Targeting TGFß-activated kinase-1 activation in microglia reduces CAR T immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome.

Cancer immunotherapy with chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells can cause immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS). However, the molecular mechanisms leading to ICANS are not well understood. Here we examined the role of microglia using mouse models and cohorts of individuals with ICANS. CD19-directed CAR (CAR19) T cell transfer in B cell lymphoma-bearing mice caused microglia activation and neurocognitive deficits. The TGFß-activated kinase-1 (TAK1)-NF-κB-p38 MAPK pathway was activated in microglia after CAR19 T cell transfer. Pharmacological TAK1 inhibition or genetic Tak1 deletion in microglia using Cx3cr1CreER:Tak1fl/fl mice resulted in reduced microglia activation and improved neurocognitive activity. TAK1 inhibition allowed for potent CAR19-induced antilymphoma effects. Individuals with ICANS exhibited microglia activation in vivo when studied by translocator protein positron emission tomography, and imaging mass cytometry revealed a shift from resting to activated microglia. In summary, we prove a role for microglia in ICANS pathophysiology, identify the TAK1-NF-κB-p38 MAPK axis as a pathogenic signaling pathway and provide a rationale to test TAK1 inhibition in a clinical trial for ICANS prevention after CAR19 T cell-based cancer immunotherapy.

Role of viable but non culturable cells in patients with cystic fibrosis in the era of highly effective modulator therapy.

BACKGROUND: Lung infections antibiotic treatment in Cystic Fibrosis patients (pwCF) is often complicated by bacterial persisters, including the so-called Viable but Non Culturable (VBNC) forms, live cells undetected by the routine cultural microbiological methods. This study investigated the occurrence of VBNC cells of five CF bacterial pathogens in 94 pwCF over one year and the possible associations with the patients' clinical features. METHODS: Sputum samples, recovered at routine visits and during exacerbation episodes, were analyzed for the presence of the five pathogens by both routine culture-based assays and species-specific qPCR. VBNC cells were estimated as the difference between molecular and cultural counts and their presence was matched with the clinical data in particular the therapeutic regimens. RESULTS: All but ten pwCF showed the presence of VBNC cells at least once during the study. Pseudomonas aeruginosa and methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus were the species most frequently found in the VBNC state. Only the former showed a significant association between chronic infection and VBNC cells presence; VBNC-MSSA positive patients significantly increased overtime. The presence of non culturable bacteria was generally concurrent with poor lung functionality and more frequent pulmonary exacerbations. No significant association with modulator treatment was evidenced. CONCLUSIONS: The obtained data demonstrated the overwhelming occurrence of bacterial VBNC cells in CF lung infections, warranting a constant monitoring of pwCF and underlining the need of implementing the routine culture-based assays with culture-independent techniques. This is pivotal to understand the CF bacterial population dynamics and to efficiently contrast the lung infection progression and worsening.

Involvement of Acquired Tobramycin Resistance in the Shift to the Viable but Non-Culturable State in Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Persistent and viable but non-culturable (VBNC) Pseudomonas aeruginosa cells are mainly responsible for the recurrence and non-responsiveness to antibiotics of cystic fibrosis (CF) lung infections. The sub-inhibitory antibiotic concentrations found in the CF lung in between successive therapeutic cycles can trigger the entry into the VBNC state, albeit with a strain-specific pattern. Here, we analyzed the VBNC cell induction in the biofilms of two CF P. aeruginosa isolates, exposed to starvation with/without antibiotics, and investigated the putative genetic determinants involved. Total viable bacterial cells were quantified by the validated ecfX-targeting qPCR protocol and the VBNC cells were estimated as the difference between qPCR and cultural counts. The isolates were both subjected to whole genome sequencing, with attention focused on their carriage of aminoglycoside resistance genes and on identifying mutated toxin-antitoxin and quorum sensing systems. The obtained results suggest the variable contribution of different antibiotic resistance mechanisms to VBNC cell abundance, identifying a major contribution from tobramycin efflux, mediated by MexXY efflux pump overexpression. The genome analysis evidenced putative mutation hotspots, which deserve further investigation. Therefore, drug efflux could represent a crucial mechanism through which the VBNC state is entered and a potential target for anti-persistence strategies.

