Local transmission and global dissemination of New Delhi Metallo-Beta-Lactamase (NDM): a whole genome analysis

New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase (bla NDM), a plasmid-borne carbapenemase gene associated with significant mortality and severely limited treatment options, is of global public health concern as it is found in extremely diverse Gram-negative bacterial strains. This study thus aims to genetically charac...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:BMC genomics 2016-06, Vol.17 (1), p.452-452, Article 452
Main Authors: Khong, Wei Xin, Xia, Eryu, Marimuthu, Kalisvar, Xu, Wenting, Teo, Yik-Ying, Tan, Eng Lee, Neo, Shiyong, Krishnan, Prabha Unny, Ang, Brenda S P, Lye, David C B, Chow, Angela L P, Ong, Rick Twee-Hee, Ng, Oon Tek
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Bacterial infections
Bacterial Infections - epidemiology
Bacterial Infections - microbiology
Bacterial Infections - transmission
Beta lactamases
beta-Lactam Resistance - genetics
beta-Lactamases - genetics
Cluster Analysis
Conjugation, Genetic
Control
Cross Infection
DNA Transposable Elements
Enterobacter
Enterobacteriaceae
Enterobacteriaceae - classification
Enterobacteriaceae - drug effects
Enterobacteriaceae - genetics
Genetic aspects
Genetic Variation
Genome, Bacterial
Genome-wide association studies
Genomics
Genomics - methods
High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing
Humans
Phylogeny
Plasmids - genetics
Risk factors
Singapore - epidemiology
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Summary:New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase (bla NDM), a plasmid-borne carbapenemase gene associated with significant mortality and severely limited treatment options, is of global public health concern as it is found in extremely diverse Gram-negative bacterial strains. This study thus aims to genetically characterize local and global spread of bla NDM. To investigate local transmission patterns in the context of a single hospital, whole genome sequencing data of the first 11 bla NDM-positive bacteria isolated in a local hospital were analyzed to: (1) identify and compare bla NDM-positive plasmids; and (2) study the phylogenetic relationship of the bacteria chromosomes. The global analysis was conducted by analyzing 2749 complete plasmid sequences (including 39 bla NDM-positive plasmids) in the NCBI database, where: (1) the plasmids were clustered based on their gene composition similarity; (2) phylogenetic study was conducted for each bla NDM-positive plasmid cluster to infer the phylogenetic relationship within each cluster; (3) gene transposition events introducing bla NDM into different plasmid backbones were identified; and (4) clustering pattern was correlated with the plasmids' incompatibility group and geographical distribution. Analysis of the first 11 bla NDM-positive isolates from a single hospital revealed very low bla NDM-positive plasmid diversity. Local transmission was characterized by clonal spread of a predominant plasmid with 2 sporadic instances of plasmid introduction. In contrast to the low diversity locally, global bla NDM spread involved marked plasmid diversity with no predominant bacterial clone. Thirty-nine (1.4 %) out of the 2749 complete plasmid sequences were bla NDM-positive, and could be resolved into 7 clusters, which were associated with plasmid incompatibility group and geographical distribution. The bla NDM gene module was witnessed to mobilize between different plasmid backbones on at least 6 independent occasions. Our analysis revealed the complex genetic pathways of bla NDM spread, with global dissemination characterized mainly by transposition of the bla NDM gene cassette into varied plasmids. Early local transmission following plasmid introduction is characterized by plasmid conjugation and bacterial spread. Our findings emphasize the importance of plasmid molecular epidemiology in understanding bla NDM spread.
ISSN:1471-2164
1471-2164
DOI:10.1186/s12864-016-2740-0