Genetic diversity of KPC-2-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae complex from aquatic ecosystems

• Published in: World journal of microbiology & biotechnology Vol. 40; no. 6; p. 177
• Main Authors: Rosa, Rafael da Silva, Furlan, João Pedro Rueda, Santos, Lucas David Rodrigues dos, Ramos, Micaela Santana, Savazzi, Eduardo Angelino, Stehling, Eliana Guedes
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01-06-2024; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Anthropogenic factors; Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology; Antimicrobial agents; Antimicrobial resistance; Applied Microbiology; Aquatic ecosystems; Bacterial Proteins - genetics; Bacterial Proteins - metabolism; beta-Lactamases - genetics; beta-Lactamases - metabolism; Biochemistry; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biotechnology; Carbapenemase; Carbapenems; Carbapenems - pharmacology; Ceftazidime; Cloning; Colistin; COVID-19; Drug resistance; Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial - genetics; Ecosystem; Environmental Engineering/Biotechnology; Genes; Genetic diversity; Genetic Variation; Humans; Isoforms; Klebsiella; Klebsiella Infections - microbiology; Klebsiella pneumoniae; Klebsiella pneumoniae - drug effects; Klebsiella pneumoniae - enzymology; Klebsiella pneumoniae - genetics; Klebsiella pneumoniae - isolation & purification; Life Sciences; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Microbiology; Multidrug resistance; Pandemics; Plasmids - genetics; Tigecycline; Virulence; Water Microbiology; Enterobacteria; Antimicrobial resistance; Mobile genetic elements; Water contamination
• ISSN: 0959-3993; 1573-0972
• DOI: 10.1007/s11274-024-03994-0

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the occurrence of carbapenem-resistant
Klebsiella pneumoniae
increased in human clinical settings worldwide. Impacted by this increase, international high-risk clones harboring carbapenemase-encoding genes have been circulating in different sources, including the environment. The
bla
KPC
gene is the most commonly disseminated carbapenemase-encoding gene worldwide, whose transmission is carried out by different mobile genetic elements. In this study,
bla
KPC-2
-positive
Klebsiella pneumoniae
complex strains were isolated from different anthropogenically affected aquatic ecosystems and characterized using phenotypic, molecular, and genomic methods.
K. pneumoniae
complex strains exhibited multidrug-resistant and extensively drug-resistant profiles, spotlighting the resistance to carbapenems, ceftazidime-avibactam, colistin, and tigecycline, which are recognized as last-line antimicrobial treatment options. Molecular analysis showed the presence of several antimicrobial resistance, virulence, and metal tolerance genes. In-depth analysis showed that the
bla
KPC-2
gene was associated with three different Tn
4401
isoforms (i.e., Tn
4401a
, Tn
4401b
, and Tn
4401i
) and NTE
KPC
elements. Different plasmid replicons were detected and a conjugative IncN-pST15 plasmid harboring the
bla
KPC-2
gene associated with Tn
4401i
was highlighted.
K. pneumoniae
complex strains belonging to international high-risk (e.g., ST11 and ST340) and unusual clones (e.g., ST323, ST526, and ST4216) previously linked to clinical settings. In this context, some clones were reported for the first time in the environmental sector. Therefore, these findings evidence the occurrence of carbapenemase-producing
K. pneumoniae
complex strains in aquatic ecosystems and contribute to the monitoring of carbapenem resistance worldwide.