New C-6 functionalized quinoline NorA inhibitors strongly synergize with ciprofloxacin against planktonic and biofilm growing resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) represents a global health issue threatening our social lifestyle and the world economy. Efflux pumps are widely involved in AMR by playing a primary role in the development of specific mechanisms of resistance. In addition, they seem to be involved in the process of biofilm formation and maintenance, contributing to enhance the risk of creating superbugs difficult to treat. Accordingly, the identification of non-antibiotic molecules able to block efflux pumps, namely efflux pump inhibitors (EPIs), could be a promising strategy to counteract AMR and restore the antimicrobial activity of ineffective antibiotics. Herein, we enlarge the knowledge about the structure-activity relationship of 2-phenylquinoline Staphylococcus aureus NorA EPIs by reporting a new series of very potent C-6 functionalized derivatives. Best compounds significantly inhibited ethidium bromide efflux in a NorA-overexpressing S. aureus strain (SA-1199B) and strongly synergized at very low concentrations (0.20-0.78 µg/mL) with ciprofloxacin (CPX) against CPX-resistant S. aureus strains (SA-1199B and SA-K2378), as proved by checkerboard and time-kill experiments. In addition, some of these EPIs (9b and 10a) produced a post-antibiotic effect of 1.2 h and strongly enhanced antibiofilm activity of CPX against SA-1199B strain. Interestingly, at the concentrations used to reach synergy with CPX against resistant S. aureus strains, most of the EPI compounds did not show any human cell toxicity. Finally, by exploiting the recent released crystal structure of NorA, we observed that best EPI 9b highlighted a favourable docking pose, establishing some interesting interactions with key residues.

Therapy response of glucocorticoid-refractory acute GVHD of the lower intestinal tract.

Acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) is a major life-threatening complication of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation. While most studies report therapy-response of aGVHD including a cumulative grade of skin, liver and intestinal tract manifestations, there is a lack of information specifically on lower gastrointestinal tract aGVHD (GI-GVHD) therapy-response, which is highly relevant in light of novel therapies that target intestinal regeneration such as IL-22, R-spondin or GLP-2. Here we retrospectively analyzed patients who developed GI-GVHD over a 6-year period. A total of 144 patients developed GI-GVHD and 82 (57%) were resistant to glucocorticoid-therapy (SR). The most commonly used second-line therapy was ruxolitinib (74%). Overall and complete response (CR) to ruxolitinib on day 28 were 44.5% and 13%, respectively. SR-GVHD patients experienced a lower 5-year overall survival (OS) (34.8 vs 53.3%, p = 0.0014) and higher incidence of 12-months non-relapse-mortality (39.2 vs 14.3%, p = 0.016) compared to glucocorticoid-sensitive patients. SR-GI-GVHD patients, that achieved a CR on day 28 after ruxolitinib start, experienced a higher OS compared to non-CR patients (p = 0.04). These findings indicate that therapy response of SR-GI-GVHD to different immunosuppressive approaches is still low, and that novel therapies specifically aiming at enhanced intestinal regeneration should be tested in clinical trials.

FLT3-inhibitor therapy for prevention and treatment of relapse after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation.

The curative potential of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT) for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) relies on the graft-versus-leukemia (GVL)-effect. Relapse after allo-HCT occurs in a considerable proportion of patients, and has a dismal prognosis with very limited curative potential, especially for patients with FLT-ITD-mutated AML. Since the first description of sorafenib for treatment of FLT3-ITD-mutated AML, several clinical trials have tried to determine the efficacy of FLT3 inhibitors for preventing and treating AML relapse after allo-HSCT, but many questions regarding differences among compounds and mechanisms of action remain unanswered. This review provides an overview on the established and evolving use of FLT3 inhibitors to prevent or treat relapse of AML in the context of allo-HCT, focusing on the recently discovered immunogenic potential of some FLT3 inhibitors and addressing the possible mechanisms of leukemia drug-escape.

