Elham Elkrewi1, Christopher P Randall1, Nicola Ooi1, Jennifer L Cottell2, Alex J O'Neill1. 1. Antimicrobial Research Centre and School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS29JT, UK. 2. Department of Microbiology, Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust, Cliftonville, Northampton NN15BD, UK.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To assess the prevalence of cryptic silver (Ag+) resistance amongst clinical isolates of Gram-negative bacteria, and to examine how overt Ag+ resistance becomes activated in such strains. METHODS: Established methods were used to determine the susceptibility of 444 recent clinical isolates to Ag+, and to evaluate the potential for overt Ag+ resistance to emerge in susceptible isolates by spontaneous mutation. The genetic basis for Ag+ resistance was investigated using PCR amplification and DNA sequencing. RESULTS: None of the isolates tested displayed overt Ag+ resistance. However, upon silver challenge, high-level Ag+ resistance (silver nitrate MIC >128 mg/L) was selected at high frequency (10-7 to 10-8) in 76% of isolates of Enterobacter spp., ∼58% of isolates of Klebsiella spp. and ∼0.7% of isolates of Escherichia coli. All strains in which Ag+ resistance could be selected harboured the sil operon, with resistance apparently resulting from activation of this system as a consequence of single missense mutations in silS. By contrast, Ag+ resistance was not selected in isolates lacking sil, which included all tested representatives of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter spp., Citrobacter spp. and Proteus spp. CONCLUSIONS: Whilst overt Ag+ resistance in Gram-negative pathogens is uncommon, cryptic Ag+ resistance pertaining to the sil operon is prevalent and readily activated in particular genera (Enterobacter and Klebsiella).
OBJECTIVES: To assess the prevalence of cryptic silver (Ag+) resistance amongst clinical isolates of Gram-negative bacteria, and to examine how overt Ag+ resistance becomes activated in such strains. METHODS: Established methods were used to determine the susceptibility of 444 recent clinical isolates to Ag+, and to evaluate the potential for overt Ag+ resistance to emerge in susceptible isolates by spontaneous mutation. The genetic basis for Ag+ resistance was investigated using PCR amplification and DNA sequencing. RESULTS: None of the isolates tested displayed overt Ag+ resistance. However, upon silver challenge, high-level Ag+ resistance (silver nitrate MIC >128 mg/L) was selected at high frequency (10-7 to 10-8) in 76% of isolates of Enterobacter spp., ∼58% of isolates of Klebsiella spp. and ∼0.7% of isolates of Escherichia coli. All strains in which Ag+ resistance could be selected harboured the sil operon, with resistance apparently resulting from activation of this system as a consequence of single missense mutations in silS. By contrast, Ag+ resistance was not selected in isolates lacking sil, which included all tested representatives of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter spp., Citrobacter spp. and Proteus spp. CONCLUSIONS: Whilst overt Ag+ resistance in Gram-negative pathogens is uncommon, cryptic Ag+ resistance pertaining to the sil operon is prevalent and readily activated in particular genera (Enterobacter and Klebsiella).
Authors: Yue Song; Mahmoud Elsabahy; Christina A Collins; Sarosh Khan; Richen Li; Teri N Hreha; Yidan Shen; Yen-Nan Lin; Rachel A Letteri; Lu Su; Mei Dong; Fuwu Zhang; David A Hunstad; Karen L Wooley Journal: Nano Lett Date: 2021-06-11 Impact factor: 12.262