AUTHOR=Hao Yingying , Shao Chunhong , Geng Xu , Bai Yuanyuan , Jin Yan , Lu Zhiming 

TITLE=Genotypic and Phenotypic Characterization of Clinical Escherichia coli Sequence Type 405 Carrying IncN2 Plasmid Harboring blaNDM-1

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=10

YEAR=2019

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2019.00788

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2019.00788

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=<p>We report a <italic>bla</italic><sub>NDM</sub>-carrying ST405 <italic>Escherichia coli</italic> recovered from the abdominal fluid of a patient in Shandong, China. This strain belonged to the high-risk phylogenetic group D and carried the virulence genes, <italic>papG II, papG III, papC</italic>, and iroN. In addition to <italic>bla</italic><sub>NDM-1</sub>, this isolate carried the quinolone resistance gene <italic>acc(6′)-Ib</italic> and extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) genes <italic>bla</italic><sub>CTX-M-15</sub> and <italic>bla</italic><sub>CTX-M-14</sub>. <italic>bla</italic><sub>NDM-1</sub> was located on a 41 Kb IncN2 self-transmissible plasmid. The IncN2 plasmid named as pJN24NDM1 was fully sequenced and analyzed. Genome comparative analysis showed that IncN2 plasmids harboring carbapenem-resistance genes possessed conserved backbones and variable accessory regions. Phylogenetic analysis of 87 IncN plasmids based on orthologous genes indicated that 9 IncN2 plasmids fell into one phylogenetic clade, while 4 IncN3 plasmids were in two phylogenetic clades of the 74 IncN1 plasmids. The presence of IncN2 plasmids harboring <italic>bla</italic><sub>NDM</sub> in the high-risk clone ST405 <italic>E. coli</italic> raises serious concerns for its potential of dissemination.</p>