A proposal for the reference intervals of the Italian microbiota "scaffold" in healthy adults.

Numerous factors, ranging from genetics, age, lifestyle, and dietary habits to local environments, contribute to the heterogeneity of the microbiota in humans. Understanding the variability of a "healthy microbiota" is a major challenge in scientific research. The gut microbiota profiles of 148 healthy Italian volunteers were examined by 16S rRNA gene sequencing to determine the range and diversity of taxonomic compositions in the gut microbiota of healthy populations. Possible driving factors were evaluated through a detailed anamnestic questionnaire. Microbiota reference intervals were also calculated. A "scaffold" of a healthy Italian gut microbiota composition was identified. Differences in relative quantitative ratios of microbiota composition were detected in two clusters: a bigger cluster (C2), which included 124 subjects, was characterized by more people from the northern Italian regions, who habitually practised more physical activity and with fewer dietary restrictions. Species richness and diversity were significantly higher in this cluster (C2) than in the other one (C1) (C1: 146.67 ± 43.67; C2: 198.17 ± 48.47; F = 23.40; P < 0.001 and C1: 16.88 ± 8.66; C2: 35.01 ± 13.40; F = 40.50; P < 0.001, respectively). The main contribution of the present study was the identification of the existence of a primary healthy microbiological framework that is only marginally affected by variations. Taken together, our data help to contextualize studies on population-specific variations, including marginal aspects, in human microbiota composition. Such variations must be related to the primary framework of a healthy microbiota and providing this perspective could help scientists to better design experimental plans and develop strategies for precision tailored microbiota modulation.

Berberine Derivatives as Pseudomonas aeruginosa MexXY-OprM Inhibitors: Activity and In Silico Insights.

The natural alkaloid berberine has been demonstrated to inhibit the Pseudomonas aeruginosa multidrug efflux system MexXY-OprM, which is responsible for tobramycin extrusion by binding the inner membrane transporter MexY. To find a structure with improved inhibitory activity, we compared by molecular dynamics investigations the binding affinity of berberine and three aromatic substituents towards the three polymorphic sequences of MexY found in P. aeruginosa (PAO1, PA7, and PA14). The synergy of the combinations of berberine or berberine derivatives/tobramycin against the same strains was then evaluated by checkerboard and time-kill assays. The in silico analysis evidenced different binding modes depending on both the structure of the berberine derivative and the specific MexY polymorphism. In vitro assays showed an evident MIC reduction (32-fold and 16-fold, respectively) and a 2-3 log greater killing effect after 2 h of exposure to the combinations of 13-(2-methylbenzyl)- and 13-(4-methylbenzyl)-berberine with tobramycin against the tobramycin-resistant strain PA7, a milder synergy (a 4-fold MIC reduction) against PAO1 and PA14, and no synergy against the ΔmexXY strain K1525, confirming the MexY-specific binding and the computational results. These berberine derivatives could thus be considered new hit compounds to select more effective berberine substitutions and their common path of interaction with MexY as the starting point for the rational design of novel MexXY-OprM inhibitors.

From Quinoline to Quinazoline-Based S. aureus NorA Efflux Pump Inhibitors by Coupling a Focused Scaffold Hopping Approach and a Pharmacophore Search.

Antibiotic resistance breakers, such as efflux pump inhibitors (EPIs), represent a powerful alternative to the development of new antimicrobials. Recently, by using previously described EPIs, we developed pharmacophore models able to identify inhibitors of NorA, the most studied efflux pump of Staphylococcus aureus. Herein we report the pharmacophore-based virtual screening of a library of new potential NorA EPIs generated by an in-silico scaffold hopping approach of the quinoline core. After chemical synthesis and biological evaluation of the best virtual hits, we found the quinazoline core as the best performing scaffold. Accordingly, we designed and synthesized a series of functionalized 2-arylquinazolines, which were further evaluated as NorA EPIs. Four of them exhibited a strong synergism with ciprofloxacin and a good inhibition of ethidium bromide efflux on resistant S. aureus strains coupled with low cytotoxicity against human cell lines, thus highlighting a promising safety profile.

