Emergence of a clinical isolate of E. coil ST297 co-carrying blaNDM-13 and mcr-1.1 in China

Xiaofan Zhang; Lei Peng; Yefang Ke; Dongdong Zhao; Guoqing Yu; Ying Zhou; Xi Li; Xingbei Weng

doi:10.1016/j.jiph.2023.09.007

Emergence of a clinical isolate of E. coil ST297 co-carrying bla_NDM-13 and mcr-1.1 in China

J Infect Public Health. 2023 Nov;16(11):1813-1820. doi: 10.1016/j.jiph.2023.09.007. Epub 2023 Sep 19.

Authors

Xiaofan Zhang¹, Lei Peng², Yefang Ke³, Dongdong Zhao⁴, Guoqing Yu⁵, Ying Zhou⁶, Xi Li⁷, Xingbei Weng⁸

Affiliations

¹ Laboratory Medicine Center, Department of Clinical Laboratory, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Affiliated People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310014, China.
² Health Science Center, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315211, China.
³ Department of Clinical Laboratory, Ningbo Women and Children's Hospital, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315012, China.
⁴ Department of Infectious Diseases, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310016, China.
⁵ Department of Clinical Laboratory, Conch Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Wuhu, Anhui 241000, China.
⁶ Health Science Center, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315211, China; Birth Defects Prevention Laboratory, Ningbo Women and Children's Hospital, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315012, China.
⁷ Laboratory Medicine Center, Department of Clinical Laboratory, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Affiliated People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310014, China. Electronic address: lixi_0611@163.com.
⁸ The First Affiliated Hospital of Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315010, China. Electronic address: wxb6006@hotmail.com.

PMID: 37741016
DOI: 10.1016/j.jiph.2023.09.007

Abstract

Background: The coexistence of carbapenem resistance genes and mcr-1.1 in Enterobacterales has been an urgent and persistent threat to global public health. In this study, we isolated a clinical NB4833, an Escherichia coli isolate that co-carries mcr-1.1 and bla_NDM-13.

Objectives: This study aimed to isolate a clinical NB4833, an Escherichia coli isolate that co-carries mcr-1.1 and bla_NDM-13 and investigated the phenotypic and genotypic characteristics of plasmids harbored by E. coli isolate NB4833.

Methods: Antimicrobial susceptibility testing and conjugation assay were performed on E. coli isolate NB4833. Stability of the plasmid and growth rate determination were used to characterize the plasmids harboring mcr-1.1 and bla_NDM-13. In addition, the genetic characteristics of the plasmids were analyzed based on whole-genome sequencing of the strain and comparative genetic analysis with related plasmids.

Results: Whole-genome sequencing showed that the isolate carried multiple resistance genes and possessed phenotypes indicative of all antibiotic resistance except tigecycline. And the mcr-1.1- and bla_NDM-13-harbouring plasmids showed relatively high similarity to the related plasmids. The pNB4833-NDM-13 plasmid was capable of trans conjugation with an efficiency of 1.04 × 10^-2 in a filter mating experiment and the transconjugant J53/ pNB4833-NDM-13 was able to be stably inherited after 10 days of passage.

Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first report of the coexistence of the IncI2 plasmid carrying mcr-1.1 and a bla_NDM-13-carrying integrated IncFIB/IncFII plasmid in an ST297 clinical E. coli isolate. In addition, we investigated a novel plasmid carrying bla_NDM-13. Our study expands the diversity of plasmids carrying bla_NDM-13, which exhibits epidemic importance in bacterial resistance. Therefore, there are important measures that should be taken to prevent the spread of these plasmids.

Keywords: Escherichia coli; IncFIB/IncFII; ST297; bla(NDM-13); mcr-1.1.