Analysis of the upstream genetic structures of the ISEcp1-blaCTX-M transposition units in Escherichia coli isolates carrying blaCTX-M obtained from the Indonesian and Vietnamese communities.

Extended spectrum ß-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli have been found in healthy individuals in Indonesia and Vietnam. The ISEcp1-blaCTX-M transposition unit of ESBL-producing bacterial isolates has been considered responsible for the production of CTX-M type ESBL and it is important for the dissemination of blaCTX-M . This study aimed to characterize the upstream genetic structure (UGS) of E. coli isolates possessing blaCTX-M-1 group and/or blaCTX-M-9 group genes obtained from healthy individuals in Indonesia and Vietnam. A total of 501 CTX-M type ESBL-producing E. coli isolates possessing blaCTX-M-1 group and/or blaCTX-M-9 group genes were obtained from healthy individuals of the two countries in 2018. The UGSs of the ISEcp1-blaCTX-M transposition unit of the 501 ESBL-producing E. coli isolates were amplified by barcode-adaptor-ligation-mediated PCR and analyzed using the Nanopore sequencer. The obtained sequence information was used to classify the UGSs of the ISEcp1-blaCTX-M transposition unit. From the 501 ESBL-producing E. coli isolates, 502 UGSs were obtained, which were classified into 85 UGS types based on the sequence. ISEcp1 of 359 (71.5%) of the 502 UGSs was disrupted by gene insertion, and ISEcp1-blaCTX-M transposition unit of most (87.1%) of the determined UGSs was confirmed as plasmidic. Only 6 (7.1%) of the 85 UGS types were common to both countries. Our results indicated that many different UGSs of ISEcp1-blaCTX-M transposition units were detected in Indonesia and Vietnam; hence, we suggest that structurally different kinds of plasmids harboring blaCTX-M were separately distributed in the two countries.

A high-throughput sequencing determination method for upstream genetic structure (UGS) of ISEcp1-blaCTX-M transposition unit and application of the UGS to classification of bacterial isolates possessing blaCTX-M.

INTRODUCTION: Because blaCTX-M is responsible for resistance of bacteria to the third generation cephalosporins, location of blaCTX-M could be a good indicator for classifying bacterial isolates harboring blaCTX-M in molecular epidemiology. However, determination of blaCTX-M location has been difficult when multiple copies of ISEcp1 were found on bacterial genome. We aimed to establish a high-throughput analytical method for upstream genetic structures (UGS) of ISEcp1 to facilitate determination of blaCTX-M location. METHODS: Extracted DNA samples obtained from 168 Escherichia coli isolates possessing blaCTX-M were digested by restriction enzyme, HaeIII, and the digested DNA fragments were ligated with homemade barcode adaptors. Then, DNA fragments containing UGS of ISEcp1 were amplified and subjected to the Nanopore sequencer. RESULTS: Nucleotide sequences and locations of 168 UGSs obtained from the examined E. coli isolates were determined. Among the 168 determined UGSs, 150 (89.3%) UGS were confirmed on plasmid and classified into eight types. Interestingly, coding sequence of ISEcp1 transposase gene in seven of the eight types were disrupted by IS26 insertion. The remaining 18 (10.7%) UGSs were observed in identical chromosomal region. The obtained nucleotide sequences the locations of UGSs were confirmed by conventional capillary sequencer and Southern blotting, respectively, and any discrepant result was not observed with these confirmation procedures. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicated that the established method was efficient for simultaneously determining at least 100 different UGS, and suggested that the determined UGSs of ISEcp1-blaCTX-M transposition unit was useful for classification of bacterial isolates harboring blaCTX-M.

Characterization of blaCTX-M-14 transposition from plasmid to chromosome in Escherichia coli experimental strain.

Mostly, blaCTX-M is found on transferable plasmids as a component of the blaCTX-M transposition unit containing an insertion sequence, ISEcp1, which exists on the upstream region of blaCTX-Ms. Several recent studies conducted in clinical and community settings have reported the presence of chromosomally located blaCTX-M in extended spectrum ß-lactamase (ESBL)-producing bacterial isolates. In this study, we observed the frequency and molecular nature of the ISEcp1-mediated transposition of blaCTX-M-14 from a plasmid to a chromosome by using an experimental strain of Escherichia coli. We determined 102 different chromosomal transposition sites of blaCTX-M-14 in 126 E. coli isolates following five independent screening procedures. The characterization of the 102 different chromosomal transposition sites of blaCTX-M-14 observed in this study revealed the presence of 5-bp direct repeat (DR) sequences and identical left terminal inverted sequences in 80 E. coli isolates. However, 5'-flanking sequences of the right terminal DR sequences in the 80 E. coli isolates were highly diverse, and consensus sequences of the right terminal inverted repeat sequences were not observed. In case of our E. coli experimental strain, the frequency of the ISEcp1-mediated transposition of blaCTX-M-14 from a plasmid to a chromosome was determined to be 0.51% (SD = 0.37). Collectively, the molecular nature of ISEcp1 could plausibly be a factor contributing to the high detection rates of E. coli possessing chromosomally located blaCTX-M-14 in both clinical and community settings.

Characterization of CTX-M-type-extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacteriaceae isolated from Indonesian undergraduate medical students of a university in Surabaya, Indonesia.

Enterobacteriaceae isolates producing CTX-M-type extended-spectrum ß-lactamase (ESBL) has been found in hospitalized patients and healthy individuals in communities of the Southeast Asian countries. Medical students might have more risk of ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae contagion, because medical students who belong to communities have direct and indirect contacts with workers and patients in healthcare facilities. The aim of this study was to collect information for evaluation of the potential risk of ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae contagion in Indonesian undergraduate medical students by characterizing genotypic properties of Escherichia coli isolates-producing CTX-M-type ESBL. A total 141 fecal samples collected from 207 medical students of a university in Surabaya, Indonesia were subjected to PCR, XbaI and S1 nuclease-pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), Southern blotting, and sequencing analysis. Eighty-two ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae, including 75 E. coli and 7 Klebsiella pneumoniae were isolated from 79 (56.0%) students. Among 75 ESBL-producing E. coli, blaCTX-M-15 was the most prevalent type (44.0%). Although XbaI-PFGE results showed genetic background of the E. coli isolates producing CTX-M-type ESBL were diverse, five clonal spread cases of certain E. coli producing CTX-M-type ESBL isolates were observed among the medical students. Our results suggested that ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae might be circulating among the medical students through contaminated environment such as in a university or communities they belonged.