The Natural Alkaloid Berberine Can Reduce the Number of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Tolerant Cells.

The eradication of recurrent Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) lung infection in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients may be hampered by the development of persistent bacterial forms, which can tolerate antibiotics through efflux pump overexpression. After demonstrating the efflux pump inhibitory effect of the alkaloid berberine on the PA MexXY-OprM efflux pump, in this study, we tested its ability (80/320 µg/mL) to enhance tobramycin (20xMIC/1000xMIC) activity against PA planktonic/biofilm cultures. Preliminary investigations of the involvement of MexY in PA tolerance to tobramycin treatment, performed on the isogenic pair PA K767 (wild type)/K1525 (ΔmexY) growing in planktonic and biofilm cultures, demonstrated that the ΔmexY mutant K1525 produced a lower (100 and 10 000 times, respectively) amount of tolerant cells than that of the wild type. Next, we grew broth cultures of PAO1, PA14, and 20 PA clinical isolates (of which 13 were from CF patients) in the presence of 20xMIC tobramycin with and without berberine 80 µg/mL. Accordingly, most strains showed a greater (from 10- to 1000-fold) tolerance reduction in the presence of berberine. These findings highlight the involvement of the MexXY-OprM system in the tobramycin tolerance of PA and suggest that berberine may be used in new valuable therapeutic combinations to counteract persister survival.

Contribution of Drugs Interfering with Protein and Cell Wall Synthesis to the Persistence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Biofilms: An In Vitro Model.

The occurrence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) persisters, including viable but non-culturable (VBNC) forms, subpopulations of tolerant cells that can survive high antibiotic doses, is the main reason for PA lung infections failed eradication and recurrence in Cystic Fibrosis (CF) patients, subjected to life-long, cyclic antibiotic treatments. In this paper, we investigated the role of subinhibitory concentrations of different anti-pseudomonas antibiotics in the maintenance of persistent (including VBNC) PA cells in in vitro biofilms. Persisters were firstly selected by exposure to high doses of antibiotics and their abundance over time evaluated, using a combination of cultural, qPCR and flow cytometry assays. Two engineered GFP-producing PA strains were used. The obtained results demonstrated a major involvement of tobramycin and bacterial cell wall-targeting antibiotics in the resilience to starvation of VBNC forms, while the presence of ciprofloxacin and ceftazidime/avibactam lead to their complete loss. Moreover, a positive correlation between tobramycin exposure, biofilm production and c-di-GMP levels was observed. The presented data could allow a deeper understanding of bacterial population dynamics during the treatment of recurrent PA infections and provide a reliable evaluation of the real efficacy of the antibiotic treatments against the bacterial population within the CF lung.

Linezolid Resistance Genes in Enterococci Isolated from Sediment and Zooplankton in Two Italian Coastal Areas.

Linezolid is a last-resort antibiotic for the treatment of severe infections caused by multidrug-resistant Gram-positive organisms; although linezolid resistance remains uncommon, the number of linezolid-resistant enterococci has increased in recent years due to worldwide spread of acquired resistance genes (cfr, optrA, and poxtA) in clinical, animal, and environmental settings. In this study, we investigated the occurrence of linezolid-resistant enterococci in marine samples from two coastal areas in Italy. Isolates grown on florfenicol-supplemented Slanetz-Bartley agar plates were investigated for their carriage of optrA, poxtA, and cfr genes; optrA was found in one Enterococcus faecalis isolate, poxtA was found in three Enterococcus faecium isolates and two Enterococcus hirae isolates, and cfr was not found. Two of the three poxtA-carrying E. faecium isolates and the two E. hirae isolates showed related pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) profiles. Two E. faecium isolates belonged to the new sequence type 1710, which clustered in clonal complex 94, encompassing nosocomial strains. S1 PFGE/hybridization assays showed a double (chromosome and plasmid) location of poxtA and a plasmid location of optrA Whole-genome sequencing revealed that poxtA was contained in a Tn6657-like element carried by two plasmids (pEfm-EF3 and pEh-GE2) of similar size, found in different species, and that poxtA was flanked by two copies of IS1216 in both plasmids. In mating experiments, all but one strain (E. faecalis EN3) were able to transfer the poxtA gene to E. faecium 64/3. The occurrence of linezolid resistance genes in enterococci from marine samples is of great concern and highlights the need to improve practices aimed at limiting the transmission of linezolid-resistant strains to humans from environmental reservoirs.IMPORTANCE Linezolid is one of the few antimicrobials available to treat severe infections due to drug-resistant Gram-positive bacteria; therefore, the emergence of linezolid-resistant enterococci carrying transferable resistance determinants is of great concern for public health. Linezolid resistance genes (cfr, optrA, and poxtA), often plasmid located, can be transmitted via horizontal gene transfer and have the potential to spread globally. This study highlights the detection of enterococci carrying linezolid resistance genes from sediment and zooplankton samples from two coastal urban areas in Italy. The presence of clinically relevant resistant bacteria, such as linezolid-resistant enterococci, in marine environments could reflect their spillover from human and/or animal reservoirs and could indicate that coastal seawaters also might represent a source of these resistance genes.

