title: Genetic Environment of Plasmid Mediated CTX-M-15 Extended Spectrum Beta-Lactamases from Clinical and Food Borne Bacteria in North-Eastern India.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The study investigated the presence of CTX-M-15 type extended spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBL), compared their genetic arrangements and plasmid types in gram negative isolates of hospital and food origin in north-east India. From September 2013 to April 2014, a total of 252 consecutive, non-duplicate clinical isolates and 88 gram negative food isolates were selected. Phenotypic and molecular characterization of ESBL genes was performed. Presence of integrons and gene cassettes were analyzed by integrase and 59 base-element PCR respectively. The molecular environments surrounding blaCTX-M and plasmid types were investigated by PCR and PCR-based replicon typing respectively. Transformation was carried out to assess plasmid transfer. Southern blotting was conducted to localize the blaCTX-M-15 genes. DNA fingerprinting was performed by ERIC-PCR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Prevalence of ESBL was found to be 40.8% (103/252) in clinical and 31.8% (28/88) in food-borne isolates. Molecular characterization revealed the presence of 56.3% (58/103) and 53.5% (15/28) blaCTX-M-15 in clinical and food isolates respectively. Strains of clinical and food origin were non-clonal. Replicon typing revealed that IncI1 and IncFII plasmid were carrying blaCTX-M-15 in clinical and food isolates and were horizontally transferable. The ISEcp1 element was associated with blaCTX-M-15 in both clinical and food isolates.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The simultaneous presence of resistance determinants in non-clonal isolates of two different groups thus suggests that the microbiota of common food products consumed may serve as a reservoir for some of the drug resistance genes prevalent in human pathogens.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology & Bioinformatics, North Eastern Hill University, Shillong, Meghalaya, India.
authors.forename: Supriya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Upadhyay
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology & Bioinformatics, North Eastern Hill University, Shillong, Meghalaya, India.
authors.forename: Abbas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hussain
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India.
authors.forename: Shweta
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mishra
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Assam University, Silchar Assam, India.
authors.forename: Anand Prakash
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Maurya
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Assam University, Silchar Assam, India.
authors.forename: Amitabha
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bhattacharjee
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology & Bioinformatics, North Eastern Hill University, Shillong, Meghalaya, India.
authors.forename: Santa Ram
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Joshi
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000382:microbiology*; D005516:Food Microbiology; D022761:Gene Transfer, Horizontal; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016905:Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D060885:Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction; D010957:Plasmids / Q000235:genetics*; D015995:Prevalence; D001618:beta-Lactamases / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; C473109:beta-lactamase CTX-M-15; D001618:beta-Lactamases