Co occurrence of two 16S rRNA methyltrasferases along with NDM and OXA 48 like carbapenamases on a single plasmid in Klebsiella pneumoniae.

BACKGROUND: The carbapenemase-encoding genes, blaNDM- and blaOXA-48 - like, confer resistance to all the known beta-lactams and are encountered along with other beta-lactamase-encoding genes and/or 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA)-methylating genes. The co-occurrence of blaNDM and blaOXA-48 - like on a single plasmid is a rare occurrence. AIM AND OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the study was to characterize the plasmids in Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates producing 16S rRNA methyltransferase along with blaNDM , blaOXA-48-like , and other resistance encoding genes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One-hundred and seventeen K. pneumoniae clinical isolates which were resistant to aminoglycosides were collected. Polymerase chain reaction-based screening for 16S rRNA methyltransferase genes armA, rmtB, and rmtC; carbapenamase genes blaNDM , blaOXA-48-like , blaIMP, blaVIM, and blaKPC ; and other resistance genes such as blaTEM, blaSHV, blaCTX-M, and qnr (A, B, and S) determinants acc (6') Ib-cr was performed. Conjugation experiment was carried out for seven isolates that anchored blaNDM and blaOXA-48-like along with any one of the 16S rRNA methyltransferases. The plasmid-based replicon typing for different plasmid-incompatible (Inc) group was performed on the conjugatively transferable plasmids. RESULTS: Among the 16S rRNA methyltransferases, armA was more predominant. blaNDM and blaOXA-48 -like were present in 56 (47.86%) and 22 (18.80%) isolates, respectively. Out of seven isolates which were conjugatively transferable, only four had blaNDM and blaOXA-48 - like on the same plasmid and they belonged to Inc N and A/C replicon. Three isolates co-harbored 16S rRNA methyltransferases armA, rmtB, and rmtC, and out of the them, one isolate harbored two 16S rRNA methyltransferases armA and rmtB, on the single-plasmid replicon A/C. CONCLUSION: This is the first report revealing the coexistence of blaNDM and blaOXA-48 - like co-harboring two 16S rRNA methylases on a single conjugative plasmid replicon belonging to incompatibility group A/C.

Estimation of air-to-grass mass interception factors for iodine.

Air-to-grass mass interception factors for radionuclide are important basic input parameter for the estimation of radiation dose to the public around a nuclear power plant. In this paper, we present the determination of air-to- grass mass interception factors for iodine using a 2 m × 2 m × 2 m (l × b × h) size environmental chamber. The temperature, humidity, and rainfall inside the environmental chamber was controlled to required values to simulate different environmental conditions. Grass (Pennisetum purpureum, Schum), grown in pots, was kept inside the environmental chamber and stable iodine in elemental form was sublimed quickly inside the chamber to simulate an accidental release of iodine to the environment. The concentration of iodine in the air was measured periodically by drawing air through a bubbling setup, containing 1% sodium carbonate solution. The mass interception factor for dry deposition varied in the range of 0.25-7.7 m2 kg-1 with mean value of 2.2 m2 kg-1 with respect to fresh weight of grass, and that due to wet deposition varied in the range of 0.6-4.8 m2 kg-1 with mean value of 2.3 m2 kg-1. The mass interception factor was inversely correlated with the total iodine deposited through dry deposition as well as with the rainfall.