Open AccessIn vivo transmission of a plasmid coharbouring bla DHA‐1 and qnr B genes between Escherichia coli and Serratia marcescens
Author(s) -
Mata Caterina,
Miró Elisenda,
Mirelis Beatriz,
GarcillánBarcia Maria Pilar,
De La Cruz Fernando,
Coll Pere,
Navarro Ferran
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
fems microbiology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.899
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1574-6968
pISSN - 0378-1097
DOI - 10.1111/j.1574-6968.2010.01980.x
Subject(s) - serratia marcescens , plasmid , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , escherichia coli , replicon , enterobacteriaceae , gene , horizontal gene transfer , typing , genetics , genome
We report a Serratia marcescens and an Escherichia coli isolate simultaneously detected in the same patient. Both isolates showed susceptibility patterns suggestive of harbouring a plasmid‐mediated AmpC β‐lactamase (pACBL) and a plasmid‐encoded quinolone resistance (PMQR). PCR‐based replicon, MOB typing, plasmid profile and Southern hybridization analyses revealed that both isolates coharboured bla DHA‐1 and qnr B genes on the same IncL/M‐MOB P13 plasmid approximately 70 kb in size. Together with the fact that both plasmids were conjugative in the laboratory, these results strongly suggest that a horizontal transfer event could take place in vivo . This is the first report of an isolate of S. marcescens harbouring a pACBL. The only phenotypic method that suggests the presence of a pACBL in an isolate harbouring an inducible chromosomal AmpC enzyme is the observation of scattered colonies near the edge of the inhibition zones of some β‐lactams. The presence of both resistance genes on the same plasmid and the reported increase in PMQR could perhaps explain the widespread distribution of bla DHA‐1 genes.