Decoding Genetic Features and Antimicrobial Susceptibility of <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i> Strains Isolated from Bloodstream Infections

<i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i> is a Gram-negative rod and an etiological factor of opportunistic infections. The infections of this etiology appear mostly among hospitalized patients and are relatively hard to treat due to widespread antimicrobial resistance. Many virulence factors are in...

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Main Authors: Tomasz Bogiel, Dagmara Depka, Mateusz Rzepka, Agnieszka Mikucka
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2022-08-01
Series:International Journal of Molecular Sciences
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/23/16/9208
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author Tomasz Bogiel
Dagmara Depka
Mateusz Rzepka
Agnieszka Mikucka
author_facet Tomasz Bogiel
Dagmara Depka
Mateusz Rzepka
Agnieszka Mikucka
author_sort Tomasz Bogiel
collection DOAJ
description <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i> is a Gram-negative rod and an etiological factor of opportunistic infections. The infections of this etiology appear mostly among hospitalized patients and are relatively hard to treat due to widespread antimicrobial resistance. Many virulence factors are involved in the pathogenesis of <i>P. aeruginosa</i> infection, the coexistence of which have a significant impact on the course of an infection with a particular localization. The aim of this study was to assess the antimicrobial susceptibility profiles and the frequency of genes encoding selected virulence factors in clinical <i>P. aeruginosa</i> strains isolated from bloodstream infections (BSIs). The following genes encoding virulence factors of enzymatic activity were assessed: <i>lasB</i>, <i>plC H</i>, <i>plC N</i>, <i>nan1</i>, <i>nan2, aprA</i> and <i>phzM</i>. The frequency of the genes encoding the type III secretion system effector proteins (<i>exoU</i> and <i>exoS</i>) and the genes encoding pilin structural subunits (<i>pilA</i> and <i>pilB</i>) were also investigated. The occurrence of virulence-factor genes was assessed using polymerase chain reactions, each in a separate reaction. Seventy-one <i>P. aeruginosa</i> strains, isolated from blood samples of patients with confirmed bacteremia hospitalized at the University Hospital No. 1 of Dr. Antoni Jurasz in Bydgoszcz, Poland, were included in the study. All the investigated strains were susceptible to colistin, while the majority of the strains presented resistance to ticarcillin/clavulanate (71.8%), piperacillin (60.6 %), imipenem (57.7%) and piperacillin/tazobactam (52.1%). The presence of the <i>lasB</i> and <i>plC H</i> genes was noted in all the tested strains, while the <i>plC N</i>, <i>nan2</i>, <i>aprA</i>, <i>phzM</i> and <i>nan1</i> genes were identified in 68 (95.8%), 66 (93.0%), 63 (88.7%), 55 (77.5%) and 34 (47.9%) isolates, respectively. In 44 (62.0%) and 41 (57.7%) strains, the presence of the <i>exoU</i> and <i>exoS</i> genes was confirmed, while the <i>pilA</i> and <i>pilB</i> genes were noted only in 14 (19.7%) and 3 (4.2%) isolates, respectively. This may be due to the diverse roles of these proteins in the development and maintenance of BSIs. Statistically significant correlations were observed between particular gene pairs’ coexistence (e.g., alkaline protease and neuraminidase 2). Altogether, twenty-seven distinctive genotypes were observed among the studied strains, indicating the vast variety of genetic compositions of <i>P. aeruginosa</i> strains causing BSIs.
