Control and Detection of Multiple Antibiotic Resistant Pathogens

A special issue of Microorganisms (ISSN 2076-2607). This special issue belongs to the section "Antimicrobial Agents and Resistance".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 August 2020) | Viewed by 61617

Special Issue Editor

Department of Medical Biomaterials Engineering, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 24341, Gangwon, Republic of Korea
Interests: microbial pathogenesis; phage control; antibiotic resistance mechanism; food safety
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Over the last several decades, the overuse and misuse of antibiotics have led to the increased emergence of antibiotic-resistant pathogens. The repeated exposure to therapeutic antibiotics provides selection pressure for the evolution of multiple antibiotic resistance in pathogenic bacteria, which can cause serious infectious diseases. Therefore, the development of effective control and rapid detection tools is essential for treatment and prevention of multiple antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections. Many control systems including combination therapy, phage control, and antibiotic resistance mechanism-based systems (efflux pump and b-lactamase inhibitors) have been designed to improve antibacterial activity against multiple antibiotic-resistant pathogens. Many different approaches have been tried to develop rapid, selective, and sensitive detection tools for multiple antibiotic-resistant pathogens, including nucleic acid probes, molecular-based techniques (gene amplification and microarray hybridization), chemical methods (thermostable nuclease, radiometry, and lux gene luminescence), and physical methods (impedance, microcalorimetry, and flow cytometry).

In this Special Issue of Microorganisms, we invite you to send contributions concerning any aspects related to the control and detection of multiple antibiotic-resistant pathogens, including effective control systems such as combination therapy and phage control and reliable qualitative and quantitative detection techniques such as molecular-based diagnostic tools. In addition, antibiotic mechanism-based studies are also welcome for this Special Issue.

Prof. Dr. Juhee Ahn
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • detection techniques
  • phage control
  • combination therapy
  • multiple antibiotic-resistant pathogens
  • microbial pathogenesis
  • antibiotic resistance mechanism
  • food safety

Published Papers (12 papers)

