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

• Published in: World journal of microbiology & biotechnology 2024-06, Vol.40 (6), p.177-177, Article 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: Article
• Language: English
• 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
• 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.