RESUMO
Antibiotic resistance associated with the clinically significant carbapenemases KPC, NDM and OXA-48 in Enterobacteriaceae is emerging as worldwide. In Australia, IMP-producing Enterobacteriaceae are the most prevalent carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE). Genomic characteristics of such CPE are well described, but the corresponding proteome is poorly characterised. We have thus developed a method to analyse dynamic changes in the proteome of CPE under antibiotic pressure. Specifically, we have investigated the effect of meropenem at sub-lethal concentrations to develop a better understanding of how antibiotic pressure leads to resistance. Escherichia coli strains producing either NDM-, IMP- or KPC-type carbapenemases were included in this study, and their proteomes were analysed in growth conditions with or without meropenem. The most significant difference in the bacterial proteomes upon the addition of meropenem was triggered amongst NDM-producers and to a lower extent amongst KPC-producers. In particular, HU DNA-binding proteins, the GroEL/GroES chaperonin complex and GrpE proteins were overexpressed. These proteins may thus contribute to the better adaptability of NDM- and KPC-producers to meropenem. A significant meropenem-induced increase in the expression of the outer membrane protein A was only observed in IMP-producers, thus demonstrating that carbapenemase-mediated resistance relies on far more complex mechanisms than simple inactivation of the antibiotic.