Hoang Trang Thu, Le Huyen Thanh Thi, Nguyen Sang Ngoc, Nguyen Ung Dinh, Tran Tuan Ngoc, Nguyen Cuong Hung, Truong Thang Quang, Vo Nam S, Le Duc Quang, Nguyen Son Hoang, Cao Minh Duc, Dao Thi Minh Ngoc, Bui Thi Huyen, Nguyen Thu An, Pham Thi Lan Anh, Le Thi Bich Thao, Ho Tho Huu
Department of Genomics, Institute of Biomedicine & Pharmacy, Military Medical University, Hanoi, Vietnam.
Vinh Medical University, Nghean, Vietnam.
Sci Rep. 2025 Mar 17;15(1):9065. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-93587-0.
Imipenem-resistant Escherichia coli strains represent a growing public health concern, posing a threat due to their resistance to last-resort antibiotics. Here, we present the discovery of the Imipenem-Linked Resistance Gene VIN (ILR-VIN) within E. coli isolates from Vietnam, revealing its absence in non-resistant E. coli and local bacterial species. ILR-VIN constitutes a previously unrecognized genetic element potentially linked to Imipenem resistance, with notable prevalence in Vietnamese E. coli strains.We conducted an in-depth examination of the genetic basis of Carbapenem resistance in E. coli strains causing urinary tract infections. In a set of 47 UTI strains, we identified five displaying Imipenem resistance, with four of them carrying known resistance genes. Interestingly, ECV219, despite exhibiting Imipenem resistance, lacked known resistance genes, suggesting an unreported resistance mechanism. Comparative genetic analysis revealed distinct genes in ECV219, indicating a novel Imipenem resistance gene. To assess its function, we conducted transformation experiments in E. coli Rosetta™(DE3)pLysS and performed bioinformatics analyses using BLASTp, InterProScan, and Pfam to characterize the gene's structure and potential functions.Our study identifies ILR-VIN as a novel gene linked to Imipenem resistance in E. coli isolate lacking known Imipenem-resistance genes. Experimental evidence confirmed that ILR-VIN expression enhances bacterial survival under Imipenem stress, providing direct evidence of its role in resistance. This discovery highlights the importance of ongoing research into antibiotic resistance genes to develop effective treatment strategies against antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections.
耐亚胺培南的大肠杆菌菌株对公共卫生构成了日益严重的威胁，因其对最后手段抗生素具有耐药性。在此，我们展示了在越南分离出的大肠杆菌中发现的与亚胺培南相关的耐药基因VIN（ILR-VIN），揭示了其在非耐药大肠杆菌和当地细菌物种中不存在。ILR-VIN构成了一个以前未被识别的潜在与亚胺培南耐药性相关的遗传元件，在越南大肠杆菌菌株中具有显著的流行率。我们对引起尿路感染的大肠杆菌菌株中碳青霉烯耐药性的遗传基础进行了深入研究。在一组47株尿路感染菌株中，我们鉴定出5株表现出对亚胺培南耐药，其中4株携带已知的耐药基因。有趣的是，ECV219尽管表现出对亚胺培南耐药，但缺乏已知的耐药基因，这表明存在一种未报道的耐药机制。比较遗传分析揭示了ECV219中的不同基因，表明存在一个新的亚胺培南耐药基因。为了评估其功能，我们在大肠杆菌Rosetta™(DE3)pLysS中进行了转化实验，并使用BLASTp、InterProScan和Pfam进行了生物信息学分析，以表征该基因的结构和潜在功能。我们的研究将ILR-VIN鉴定为在缺乏已知亚胺培南耐药基因的大肠杆菌分离物中与亚胺培南耐药性相关的新基因。实验证据证实，ILR-VIN的表达增强了细菌在亚胺培南压力下的存活能力，为其在耐药性中的作用提供了直接证据。这一发现凸显了对抗生素耐药基因进行持续研究以制定针对耐药细菌感染的有效治疗策略的重要性。
