title: Genetic characterization of fluoroquinolone resistant Escherichia coli from urban streams and municipal and hospital effluents.
abstract: Escherichia coli with reduced susceptibility to ciprofloxacin, isolated from urban streams, wastewater treatment plants and hospital effluent between 2004 and 2012, were compared based on multilocus sequence typing (MLST), quinolone and beta-lactam resistance determinants and plasmid replicon type. Isolates from the different types of water and isolation dates clustered together, suggesting the persistence and capacity to propagate across distinct aquatic environments. The most prevalent MLST groups were ST10 complex and ST131. Almost all isolates (98%) carried mutations in the chromosomal genes gyrA and/or parC, and 10% possessed the genes qepA, aac(6('))-Ib-cr and/or qnrS1. Over 80% of the isolates were resistant to three or more classes of antibiotics (MDR ≥ 3). The most prevalent beta-lactamase encoding gene was blaTEM, followed by blaCTX-M-15, co-existing with plasmid mediated quinolone resistance. The plasmid replicon types of the group IncF were the most prevalent and distributed by different MLST groups. The genes aac(6('))-Ib-cr and/or qnrS1 could be transferred by conjugation in combination with the genes blaTEM,blaSHV-12 or blaOXA-1 and the plasmid replicon types I1-Iγ, K, HI2 and/or B/O. The potential of multidrug resistant E. coli with reduced susceptibility to ciprofloxacin, harboring mobile genetic elements and with ability to conjugate and transfer resistance genes, to spread and persist across different aquatic environments was demonstrated.
authors.affiliation: CBQF - Centro de Biotecnologia e Química Fina - Laboratório Associado, Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Portuguesa/Porto, Rua Arquiteto Lobão Vital, Apartado 2511, 4202-401 Porto, Portugal LEPABE - Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Ana Rita
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Varela
authors.affiliation: CBQF - Centro de Biotecnologia e Química Fina - Laboratório Associado, Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Portuguesa/Porto, Rua Arquiteto Lobão Vital, Apartado 2511, 4202-401 Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Gonçalo N
authors.initials: GN
authors.lastname: Macedo
authors.affiliation: LEPABE - Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Olga C
authors.initials: OC
authors.lastname: Nunes
authors.affiliation: CBQF - Centro de Biotecnologia e Química Fina - Laboratório Associado, Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Portuguesa/Porto, Rua Arquiteto Lobão Vital, Apartado 2511, 4202-401 Porto, Portugal cmanaia@porto.ucp.pt.
authors.forename: Célia M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Manaia
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D002939:Ciprofloxacin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003227:Conjugation, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D027081:DNA Gyrase / Q000235:genetics; D027101:DNA Topoisomerase IV / Q000235:genetics; D024901:Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000188:drug therapy; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D020071:Interspersed Repetitive Sequences / Q000235:genetics; D058885:Multilocus Sequence Typing; D010957:Plasmids / Q000235:genetics; D045483:Rivers / Q000382:microbiology*; D062065:Wastewater / Q000382:microbiology*; D018440:beta-Lactam Resistance / Q000235:genetics; D001618:beta-Lactamases / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D002939:Ciprofloxacin; D027081:DNA Gyrase; D027101:DNA Topoisomerase IV; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D062065:Wastewater; D001618:beta-Lactamases; C524438:QepA protein, E coli; C485384:Qnr protein, E coli
keywords: E. coli MLST; PMQR; plasmids replicon type; quinolone resistance; water