Isolation and characterization of two novel groups of kanamycin-resistance ColE1-like plasmids in Salmonella enterica serotypes from food animals

PLoS One. 2018 Mar 7;13(3):e0193435. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0193435. eCollection 2018.

Abstract

While antimicrobial resistance in Salmonella enterica is mainly attributed to large plasmids, small plasmids may also harbor antimicrobial resistance genes. Previously, three major groups of ColE1-like plasmids conferring kanamycin-resistance (KanR) in various S. enterica serotypes from diagnostic samples of human or animals were reported. In this study, over 200 KanR S. enterica isolates from slaughter samples, collected in 2010 and 2011 as a part of the animal arm of the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System, were screened for the presence of ColE1-like plasmids. Twenty-three KanR ColE1-like plasmids were successfully isolated. Restriction fragment mapping revealed five major plasmid groups with subgroups, including two new groups, X (n = 3) and Y/Y2/Y3 (n = 4), in addition to the previously identified groups A (n = 7), B (n = 6), and C/C3 (n = 3). Nearly 75% of the plasmid-carrying isolates were from turkey and included all the isolates carrying X and Y plasmids. All group X plasmids were from serotype Hadar. Serotype Senftenberg carried all the group Y plasmids and one group B plasmid. All Typhimurium isolates (n = 4) carried group A plasmids, while Newport isolates (n = 3) each carried a different plasmid group (A, B, or C). The presence of the selection bias in the NARMS strain collection prevents interpretation of findings at the population level. However, this study demonstrated that KanR ColE1-like plasmids are widely distributed among different S. enterica serotypes in the NARMS isolates and may play a role in dissemination of antimicrobial resistance genes.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology
  • Bacterial Proteins / genetics
  • Cattle / microbiology
  • Chickens / microbiology
  • Epidemiological Monitoring
  • Escherichia coli
  • Kanamycin / pharmacology
  • Kanamycin Resistance* / genetics
  • Meat / microbiology*
  • Plasmids
  • RNA, Bacterial / metabolism
  • Salmonella enterica / drug effects*
  • Salmonella enterica / genetics
  • Salmonella enterica / isolation & purification*
  • Sequence Alignment
  • Sus scrofa / microbiology
  • Turkeys / microbiology

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Bacterial Proteins
  • RNA, Bacterial
  • Kanamycin

Grants and funding

This research was funded by the United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS), National Program 108- Food Safety. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.