Diversity of genetic platforms in plasmids carrying the blaPER-2 gene in Enterobacteriaceae from Argentina

M. RUGGIERO; F. BRUNETTI; DABOS, LAURA; J. DI CONZA; P. POWER; G. GUTKIND; T. NAAS

Congreso; 29th ECCMID, the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases.; 2019

ESCMID

Background: PER-2 has been the second most prevalent BLEE in Enterobacteriaceae in Argentina, responsible for 5-10% of oxyimino-cephalosporins resistance in Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli. Recently, we reported the complete sequence of an IncA/C1 plasmid carrying blaPER-2, being the first study on genetic platforms carrying this gene. To clarify the low dissemination and evaluate the diversity of genetic platforms associated with blaPER-2 gene, plasmids from 12 enterobacteria isolates recovered from hospitalized patients in Buenos Aires and Santa Fe cities between 1997-2012 were sequenced and the blaPER-2 genetic environment compared.Materials/methods: Plasmid DNA form each strain were transformed into E. coli TOP10 and the whole DNA sequenced by Illumina MiSeq. Reads? assembly was carried out by SPAdes with previous chromosomal DNA reads filtering against a reference genome. Gaps were closed by PCRs, annotations were made by RAST, detection of antibiotic resistance genes by ResFinder, determination of plasmid incompatibility groups by PlasmidFinder and genetic comparisons by MAUVE.Results: blaPER-2 gene was encoded in a variety of plasmids of different incompatibility groups: IncN2 (4), IncA/C1 (1), IncA/C2 (2), IncA/C2-like (2) IncFIB(Mar)/HI1B (3). Other β-lactam antibiotic resistance genes detected in the plasmid set were: blaTEM-1, blaCTX-M-2, blaOXA-2, blaOXA-9 and blaSCO-1. The previously reported "ISPa12-like/blaPER-2/gst-like/abct" structure was observed in all cases, associated either with the complete or partial IS. Flanking the immediate environment of this structure, the presence of one or two copies of the ISKox2-like was evidenced. In several plasmids these larger structures were found next to a class 1 integron.Conclusions: blaPER-2 gene can be associated with different plasmid incompatibility groups, either those frequently detected in Enterobacteriaceae (IncA/C2) or those that do not have a high prevalence (IncA/C1). These plasmids probably belong to lineages which are not so efficient for transmission or have not yet been transferred to successful clones for dissemination. Even so, their persistence over time indicates at least that they can be selected by antibiotic pressure and persist. In all cases, blaPER-2 is related to ISKox2-like, suggesting that this IS would be responsible for its recruitment from the source of origin and the dissemination between different types of plasmids.