Abstract
BACKGROUND: The carbapenemase-encoding genes, bla
NDM-
and bla
OXA-48
-
like
, confer resistance to all the known beta-lactams and are encountered along with other beta-lactamase-encoding genes and/or 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA)-methylating genes. The co-occurrence of bla
NDM
and bla
OXA-48
-
like
on a single plasmid is a rare occurrence.
AIM AND OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the study was to characterize the plasmids in Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates producing 16S rRNA methyltransferase along with bla
NDM
, bla
OXA-48-like
, and other resistance encoding genes.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: One-hundred and seventeen K. pneumoniae clinical isolates which were resistant to aminoglycosides were collected. Polymerase chain reaction-based screening for 16S rRNA methyltransferase genes armA, rmtB, and rmtC; carbapenamase genes bla
NDM
, bla
OXA-48-like
, bla
IMP,
bla
VIM,
and bla
KPC
; and other resistance genes such as bla
TEM,
bla
SHV,
bla
CTX-M
, and qnr (A, B, and S) determinants acc (6') Ib-cr was performed. Conjugation experiment was carried out for seven isolates that anchored bla
NDM
and bla
OXA-48-like
along with any one of the 16S rRNA methyltransferases. The plasmid-based replicon typing for different plasmid-incompatible (Inc) group was performed on the conjugatively transferable plasmids.
RESULTS: Among the 16S rRNA methyltransferases, armA was more predominant. bla
NDM
and bla
OXA-48
-like
were present in 56 (47.86%) and 22 (18.80%) isolates, respectively. Out of seven isolates which were conjugatively transferable, only four had bla
NDM
and bla
OXA-48
-
like
on the same plasmid and they belonged to Inc N and A/C replicon. Three isolates co-harbored 16S rRNA methyltransferases armA, rmtB, and rmtC, and out of the them, one isolate harbored two 16S rRNA methyltransferases armA and rmtB, on the single-plasmid replicon A/C.
CONCLUSION: This is the first report revealing the coexistence of bla
NDM
and bla
OXA-48
-
like
co-harboring two 16S rRNA methylases on a single conjugative plasmid replicon belonging to incompatibility group A/C.
Key words
16S ribosomal RNA methyltransferase - A/C replicon -
bla
NDM
-
bla
OXA-48 like
- co-harboring -
Klebsiella pneumoniae