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spelling doaj.art-0f2151447c0b46ef912bfc4b6634abc32023-12-03T13:49:05ZengMDPI AGInternational Journal of Molecular Sciences1661-65961422-00672022-08-012316920810.3390/ijms23169208Decoding Genetic Features and Antimicrobial Susceptibility of <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i> Strains Isolated from Bloodstream InfectionsTomasz Bogiel0Dagmara Depka1Mateusz Rzepka2Agnieszka Mikucka3Microbiology Department, Ludwik Rydygier Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, 85-094 Bydgoszcz, PolandMicrobiology Department, Ludwik Rydygier Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, 85-094 Bydgoszcz, PolandMicrobiology Department, Ludwik Rydygier Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, 85-094 Bydgoszcz, PolandMicrobiology Department, Ludwik Rydygier Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, 85-094 Bydgoszcz, Poland<i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i> is a Gram-negative rod and an etiological factor of opportunistic infections. The infections of this etiology appear mostly among hospitalized patients and are relatively hard to treat due to widespread antimicrobial resistance. Many virulence factors are involved in the pathogenesis of <i>P. aeruginosa</i> infection, the coexistence of which have a significant impact on the course of an infection with a particular localization. The aim of this study was to assess the antimicrobial susceptibility profiles and the frequency of genes encoding selected virulence factors in clinical <i>P. aeruginosa</i> strains isolated from bloodstream infections (BSIs). The following genes encoding virulence factors of enzymatic activity were assessed: <i>lasB</i>, <i>plC H</i>, <i>plC N</i>, <i>nan1</i>, <i>nan2, aprA</i> and <i>phzM</i>. The frequency of the genes encoding the type III secretion system effector proteins (<i>exoU</i> and <i>exoS</i>) and the genes encoding pilin structural subunits (<i>pilA</i> and <i>pilB</i>) were also investigated. The occurrence of virulence-factor genes was assessed using polymerase chain reactions, each in a separate reaction. Seventy-one <i>P. aeruginosa</i> strains, isolated from blood samples of patients with confirmed bacteremia hospitalized at the University Hospital No. 1 of Dr. Antoni Jurasz in Bydgoszcz, Poland, were included in the study. All the investigated strains were susceptible to colistin, while the majority of the strains presented resistance to ticarcillin/clavulanate (71.8%), piperacillin (60.6 %), imipenem (57.7%) and piperacillin/tazobactam (52.1%). The presence of the <i>lasB</i> and <i>plC H</i> genes was noted in all the tested strains, while the <i>plC N</i>, <i>nan2</i>, <i>aprA</i>, <i>phzM</i> and <i>nan1</i> genes were identified in 68 (95.8%), 66 (93.0%), 63 (88.7%), 55 (77.5%) and 34 (47.9%) isolates, respectively. In 44 (62.0%) and 41 (57.7%) strains, the presence of the <i>exoU</i> and <i>exoS</i> genes was confirmed, while the <i>pilA</i> and <i>pilB</i> genes were noted only in 14 (19.7%) and 3 (4.2%) isolates, respectively. This may be due to the diverse roles of these proteins in the development and maintenance of BSIs. Statistically significant correlations were observed between particular gene pairs’ coexistence (e.g., alkaline protease and neuraminidase 2). Altogether, twenty-seven distinctive genotypes were observed among the studied strains, indicating the vast variety of genetic compositions of <i>P. aeruginosa</i> strains causing BSIs.https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/23/16/9208bacteremiabloodstream infectionsBSIs<i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i><i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i> virulencetoxins
spellingShingle Tomasz Bogiel
Dagmara Depka
Mateusz Rzepka
Agnieszka Mikucka
Decoding Genetic Features and Antimicrobial Susceptibility of <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i> Strains Isolated from Bloodstream Infections
International Journal of Molecular Sciences
bacteremia
bloodstream infections
BSIs
<i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i>
<i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i> virulence
toxins
title Decoding Genetic Features and Antimicrobial Susceptibility of <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i> Strains Isolated from Bloodstream Infections
title_full Decoding Genetic Features and Antimicrobial Susceptibility of <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i> Strains Isolated from Bloodstream Infections
title_fullStr Decoding Genetic Features and Antimicrobial Susceptibility of <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i> Strains Isolated from Bloodstream Infections
title_full_unstemmed Decoding Genetic Features and Antimicrobial Susceptibility of <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i> Strains Isolated from Bloodstream Infections
title_short Decoding Genetic Features and Antimicrobial Susceptibility of <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i> Strains Isolated from Bloodstream Infections
title_sort decoding genetic features and antimicrobial susceptibility of i pseudomonas aeruginosa i strains isolated from bloodstream infections
topic bacteremia
bloodstream infections
BSIs
<i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i>
<i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i> virulence
toxins
url https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/23/16/9208
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