 ICEs 密切相关，并且可以作为插入位点将 基因水平转移到 spp. 物种中。由于 spp. 与临床上重要的感染和高死亡率有关，因此 ICEPOL2 从环境菌株转移到 spp. 的碳青霉烯类耐药性引起了临床关注。