Diffusion and Characterization of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Aminoglycoside Resistance in an Italian Regional Cystic Fibrosis Centre.

AIMS: Extensively-drug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa constitutes a serious threat to patients suffering from Cystic Fibrosis (CF). In these patients, P. aeruginosa lung infection is commonly treated with aminoglycosides, but treatments are largely unsuccessful due a variety of resistance mechanisms. Here we investigate the prevalence of resistance to gentamicin, amikacin and tobramycin and the main aminoglycoside resistance genes found in P. aeruginosa strains isolated at a regional CF centre. RESULTS: A total number of 147 randomly selected P. aeruginosa strains isolated from respiratory samples sent by the Marche regional Cystic Fibrosis Centre to the Microbiology lab, were included in this study. Of these, 78 (53%) were resistant to at least one of the three aminoglycosides tested and 27% were resistant to all three antibiotics, suggesting a major involvement of a chromosome-encoded mechanism, likely MexXY-OprM efflux pump overexpression. A specific pathogenic clone (found in 7/78 of the aminoglycoside resistant strains) carrying ant(2″)-Ia was isolated over time from the same patient, suggesting a role for this additional resistance gene in the antibiotic unresponsiveness of CF patients. CONCLUSIONS: The MexXY-OprM efflux pump is confirmed as the resistance determinant involved most frequently in P. aeruginosa aminoglycoside resistance of CF lung infections, followed by the ant(2″)-Ia-encoded adenylyltransferase. The latter may prove to be a novel target for new antimicrobial combinations against P. aeruginosa.

Structural Modifications of the Quinolin-4-yloxy Core to Obtain New Staphylococcus aureus NorA Inhibitors.

Tackling antimicrobial resistance (AMR) represents a social responsibility aimed at renewing the antimicrobial armamentarium and identifying novel therapeutical approaches. Among the possible strategies, efflux pumps inhibition offers the advantage to contrast the resistance against all drugs which can be extruded. Efflux pump inhibitors (EPIs) are molecules devoid of any antimicrobial activity, but synergizing with pumps-substrate antibiotics. Herein, we performed an in silico scaffold hopping approach starting from quinolin-4-yloxy-based Staphylococcus aureus NorA EPIs by using previously built pharmacophore models for NorA inhibition activity. Four scaffolds were identified, synthesized, and modified with appropriate substituents to obtain new compounds, that were evaluated for their ability to inhibit NorA and synergize with the fluoroquinolone ciprofloxacin against resistant S. aureus strains. The two quinoline-4-carboxamide derivatives 3a and 3b showed the best results being synergic (4-fold MIC reduction) with ciprofloxacin at concentrations as low as 3.13 and 1.56 µg/mL, respectively, which were nontoxic for human THP-1 and A549 cells. The NorA inhibition was confirmed by SA-1199B ethidium bromide efflux and checkerboard assays against the isogenic pair SA-K2378 (norA++)/SA-K1902 (norA-). These in vitro results indicate the two compounds as valuable structures for designing novel S. aureus NorA inhibitors to be used in association with fluoroquinolones.

