Abstract
Purpose
To investigate the genomic and plasmid characteristics of a newly discovered Pseudomonas stutzeri strain with a blaVIM-2-carrying plasmid and novel integron In1998 isolated from a cerebrospinal fluid specimen in a teaching hospital.
Methods
Species identification was performed by MALDI-TOF MS, and blaVIM-2 was identified by PCR and Sanger sequencing. Whole-genome sequencing analysis was conducted using the Illumina NovaSeq 6000 and Oxford Nanopore platforms. Integron detection was performed using INTEGRALL. The phylogenetic tree was constructed by using kSNP3.0. Plasmid characteristics were assessed by S1-pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (S1-PFGE), Southern blotting, conjugation experiments, and whole-genome sequencing analysis. Comparative genomics analysis of the plasmid and genetic context of blaVIM-2 were conducted by using BLAST Ring Image Generator (BRIG) and Easyfig 2.3, respectively.
Results
ZDHY95, an MDR strain of P. stutzeri harboring blaVIM-2, was identified. It was sensitive only to amikacin and was resistant to carbapenems, β-lactams, aztreonam, fluoroquinolones, and aminoglycosides. Joint S1-PFGE, Southern blot, conjugation assay, and whole-genome sequencing experiments confirmed that the blaVIM-2 gene was located within class I integron In1722 of the plasmid and that the surrounding genetic environment was 5ʹCS-aacA4ʹ-30-blaVIM-2-aacA4ʹ-3ʹCS. The novel class I integron In1998 was detected on the chromosome of P. stutzeri ZDHY95, and the gene cassette array was 5ʹCS-aacA3-aadA13-cmlA8-blaOXA-246-arr3-dfrA27-3ʹCS. Phylogenetic analysis showed that antimicrobial resistance gene-carrying P. stutzeri isolates were divided into two clusters, mainly containing isolates from the USA and Pakistan.
Conclusion
A novel blaVIM-2-carrying conjugative plasmid, pZDHY95-VIM-2, was reported for the first time in P. stutzeri, elucidating the genetic environment and transfer mechanism. The gene structure of the novel class I integron In1998 was also clarified. We explored the phylogenetic relationship of P. stutzeri with drug resistance genes and suggested that Pseudomonas with metallo-β-lactamases (MBLs) in the hospital environment may cause infection in patients with long-term intubation or after interventional surgery.
Acknowledgments
The authors are grateful to Dr. Zhe Yin for providing the recipient bacteria PAO1Ri for the conjugation experiment in this paper.
Data Sharing Statement
The datasets used and analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
Ethical Approval
The ethical protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University (no. 2018-752).
Disclosure
The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.