Plasmid-encoded PER-7  -lactamase responsible for ceftazidime resistance in Acinetobacter baumannii isolated in the United Arab Emirates

Abstract

Ceftazidime resistance was mediated by a PER-7 β-lactamase encoded in an ISCR1 element located on a plasmid. This represents the first detection of a PER-7 β-lactamase encoded by a plasmid in A. baumannii.

β-Lactamase Production in Key Gram-Negative Pathogen Isolates from the Arabian Peninsula

“…Hence, further phenotypic surveillance combined with molecular analyses were carried out to identify the emergence of such MDR bacteria. Recently, Opazo et al (64) identified three carbapenemase-producing Acinetobacter isolates from Al Ain. One was obtained from a catheter tip of an adult patient, and the other two were isolated from sputum of a pediatric patient a few weeks apart.…”

“…These were identified by PFGE as the same clone, and all isolates carried the chromosomal bla OXA-64 gene and the bla OXA-23 gene on plasmids. Typically, the insertion sequence ISAba1 was found located upstream of the bla OXA-23 gene (64).…”

Molecular Epidemiology and Genetic Characteristics of Various bla PER Genes in Shanghai, China

“…The first subgroup (PER-3, PER-4, PER-5, PER-7, and PER-8) is formed by replacing one or four amino acids in PER-1, and the other subgroup (PER-2 and PER-6) has only 86% similarity to PER-1 (6). Although PER-1 is prevalent in Europe and Asia (10)(11)(12), PER-2 has only been reported in South America, and PER-3, PER-6, and PER-7 have only been found sporadically (13)(14)(15)(16). Diverse mechanisms are responsible for the dissemination and acquisition of bla PER .…”

“…Previous studies reported that bla PER-1 was a part of the composite transposon Tn1213 located in a chromosome or carried by plasmids (17). Recently, the ISCR1 element inside a sul1-type integron structure was found to play a role in the dissemination of bla PER-1 , bla PER-3 , and bla PER-7 (14,16,18).…”

“…Among them, 25 (5.5%, 25/458) Gramnegative bacillus isolates (8 P. mirabilis, 6 P. aeruginosa, 6 A. baumannii, 1 Aeromonas hydrophila, 1 Acinetobacter lwoffii, 1 Providencia rettgeri, 1 Morganella morganii, and 1 E. cloacae) were identified as PER-type ␤-lactamase producers by PCR with specific primers (16). The sequencing analysis revealed that 20 (80%) harbored bla PER-1 , 1 (4%) harbored bla PER-3 , and 4 (16%) harbored bla (Table 1).…”