Large-scale genomic survey and characterization of mcr genes carried by foodborne Cronobacter isolates

Qianhui Zhu; Jinrui Hu; Na Liu; Heyuan Qi; Xiaoli Du; Zhigang Cui; Yan Sun; Yadong Liu; Songnian Hu; Linhuan Wu; Haijian Zhou; Zilong He; Juncai Ma

doi:10.1128/msystems.00450-23

mSystems (Oct 2023)

Large-scale genomic survey and characterization of mcr genes carried by foodborne Cronobacter isolates

Qianhui Zhu,
Jinrui Hu,
Na Liu,
Heyuan Qi,
Xiaoli Du,
Zhigang Cui,
Yan Sun,
Yadong Liu,
Songnian Hu,
Linhuan Wu,
Haijian Zhou,
Zilong He,
Juncai Ma

Affiliations

Qianhui Zhu: School of Engineering Medicine, School of Engineering Medicine, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Big Data-Based Precision Medicine, Interdisciplinary Innovation Institute of Medicine and Engineering, Beihang University , Beijing, Hebei, China
Jinrui Hu: State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention , Beijing, Hebei, China
Na Liu: School of Engineering Medicine, School of Engineering Medicine, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Big Data-Based Precision Medicine, Interdisciplinary Innovation Institute of Medicine and Engineering, Beihang University , Beijing, Hebei, China
Heyuan Qi: State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing, Hebei, China
Xiaoli Du: State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention , Beijing, Hebei, China
Zhigang Cui: State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention , Beijing, Hebei, China
Yan Sun: State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing, Hebei, China
Yadong Liu: State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing, Hebei, China
Songnian Hu: State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing, Hebei, China
Linhuan Wu: State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing, Hebei, China
Haijian Zhou: State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention , Beijing, Hebei, China
Zilong He: School of Engineering Medicine, School of Engineering Medicine, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Big Data-Based Precision Medicine, Interdisciplinary Innovation Institute of Medicine and Engineering, Beihang University , Beijing, Hebei, China
Juncai Ma: State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing, Hebei, China

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1128/msystems.00450-23
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 8, no. 5

Abstract

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ABSTRACT Antibiotic resistance has become a worldwide public health and biosafety problem. The clinical efficacy of colistin was jeopardized by the report of the first mobile colistin resistance (mcr) gene, and subsequently, the mcr-gene family of mcr-1 to mcr-10 has been identified. Cronobacter is an emerging foodborne opportunistic pathogen, which can cause neonatal meningitis, bacteremia, and necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) by contaminating food. However, the entire picture of foodborne Cronobacter carriage of the mcr genes is not known. Here, we investigated the mcr genes of Cronobacter isolates (N = 877) by whole-genome sequencing. We found 133 of 877 previously undescribed Cronobacter isolates carrying mcr genes. Further genomic analysis revealed that these mcr genes mainly belonged to the mcr-9 and mcr-10. Genomic analysis of the flanking structures of mcr genes revealed that two core flanking structures were prevalent in foodborne Cronobacter isolates, and the flanking structure carrying IS1R was found for the first time in this study. These findings suggest that foodborne Cronobacter isolates carrying the mcr genes already pose a threat to human health. IMPORTANCE Cronobacter is an emerging foodborne opportunistic pathogen, which can cause neonatal meningitis, bacteremia, and NEC by contaminating food. However, the entire picture of foodborne Cronobacter carriage of the mcr genes is not known. Here, we investigated the mcr genes of Cronobacter isolates by whole-genome sequencing and found 133 previously undescribed Cronobacter isolates carrying mcr genes. Further genomic analysis revealed that these mcr genes mainly belonged to the mcr-9 and mcr-10. Genomic analysis of the flanking structures of mcr genes revealed that two core flanking structures were prevalent in foodborne Cronobacter isolates, and the flanking structure carrying IS1R was found for the first time in this study.

Published in mSystems

ISSN: 2379-5077 (Online)
Publisher: American Society for Microbiology
Country of publisher: United States
LCC subjects: Science: Microbiology
Website: https://journals.asm.org/journal/msystems

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