Covid-19 in patients with hematological and solid cancers at a Comprehensive Cancer Center in Germany.

BACKGROUND: Patients with cancer are considered a high-risk group for viral pneumonia, with an increased probability of fatal outcome. Here, we investigated the clinical characteristics and outcome of patients with solid and hematological cancers and concomitant Covid-19 at a Comprehensive Cancer Center in a Covid-19 hotspot area in Germany. METHODS: We performed a retrospective single center cohort study of 39 patients with hematological and solid cancers who were hospitalized at the University Hospital Freiburg for Covid-19. Using univariate and multivariate Cox regression models we compared time to severe events and overall survival to an age-matched control cohort of 39 patients with confirmed Covid-19 without a cancer diagnosis. RESULTS: In the cancer cohort 29 patients had a diagnosis of a solid tumor, and 10 had a hematological malignancy. In total, eight patients (21%) in the cancer and 14 patients (36%) from the noncancer cohort died during the observation period. Presence of a malignancy was not significantly associated with survival or time to occurrence of severe events. Major influences on mortality were high IL-6 levels at Covid-19 diagnosis (HR = 6.95, P = .0121) and age ≥ 65 years (HR = 6.22, P = .0156). CONCLUSIONS: Compared to an age-matched noncancer cohort, we did not observe an association between a cancer diagnosis and a more severe disease course or higher fatality rate in patients with Covid-19. Patients with a hematological malignancy showed a trend towards a longer duration until clinical improvement and longer hospitalization time compared to patients with a solid cancer. Cancer per se does not seem to be a confounder for dismal outcome in Covid-19.

A Fluorinated Analogue of Marine Bisindole Alkaloid 2,2-Bis(6-bromo-1H-indol-3-yl)ethanamine as Potential Anti-Biofilm Agent and Antibiotic Adjuvant Against Staphylococcus aureus.

Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections represent a major global healthcare problem. Therapeutic options are often limited by the ability of MRSA strains to grow as biofilms on medical devices, where antibiotic persistence and resistance is positively selected, leading to recurrent and chronic implant-associated infections. One strategy to circumvent these problems is the co-administration of adjuvants, which may prolong the efficacy of antibiotic treatments, by broadening their spectrum and lowering the required dosage. The marine bisindole alkaloid 2,2-bis(6-bromo-1H-indol-3-yl)ethanamine (1) and its fluorinated analogue (2) were tested for their potential use as antibiotic adjuvants and antibiofilm agents against S. aureus CH 10850 (MRSA) and S. aureus ATCC 29213 (MSSA). Both compounds showed antimicrobial activity and bisindole 2 enabled 256-fold reduction (ΣFICs = 0.5) in the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of oxacillin for the clinical MRSA strain. In addition, these molecules inhibited biofilm formation of S. aureus strains, and compound 2 showed greater eradicating activity on preformed biofilm compared to 1. None of the tested molecules exerted a viable but non-culturable cells (VBNC) inducing effect at their MIC values. Moreover, both compounds exhibited no hemolytic activity and a good stability in plasma, indicating a non-toxic profile, hence, in particular compound 2, a potential for in vivo applications to restore antibiotic treatment against MRSA infections.

Trend of clinical vancomycin-resistant enterococci isolated in a regional Italian hospital from 2001 to 2018.

A retrospective study of the epidemiology of vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) in a regional hospital of central Italy in 2001-2018 demonstrated an increased VRE prevalence since 2016. A total of 113 VRE isolates, 89 E. faecium (VREfm) and 24 E. faecalis (VREfs), were collected in the study period. All strains showed high-level resistance to vancomycin; 107 also showed teicoplanin resistance. Altogether, 84 VREfm and 20 VREfs carried vanA, whereas 5 VREfm and 1 VREfs carried vanB. MLST analysis documented that 89 VREfm isolates mainly belonged to ST78, ST80, and ST117. Most strains were isolated from 2001 to 2007, ST78 being the predominant clone. VREfm re-emerged in 2016 with a prevalence of the ST80 lineage. Most VREfs were isolated from 2001 to 2006; although they belonged to 7 different STs, there was a prevalence of ST88 and ST6. Notably, ST88 was sporadically recovered throughout the study period. The increasing rate of VREfm isolation from 2016 to 2018 may be related to the influx of new successful clones and to the renewed and widespread use of vancomycin. Improved infection control measures in hospital wards should be adopted to limit the spread of new epidemic VRE strains.

