Identification of a Novel Genomic Island Conferring Resistance to Multiple Aminoglycoside Antibiotics in Campylobacter coli

Thumbnail Image
Date
2012-10-01
Authors
Qin, Shangshang
Wang, Yang
Zhang, Qijing
Chen, Xia
Shen, Zhangqi
Deng, Fengru
Wu, Congming
Shen, Jianzhong
Major Professor
Advisor
Committee Member
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Authors
Person
Zhang, Qijing
Distinguished Professor
Research Projects
Organizational Units
Organizational Unit
Veterinary Microbiology and Preventive Medicine
Our faculty promote the understanding of causes of infectious disease in animals and the mechanisms by which diseases develop at the organismal, cellular and molecular levels. Veterinary microbiology also includes research on the interaction of pathogenic and symbiotic microbes with their hosts and the host response to infection.
Journal Issue
Is Version Of
Versions
Series
Department
Veterinary Microbiology and Preventive Medicine
Abstract

Historically, the incidence of gentamicin resistance in Campylobacter has been very low, but recent studies reported a high prevalence of gentamicin-resistant Campylobacter isolated from food-producing animals in China. The reason for the high prevalence was unknown and was addressed in this study. PCR screening identified aminoglycoside resistance genes aphA-3 and aphA-7 and the aadE–sat4–aphA-3 cluster among 41 Campylobacter isolates from broiler chickens. Importantly, a novel genomic island carrying multiple aminoglycoside resistance genes was identified in 26 aminoglycoside resistant Campylobacter coli strains. Sequence analysis revealed that the genomic island was inserted between cadF and COO1582 on the C. coli chromosome and consists of 14 open reading frames (ORFs), including 6 genes (the aadE–sat4–aphA-3 cluster, aacA-aphD, aac, and aadE) encoding aminoglycoside-modifying enzymes. Analysis by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and multilocus sequence typing indicated that the C. coli isolates carrying this unique genomic island were clonal, and the clone of PFGE subtype III and sequence type (ST) 1625 was particularly predominant among the C. coli isolates examined, suggesting that clonal expansion may be involved in dissemination of this resistance island. Additionally, we were able to transfer this genomic island from C. coli to a Campylobacter jejuni strain using natural transformation under laboratory conditions, and the transfer resulted in a drastic increase in aminoglycoside resistance in the recipient strain. These findings identify a previously undescribed genomic island that confers resistance to multiple aminoglycoside antibiotics. Since aminoglycoside antibiotics are used for treating occasional systemic infections caused by Campylobacter, the emergence and spread of this antibiotic resistance genomic island represent a potential concern for public health.

Comments

This article is published as Qin, Shangshang, Yang Wang, Qijing Zhang, Xia Chen, Zhangqi Shen, Fengru Deng, Congming Wu, and Jianzhong Shen. "Identification of a novel genomic island conferring resistance to multiple aminoglycoside antibiotics in Campylobacter coli." Antimicrobial agents and chemotherapy 56, no. 10 (2012): 5332-5339. doi: 10.1128/AAC.00809-12. Posted with permission.

Description
Keywords
Citation
DOI
Copyright
Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 UTC 2012
Collections