Escherichia coli sequence type 131 (ST131) is a globally disseminated, multidrug resistant (MDR) clone responsible for a high proportion of urinary tract and bloodstream infections. The rapid emergence and successful spread of E. coli ST131 is strongly associated with several factors, including resistance to fluoroquinolones, high virulence gene content, the possession of the type 1 fimbriae FimH30 allele, and the production of the CTX-M-15 extended spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL). Here, we used genome sequencing to examine the molecular epidemiology of a collection of E. coli ST131 strains isolated from six distinct geographical locations across the world spanning 2000-2011. The global phylogeny of E. coli ST131, determined from whole-genome sequence data, revealed a single lineage of E. coli ST131 distinct from other extraintestinal E. coli strains within the B2 phylogroup. Three closely related E. coli ST131 sublineages were identified, with little association to geographic origin. The majority of single-nucleotide variants associated with each of the sublineages were due to recombination in regions adjacent to mobile genetic elements (MGEs). The most prevalent sublineage of ST131 strains was characterized by fluoroquinolone resistance, and a distinct virulence factor and MGE profile. Four different variants of the CTX-M ESBL-resistance gene were identified in our ST131 strains, with acquisition of CTX-M-15 representing a defining feature of a discrete but geographically dispersed ST131 sublineage. This study confirms the global dispersal of a single E. coli ST131 clone and demonstrates the role of MGEs and recombination in the evolution of this important MDR pathogen. bacterial evolution | genomics | phylogeography | genomic epidemiology M any multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterial strains are now recognized as belonging to clones that originate in a specific locale, country, or even globally. Escherichia coli sequence type 131 (ST131) is one such recently emerged and globally disseminated MDR pandemic clone responsible for community and hospital-acquired urinary tract and bloodstream infections. E. coli ST131 was identified in 2008 as a major clone linked to the spread of the CTX-M-15 extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) resistance (1-3). Since then, E. coli ST131 has also been strongly associated with fluoroquinolone resistance, and coresistance to aminoglycosides and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (4-6). Alarmingly, strains of E. coli ST131 resistant to carbapenems have also been reported (7, 8), further limiting treatment options for this clone.E. coli ST131 belongs to the B2 phylogenetic subgroup I, with most isolates characterized as serotype O25b:H4 (1). Epidemiology studies using pulse-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) have demonstrated that E. coli ST131 strains exhibit diversity, with some dominant PFGE pulsotypes including the UK epidemic strain A (9) and pulsotype 968 (10, 11) widely distributed across the globe. More recently, a typing scheme using the type 1 fimbriae fimH adhesin gene revealed that a la...

Many bacteria produce extracellular and surface-associated components such as membrane vesicles (MVs), extracellular DNA and moonlighting cytosolic proteins for which the biogenesis and export pathways are not fully understood. Here we show that the explosive cell lysis of a sub-population of cells accounts for the liberation of cytosolic content in Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms. Super-resolution microscopy reveals that explosive cell lysis also produces shattered membrane fragments that rapidly form MVs. A prophage endolysin encoded within the R- and F-pyocin gene cluster is essential for explosive cell lysis. Endolysin-deficient mutants are defective in MV production and biofilm development, consistent with a crucial role in the biogenesis of MVs and liberation of extracellular DNA and other biofilm matrix components. Our findings reveal that explosive cell lysis, mediated through the activity of a cryptic prophage endolysin, acts as a mechanism for the production of bacterial MVs.

Cholera is a devastating diarrhoeal disease caused by certain strains of serogroup O1/O139 Vibrio cholerae. Mobile genetic elements such as genomic islands (GIs) have been pivotal in the evolution of O1/O139 V. cholerae. Perhaps the most important GI involved in cholera disease is the V. cholerae pathogenicity island 1 (VPI-1). This GI contains the toxin-coregulated pilus (TCP) gene cluster that is necessary for colonization of the human intestine as well as being the receptor for infection by the cholera-toxin bearing CTX phage. In this study, we report a GI (designated GIVchS12) from a non-O1/O139 strain of V. cholerae that is present in the same chromosomal location as VPI-1, contains an integrase gene with 94% nucleotide and 100% protein identity to the VPI-1 integrase, and attachment (att) sites 100% identical to those found in VPI-1. However, instead of TCP and the other accessory genes present in VPI-1, GIVchS12 contains a CRISPR-Cas element and a type VI secretion system (T6SS). GIs similar to GIVchS12 were identified in other V. cholerae genomes, also containing CRISPR-Cas elements and/or T6SS’s. This study highlights the diversity of GIs circulating in natural V. cholerae populations and identifies GIs with VPI-1 recombination characteristics as a propagator of CRISPR-Cas and T6SS modules.