Role of Tobramycin in the Induction and Maintenance of Viable but Non-Culturable Pseudomonas aeruginosa in an In Vitro Biofilm Model.

The recurrence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) biofilm infections is a major issue in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. A pivotal role is played by the presence of antibiotic-unresponsive persisters and/or viable but non-culturable (VBNC) forms, whose development might be favored by subinhibitory antibiotic concentrations. The involvement of tobramycin and ciprofloxacin, widely used to treat CF PA lung infections, in the abundance of VBNC cells was investigated in PA biofilms models. In vitro biofilms of the laboratory strain PAO1-N and the clinical strain C24 were developed and starved by subculture for 170 days in a non-nutrient (NN) broth, unsupplemented or supplemented with one-quarter minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of tobramycin or ciprofloxacin. VBNC cells abundance, estimated as the difference between total live (detected by qPCR and flow cytometry) and colony forming unit (CFU) counts, showed a strain- and drug-specific pattern. A greater and earlier abundance of VBNC PAO1-N cells was detected in all conditions. Exposure of the C24 strain to NN and NN + ciprofloxacin induced only a transient VBNC subpopulation, which was more abundant and stable until the end of the experiment in tobramycin-exposed biofilms. The same response to tobramycin was observed in the PAO1-N strain. These findings suggest that low tobramycin concentrations might contribute to PA infection recurrence by favoring the development of VBNC forms.

Plasmid Replicon Typing of Antibiotic-Resistant Escherichia coli From Clams and Marine Sediments.

Unlike human isolates, environmental Escherichia coli isolates have not been thoroughly investigated for the diversity and transferability of antibiotic-resistant plasmids. In this study, antibiotic-resistant strains from marine sediment (n = 50) and clams (n = 53) were analyzed (i) for their plasmid content using a PCR-based plasmid replicon typing (PBRT) kit and (ii) for the transferability of plasmid-associated antibiotic resistance (AR) traits by mating experiments. Fifteen of the thirty replicons targeted by the PBRT kit were detected in the isolates; 8/15 were identified in both sediment and clam isolates, although at different frequencies. The most frequent replicons in sediment (74%) and in clam strains (66%) alike, were FIA, FIB, or FII, which are associated with the IncF group, followed by the I1α replicon, which was more frequent in clam (24.5%) than in sediment (10%) strains. More than 50% of the strains contained multiple replicons; although 15 were untypable, S1-PFGE analysis demonstrated that 14/15 carried no plasmids. All cryptic strains were successfully typed and were positive for IncF or IncI replicons. Antibiotic-resistant strains accounted for 63% of all isolates and were significantly (p < 0.05) more frequent in phylogroup A. Most (35%) multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains belonged to phylogroup A, too. Although 25/26 MDR strains were positive for IncF plasmids (the exception being a clam strain), the FII-FIB rep combination was predominant (63%) among the sediment isolates, whereas most clam isolates (40%) carried the FII replicon alone. In mating experiments, selected MDR strains carrying FIB, FII, and I1α replicons, used as the donors, transferred multiple ARs together with the IncF or IncI plasmids at high frequency. Since IncI plasmids are common in E. coli and Salmonella enterica isolates from poultry, our findings suggest an animal origin to the E. coli clam strains carrying IncI plasmids. They also suggest a role for IncI plasmids in the spread of ARs among environmental Enterobacteriaceae and, through the food chain, to human isolates. In conclusion, the PBRT kit proved to be a useful tool to identify plasmids carrying antibiotic-resistant genes and to shed light on the factors underpinning their diffusion.