Occurrence of <i>Pseudomonas</i> spp. in Raw Vegetables: Molecular and Phenotypical Analysis of Their Antimicrobial Resistance and Virulence-Related Traits
<i>Pseudomonas</i> is characterized by its great capacity to colonize different ecological niches, but also by its antimicrobial resistance and pathogenicity, causing human, animal, or plant diseases. Raw and undercooked food is a potential carrier of foodborne disease. The aim of this s...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2021-11-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Molecular Sciences |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/22/23/12626 |
| Summary: | <i>Pseudomonas</i> is characterized by its great capacity to colonize different ecological niches, but also by its antimicrobial resistance and pathogenicity, causing human, animal, or plant diseases. Raw and undercooked food is a potential carrier of foodborne disease. The aim of this study was to determine the occurrence of <i>Pseudomonas</i> spp. among raw vegetables, analysing their antimicrobial resistance, virulence, and molecular typing. A total of 163 <i>Pseudomonas</i> spp. isolates (12 different species) were recovered from 77 of the 145 analysed samples (53.1%) and were classified into 139 different pulsed-field gel electrophoresis patterns. Low antimicrobial resistance levels, but one multidrug-resistant isolate, were found. Among the 37 recovered <i>P. aeruginosa</i> strains, 28 sequence-types and nine serotypes were detected. Eleven OprD patterns and an insertion sequence (IS<i>Pa1635</i>) truncating the <i>oprD</i> gene of one imipenem-resistant strain were found. Ten virulotypes were observed, including four <i>exoU</i>-positive and thirty-one <i>exoS</i>-positive strains. The <i>lasR</i> gene was absent in three ST155 strains and was truncated by different insertion sequences (IS<i>Pre2</i>, IS<i>1411</i>, and IS<i>Pst7</i>) in other three strains. High biofilm, motility, pigment, elastase, and rhamnolipid production were detected. Our study demonstrated a low occurrence of <i>P. aeruginosa</i> (18%) and low antimicrobial resistance, but a high number of virulence-related traits in these <i>P. aeruginosa</i> strains, highlighting their pathological importance. |
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| ISSN: | 1661-6596 1422-0067 |