No abstract

Bacteria that produce the broad-spectrum Carbapenem antibiotic New Delhi Metallo-β-lactamase (NDM) place a burden on health care systems worldwide, due to the limited treatment options for infections caused by them and the rapid global spread of this antibiotic resistance mechanism. Although it is believed that the associated resistance gene blaNDM-1 originated in Acinetobacter spp., the role of Enterobacteriaceae in its dissemination remains unclear. In this study, we used whole genome sequencing to investigate the dissemination dynamics of blaNDM-1-positive plasmids in a set of 21 clinical NDM-1-positive isolates from Colombia and Mexico (Providencia rettgeri, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Acinetobacter baumannii) as well as six representative NDM-1-positive Escherichia coli transconjugants. Additionally, the plasmids from three representative P. rettgeri isolates were sequenced by PacBio sequencing and finished. Our results demonstrate the presence of previously reported plasmids from K. pneumoniae and A. baumannii in different genetic backgrounds and geographically distant locations in Colombia. Three new previously unclassified plasmids were also identified in P. rettgeri from Colombia and Mexico, plus an interesting genetic link between NDM-1-positive P. rettgeri from distant geographic locations (Canada, Mexico, Colombia, and Israel) without any reported epidemiological links was discovered. Finally, we detected a relationship between plasmids present in P. rettgeri and plasmids from A. baumannii and K. pneumoniae. Overall, our findings suggest a Russian doll model for the dissemination of blaNDM-1 in Latin America, with P. rettgeri playing a central role in this process, and reveal new insights into the evolution and dissemination of plasmids carrying such antibiotic resistance genes.

g bla NDM genes confer carbapenem resistance and have been identified on transferable plasmids belonging to different incompatibility (Inc) groups. Here we present the complete sequences of four plasmids carrying a bla NDM gene, pKP1-NDM-1, pEC2-NDM-3, pECL3-NDM-1, and pEC4-NDM-6, from four clinical samples originating from four different patients. Different plasmids carry segments that align to different parts of the bla NDM region found on Acinetobacter plasmids. pKP1-NDM-1 and pEC2-NDM-3, from Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli, respectively, were identified as type 1 IncA/C 2 plasmids with almost identical backbones. Different regions carrying bla NDM are inserted in different locations in the antibiotic resistance island known as ARI-A, and ISCR1 may have been involved in the acquisition of bla NDM-3 by pEC2-NDM-3. pECL3-NDM-1 and pEC4-NDM-6, from Enterobacter cloacae and E. coli, respectively, have similar IncFII Y backbones, but different regions carrying bla NDM are found in different locations. Tn3-derived inverted-repeat transposable elements (TIME) appear to have been involved in the acquisition of bla NDM-6 by pEC4-NDM-6 and the rmtC 16S rRNA methylase gene by IncFII Y plasmids. Characterization of these plasmids further demonstrates that even very closely related plasmids may have acquired bla NDM genes by different mechanisms. These findings also illustrate the complex relationships between antimicrobial resistance genes, transposable elements, and plasmids and provide insights into the possible routes for transmission of bla NDM genes among species of the Enterobacteriaceae family.

c Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) is an important cause of diarrhea and hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS) worldwide. Australia's worst outbreak of HUS occurred in Adelaide in 1995 and was one of the first major HUS outbreaks attributed to a non-O157 Shiga-toxigenic E. coli (STEC) strain. Molecular analyses conducted at the time suggested that the outbreak was caused by an O111:H ؊ clone, with strains from later in the outbreak harboring an extra copy of the genes encoding the potent Shiga toxin 2 (Stx2). Two decades later, we have used next-generation sequencing to compare two isolates from early and late in this important outbreak. We analyzed genetic content, single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), and prophage insertion sites; for the latter, we demonstrate how paired-end sequence data can be leveraged to identify such insertion sites. The two strains are genetically identical except for six SNP differences and the presence of not one but two additional Stx2-converting prophages in the later isolate. Isolates from later in the outbreak were associated with higher levels of morbidity, suggesting that the presence of the additional Stx2-converting prophages is significant in terms of the virulence of this clone.

BackgroundThe genus Legionella comprises over 60 species. However, L. pneumophila and L. longbeachae alone cause over 95% of Legionnaires’ disease. To identify the genetic bases underlying the different capacities to cause disease we sequenced and compared the genomes of L. micdadei, L. hackeliae and L. fallonii (LLAP10), which are all rarely isolated from humans.ResultsWe show that these Legionella species possess different virulence capacities in amoeba and macrophages, correlating with their occurrence in humans. Our comparative analysis of 11 Legionella genomes belonging to five species reveals highly heterogeneous genome content with over 60% representing species-specific genes; these comprise a complete prophage in L. micdadei, the first ever identified in a Legionella genome. Mobile elements are abundant in Legionella genomes; many encode type IV secretion systems for conjugative transfer, pointing to their importance for adaptation of the genus. The Dot/Icm secretion system is conserved, although the core set of substrates is small, as only 24 out of over 300 described Dot/Icm effector genes are present in all Legionella species. We also identified new eukaryotic motifs including thaumatin, synaptobrevin or clathrin/coatomer adaptine like domains.ConclusionsLegionella genomes are highly dynamic due to a large mobilome mainly comprising type IV secretion systems, while a minority of core substrates is shared among the diverse species. Eukaryotic like proteins and motifs remain a hallmark of the genus Legionella. Key factors such as proteins involved in oxygen binding, iron storage, host membrane transport and certain Dot/Icm substrates are specific features of disease-related strains.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13059-014-0505-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.