Investigation of extended-spectrum beta-lactamases produced by clinical isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli in Korea

AIMS: Isolates obtained from various regions in Korea in 2002 were identified and their susceptibility to extended-spectrum cephalosporins, monobactams and/or cephamycins was studied along with any production of extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs). METHODS AND RESULTS: Bacteria identified by the conventional techniques and Vitek GNI card were Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli. Using disk diffusion and double-disk synergy tests, we found that 39.2% of strains produced ESBLs. About 52% of isolates transferred resistance to ceftazidime by conjugation. Banding patterns of PCR amplification with the designed primers showed that 837- and 259-bp fragments specific to bla(TEM) genes were amplified in 63.3% of strains. 929- and 231-bp fragments (bla(SHV)), 847- and 520-bp fragments (bla(CMY)), 597- and 858-bp fragments (bla(CTX-M)) were amplified in 61.5, 17.3 and 7.7% of strains respectively. About 51.9% of strains contained more than two types of beta-lactamase genes. Especially, one strain contained bla(TEM), bla(CMY) and bla(CTX-M) genes. SIGNIFICANCE: Resistance mechanisms to beta-lactams, comprising mostly ESBL production, lead to the resistance against even recently developed beta-lactams in enterobacteria, which is now a serious threat to antibiotic therapy. The high prevalence of bla(CMY) genes and multidrug-resistant genes may also make therapeutic failure and lack of eradiation of these strains by extended-spectrum cephalosporins or cephamycins.     

Neutron Diffraction Studies of a Class A β-Lactamase Toho-1 E166A/R274N/R276N Triple Mutant

β-Lactam antibiotics have been used effectively over several decades against many types of bacterial infectious diseases. However, the most common cause of resistance to the β-lactam antibiotics is the production of β-lactamase enzymes that inactivate β-lactams by rapidly hydrolyzing the amide group of the β-lactam ring. Specifically, the class A extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) and inhibitor-resistant enzymes arose that were capable of hydrolyzing penicillins and the expanded-spectrum cephalosporins and monobactams in resistant bacteria, which lead to treatment problems in many clinical settings. A more complete understanding of the mechanism of catalysis of these ESBL enzymes will impact current antibiotic drug discovery efforts. Here, we describe the neutron structure of the class A, CTX-M-type ESBL Toho-1 E166A/R274N/R276N triple mutant in its apo form, which is the first reported neutron structure of a β-lactamase enzyme. This neutron structure clearly reveals the active-site protonation states and hydrogen-bonding network of the apo Toho-1 ESBL prior to substrate binding and subsequent acylation. The protonation states of the active-site residues Ser70, Lys73, Ser130, and Lys234 in this neutron structure are consistent with the prediction of a proton transfer pathway from Lys73 to Ser130 that is likely dependent on the conformation of Lys73, which has been hypothesized to be coupled to the protonation state of Glu166 during the acylation reaction. Thus, this neutron structure is in agreement with a proposed mechanism for acylation that identifies Glu166 as the general base for catalysis.     

Detecting un-authorized genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and derived materials

Genetically modified plants, in the following referred to as genetically modified organisms or GMOs, have been commercially grown for almost two decades. In 2010 approximately 10% of the total global crop acreage was planted with GMOs (James, 2011). More than 30 countries have been growing commercial GMOs, and many more have performed field trials. Although the majority of commercial GMOs both in terms of acreage and specific events belong to the four species: soybean, maize, cotton and rapeseed, there are another 20 + species where GMOs are commercialized or in the pipeline for commercialization. The number of GMOs cultivated in field trials or for commercial production has constantly increased during this time period. So have the number of species, the number of countries involved, the diversity of novel (added) genetic elements and the global trade. All of these factors contribute to the increasing complexity of detecting and correctly identifying GMO derived material. Many jurisdictions, including the European Union (EU), legally distinguish between authorized (and therefore legal) and un-authorized (and therefore illegal) GMOs. Information about the developments, field trials, authorizations, cultivation, trade and observations made in the official GMO control laboratories in different countries around the world is often limited, despite several attempts such as the OECD BioTrack for voluntary dissemination of data. This lack of information inevitably makes it challenging to detect and identify GMOs, especially the un-authorized GMOs. The present paper reviews the state of the art technologies and approaches in light of coverage, practicability, sensitivity and limitations. Emphasis is put on exemplifying practical detection of un-authorized GMOs. Although this paper has a European (EU) bias when examples are given, the contents have global relevance.     

Biotinylated oligonucleotide probes for the detection and the characterization of TEM-type extended broad spectrum β-lactamases in enterobacteriaceae

Point mutations in the nucleotide sequence of the structural genes for the TEM-type penicillinases can broaded their substrate spectrum towards all beta-lactams except cephamycins and imipenem. The presence of such variants on self-transferable plasmids accounts for the dissemination of this new type of resistance to numerous species of Enterobacteriaceae in various countries. We have synthetized biotinylated oligonucleotide probes for the detection and the discrimination of parental and mutated nucleotide sequences of TEM enzymes. Seven clinical isolates belonging to four species and harbouring TEM-1, TEM-3 or TEM-6 were studied. The results obtained indicate that detection of TEM-derived broad spectrum beta-lactamases in clinical isolates of Entero-bacteriaceae is possible with biotinylated oligonucleotide probes.     

社区与医院感染中肺炎克雷伯杆菌和大肠埃希菌耐药性分析

目的探讨社区和医院感染中肺炎克雷伯杆菌和大肠埃希菌产ESBLs的情况及耐药特性。方法采用体外扩散确证试验检测ESBLs,同时用Micro scan wat RA way-40系统全自动细菌鉴定/药敏分析仪及K-B琼脂扩散法进行细菌鉴定和体外药敏试验。结果社区感染标本中分离出肺炎克雷伯杆菌79株,产ESBLs20株,阳性率为25.3%,大肠埃希菌177株,产ESBLs27株,阳性率为15.3%;医院感染标本中分离出肺炎克雷伯杆菌82株,产ES-BLs33株,阳性率为40.2%,大肠埃希菌135株,产ESBLs42株,阳性率为31.1%,社区与医院感染菌株产ESBLs比较差异均有统计学意义(P均<0.05);ESBLs阳性菌株对多种抗生素耐药,其耐药性明显高于ESBLs阴性菌株。结论肺炎克雷伯杆菌和大肠埃希菌产ESBLs菌株在临床分离率较高,医院感染标本要显著高于社区感染标本,并且对多种抗生素具有高度耐药性,产ESBLs菌株耐药性显著高于不产ESBLs菌株,临床上应加强对ESBLs的控制,以防感染流行。     

对脆弱类杆菌β-内酰胺酶及其与肠道微生态学关系的初步探讨

本文利用β-内酰胺酶作为分类学研究的方法,探讨了脆弱类杆菌与肠道菌之间的微生态学关系。临床分离菌株脆弱类杆菌55的β-内酰胺酶经离子交换层析、凝胶过滤和制备型聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳进行纯化,纯酶与脂质体-CPS-K佐剂混合制备抗血清,并建立IgG-ELISA和Western blotting方法,其测定结果均表明脆弱类杆菌的β-内酰胺酶不同于其它类杆菌和肠道菌的β-内酰胺酶,具有种的特异性。