Genetic characteristics of blaNDM-1-positive plasmid in Citrobacter freundii isolate separated from a clinical infectious patient

J Med Microbiol. 2013 Sep;62(Pt 9):1332-1337. doi: 10.1099/jmm.0.057091-0. Epub 2013 Jun 5.

Abstract

This study reports an infectious case involving an (NDM-1)-producing Citrobacter freundii and further explored the potential threat of the bla(NDM-1) gene by analysing the characteristics of the (NDM-1)-encoding plasmid sequence. A bla(NDM-1)-positive C. freundii with high resistance to carbapenems was separated from a clinical patient suffering from a urinary tract infection. S1 nuclease-based plasmid analysis followed by Southern blot hybridization, a conjugation experiment and electrotransformation confirmed that the bla(NDM-1) gene was located on a plasmid. High-throughput sequencing of the bla(NDM-1)-positive plasmid (pCFNDM-CN) showed that it was a 54 kb IncX-type plasmid and contained a backbone region and a variable region with two β-lactamase genes (bla(NDM-1) and bla(SHV-12)). The NDM-1 composite transposon in the variable region was surrounded by IS26 and IS5-truncated ISAba125, and shared a high sequence similarity to the bla(NDM-1) surrounding structure in Acinetobacter spp. Our research suggested that the NDM-1 composite transposon might play an essential role in mobilization of the bla(NDM-1) gene from Acinetobacter spp. to Enterobacteriaceae.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acinetobacter / genetics
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology
  • Base Sequence
  • Citrobacter freundii / enzymology
  • Citrobacter freundii / genetics*
  • Citrobacter freundii / isolation & purification
  • Conjugation, Genetic
  • DNA Transposable Elements
  • Enterobacteriaceae Infections / diagnosis
  • Gene Transfer, Horizontal
  • Genes, Bacterial
  • Genetic Variation
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Plasmids / genetics*
  • Plasmids / metabolism
  • Urinary Tract Infections / microbiology
  • beta-Lactamases / genetics*
  • beta-Lactamases / metabolism

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • DNA Transposable Elements
  • beta-Lactamases
  • beta-lactamase NDM-1