title: Characteristics of Plasmids Coharboring 16S rRNA Methylases, CTX-M, and Virulence Factors in Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae Isolates from Chickens in China.
abstract: The objective of this study was to characterize plasmids coharboring 16S rRNA methylases, blaCTX-M and virulence-associated genes in Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates from chickens in China. A total of 32 positive transconjugants exhibited coresistance to amikacin and cefotaxime in E. coli (24/281) and K. pneumoniae (8/93), and were identified by conjugation experiments and S1-pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. Polymerase chain reaction amplification assay detecting resistance genes showed that rmtB or armA gene accompanied with different blaCTX-M genes coexisted on 32 transferred plasmids. The blaCTX-M-98b gene was identified in chicken-derived E. coli and K. pneumoniae for the first time. The association between resistance genes and virulence genes was observed in the transferred plasmids; 68.8% (22/32) transferred resistance plasmids coharboring various virulence genes including traT, iutA, fyuA, msbB, and vagC genes with diverse proportions. Genetic stability tests revealed that 93.8% (30/32) transferred plasmids continued to exist in the host strain after continuous passage of 30 times in 15 days. Furthermore, 87.5% (28/32) conjugants showed no significant differences in growth rates compared with E. coli J53. Results of the growth competition assay showed that conjugants have low fitness cost, which indicated that there were no obvious negative effects on the host's growth. The combination of blaCTX-M-98b-rmtB-traT on 85-kb transferred IncF plasmids in E. coli, and blaCTX-M-14-rmtB-traT on 95-kb transferred IncF plasmids in K. pneumoniae were first identified in this study. These features of plasmids may contribute to the successful spread of resistance and virulence among pathogens of different sources and geographical origins.
authors.affiliation: 1 College of Life Science, Sichuan University , Key Laboratory of Bio-resources and Eco-environment, Ministry of Education, Chengdu, China .|2 Animal Disease Prevention and Food Safety Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province , Chengdu, China .
authors.forename: Yongqiang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: 1 College of Life Science, Sichuan University , Key Laboratory of Bio-resources and Eco-environment, Ministry of Education, Chengdu, China .|2 Animal Disease Prevention and Food Safety Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province , Chengdu, China .
authors.forename: Anyun
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: 1 College of Life Science, Sichuan University , Key Laboratory of Bio-resources and Eco-environment, Ministry of Education, Chengdu, China .|2 Animal Disease Prevention and Food Safety Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province , Chengdu, China .
authors.forename: Changwei
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lei
authors.affiliation: 1 College of Life Science, Sichuan University , Key Laboratory of Bio-resources and Eco-environment, Ministry of Education, Chengdu, China .|2 Animal Disease Prevention and Food Safety Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province , Chengdu, China .|3 "985 Project" Science Innovative Platform for Resource and Environment Protection of Southwestern China , Chengdu, China .
authors.forename: Hongning
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: 1 College of Life Science, Sichuan University , Key Laboratory of Bio-resources and Eco-environment, Ministry of Education, Chengdu, China .|2 Animal Disease Prevention and Food Safety Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province , Chengdu, China .
authors.forename: Zhongbin
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Guan
authors.affiliation: 1 College of Life Science, Sichuan University , Key Laboratory of Bio-resources and Eco-environment, Ministry of Education, Chengdu, China .|2 Animal Disease Prevention and Food Safety Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province , Chengdu, China .
authors.forename: Changwen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: 1 College of Life Science, Sichuan University , Key Laboratory of Bio-resources and Eco-environment, Ministry of Education, Chengdu, China .|2 Animal Disease Prevention and Food Safety Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province , Chengdu, China .
authors.forename: Bihui
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: 1 College of Life Science, Sichuan University , Key Laboratory of Bio-resources and Eco-environment, Ministry of Education, Chengdu, China .|2 Animal Disease Prevention and Food Safety Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province , Chengdu, China .
authors.forename: Dongdong
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: 1 College of Life Science, Sichuan University , Key Laboratory of Bio-resources and Eco-environment, Ministry of Education, Chengdu, China .|2 Animal Disease Prevention and Food Safety Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province , Chengdu, China .
authors.forename: Qingzhou
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: 1 College of Life Science, Sichuan University , Key Laboratory of Bio-resources and Eco-environment, Ministry of Education, Chengdu, China .|2 Animal Disease Prevention and Food Safety Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province , Chengdu, China .
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: 1 College of Life Science, Sichuan University , Key Laboratory of Bio-resources and Eco-environment, Ministry of Education, Chengdu, China .|2 Animal Disease Prevention and Food Safety Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province , Chengdu, China .
authors.forename: Yun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.affiliation: 1 College of Life Science, Sichuan University , Key Laboratory of Bio-resources and Eco-environment, Ministry of Education, Chengdu, China .|2 Animal Disease Prevention and Food Safety Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province , Chengdu, China .
authors.forename: Chunmei
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000583:Amikacin / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics*; D003086:Bacteriocin Plasmids / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics*; D002439:Cefotaxime / Q000494:pharmacology; D002645:Chickens / Q000382:microbiology*; D002681:China; D003227:Conjugation, Genetic; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000235:genetics / Q000662:veterinary; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D007710:Klebsiella Infections / Q000235:genetics / Q000662:veterinary; D007711:Klebsiella pneumoniae / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity; D008780:Methyltransferases / Q000235:genetics; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000235:genetics; D001618:beta-Lactamases / Q000235:genetics; D012359:tRNA Methyltransferases / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D037521:Virulence Factors; D000583:Amikacin; D008780:Methyltransferases; D012359:tRNA Methyltransferases; D001618:beta-Lactamases; C000602253:beta-lactamase CTX-M, E coli; D002439:Cefotaxime