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Research

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13 pages, 1026 KiB  
Article
Limited Genetic Diversity of blaCMY-2-Containing IncI1-pST12 Plasmids from Enterobacteriaceae of Human and Broiler Chicken Origin in The Netherlands
by Evert P.M. den Drijver, Joep J.J.M. Stohr, Jaco J. Verweij, Carlo Verhulst, Francisca C. Velkers, Arjan Stegeman, Marjolein F.Q. Kluytmans-van den Bergh, Jan A.J.W. Kluytmans and i---Health Study Group
Microorganisms 2020, 8(11), 1755; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/microorganisms8111755 - 08 Nov 2020
Viewed by 2304
Abstract
Distinguishing epidemiologically related and unrelated plasmids is essential to confirm plasmid transmission. We compared IncI1–pST12 plasmids from both human and livestock origin and explored the degree of sequence similarity between plasmids from Enterobacteriaceae with different epidemiological links. Short-read sequence data of Enterobacteriaceae cultured [...] Read more.
Distinguishing epidemiologically related and unrelated plasmids is essential to confirm plasmid transmission. We compared IncI1–pST12 plasmids from both human and livestock origin and explored the degree of sequence similarity between plasmids from Enterobacteriaceae with different epidemiological links. Short-read sequence data of Enterobacteriaceae cultured from humans and broilers were screened for the presence of both a blaCMY-2 gene and an IncI1–pST12 replicon. Isolates were long-read sequenced on a MinION sequencer (OxfordNanopore Technologies). After plasmid reconstruction using hybrid assembly, pairwise single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were determined. The plasmids were annotated, and a pan-genome was constructed to compare genes variably present between the different plasmids. Nine Escherichia coli sequences of broiler origin, four Escherichia coli sequences, and one Salmonella enterica sequence of human origin were selected for the current analysis. A circular contig with the IncI1–pST12 replicon and blaCMY-2 gene was extracted from the assembly graph of all fourteen isolates. Analysis of the IncI1–pST12 plasmids revealed a low number of SNP differences (range of 0–9 SNPs). The range of SNP differences overlapped in isolates with different epidemiological links. One-hundred and twelve from a total of 113 genes of the pan-genome were present in all plasmid constructs. Next generation sequencing analysis of blaCMY-2-containing IncI1–pST12 plasmids isolated from Enterobacteriaceae with different epidemiological links show a high degree of sequence similarity in terms of SNP differences and the number of shared genes. Therefore, statements on the horizontal transfer of these plasmids based on genetic identity should be made with caution. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Control and Detection of Multiple Antibiotic Resistant Pathogens)
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14 pages, 1110 KiB  
Article
Molecular Epidemiology of Multi-Drug Resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa Isolates from Hospitalized Patients in Greece
by Olga Pappa, Anastasia Maria Kefala, Kyriaki Tryfinopoulou, Marios Dimitriou, Kostas Kostoulas, Chrysa Dioli, Eleni Moraitou, Maria Panopoulou, Evaggelos Vogiatzakis, Athena Mavridou, Alex Galanis and Apostolos Beloukas
Microorganisms 2020, 8(11), 1652; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/microorganisms8111652 - 24 Oct 2020
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2220
Abstract
Resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates are one of the major causes of both hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) and community-acquired infections (CAIs). However, management of P. aeruginosa infections is difficult as the bacterium is inherently resistant to many antibiotics. In this study, a collection of 75 [...] Read more.
Resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates are one of the major causes of both hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) and community-acquired infections (CAIs). However, management of P. aeruginosa infections is difficult as the bacterium is inherently resistant to many antibiotics. In this study, a collection of 75 P. aeruginosa clinical isolates from two tertiary hospitals from Athens and Alexnadroupolis in Greece was studied to assess antimicrobial sensitivity and molecular epidemiology. All P. aeruginosa isolates were tested for susceptibility to 11 commonly used antibiotics, and the newly introduced Double Locus Sequence Typing (DLST) scheme was implemented to elucidate the predominant clones. The tested P. aeruginosa isolates presented various resistant phenotypes, with Verona Integron-Mediated Metallo-β-lactamase (VIM-2) mechanisms being the majority, and a new phenotype, FEPR-CAZS, being reported for the first time in Greek isolates. DLST revealed two predominant types, 32-39 and 8-37, and provided evidence for intra-hospital transmission of the 32-39 clone in one of the hospitals. The results indicate that DLST can be a valuable tool when local outbreaks demand immediate tracking investigation with limited time and financial resources. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Control and Detection of Multiple Antibiotic Resistant Pathogens)
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15 pages, 1985 KiB  
Article
Clinical Relevance of Antibiotic Susceptibility Profiles for Screening Gram-negative Microorganisms Resistant to Beta-Lactam Antibiotics
by Francisco Montiel-Riquelme, Elisabeth Calatrava-Hernández, Miguel Gutiérrez-Soto, Manuela Expósito-Ruiz, José María Navarro-Marí and José Gutiérrez-Fernández
Microorganisms 2020, 8(10), 1555; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/microorganisms8101555 - 09 Oct 2020
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2429
Abstract
The increasing resistance to antibiotics is compromising the empirical treatment of infections caused by resistant bacteria. Rapid, efficient, and clinically applicable phenotypic methods are needed for their detection. This study examines the phenotypic behavior of β-lactam-resistant Gram-negative bacteria grown on ChromID ESBL medium [...] Read more.
The increasing resistance to antibiotics is compromising the empirical treatment of infections caused by resistant bacteria. Rapid, efficient, and clinically applicable phenotypic methods are needed for their detection. This study examines the phenotypic behavior of β-lactam-resistant Gram-negative bacteria grown on ChromID ESBL medium with ertapenem, cefoxitin, and cefepime disks, reports on the coloration of colonies, and establishes a halo diameter breakpoint for the detection of carbapenemase-producing bacteria. We studied 186 β-lactam-resistant Gram-negative microorganisms (77 with extended spectrum beta lactamase (ESBL), 97 with carbapenemases, and 12 with AmpC β-lactamases (AmpC)). Susceptibility profiles of Gram-negative bacteria that produced ESBL, AmpC, and carbapenemases were similar to the expected profiles, with some differences in the response to cefepime of ESBL-producing microorganisms. Coloration values did not differ from those described by the manufacturer of ChromID ESBL medium. In the screening of carbapenemase production, inhibition halo diameter breakpoints for antibiotic resistance were 18 mm for Enterobacterales and ertapenem, 18 mm for Pseudomonas and cefepime, and 16 mm for Acinetobacter baumannii and cefepime. This innovative phenotypic approach is highly relevant to clinical laboratories, combining susceptibility profiles with detection by coloration of high-priority resistant microorganisms such as carbapenemase-producing A. baumannii, carbapenemase-producing Pseudomonas spp., and ESBL and/or carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Control and Detection of Multiple Antibiotic Resistant Pathogens)
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17 pages, 2313 KiB  
Article
Association of Virulence and Antibiotic Resistance in Salmonella—Statistical and Computational Insights into a Selected Set of Clinical Isolates
by Daleniece Higgins, Nabanita Mukherjee, Chandan Pal, Irshad M. Sulaiman, Yu Jiang, Samir Hanna, John R. Dunn, Wilfried Karmaus and Pratik Banerjee
Microorganisms 2020, 8(10), 1465; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/microorganisms8101465 - 24 Sep 2020
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 2441
Abstract
The acquisition of antibiotic resistance (AR) by foodborne pathogens, such as Salmonella enterica, has emerged as a serious public health concern. The relationship between the two key survival mechanisms (i.e., antibiotic resistance and virulence) of bacterial pathogens is complex. However, it is [...] Read more.
The acquisition of antibiotic resistance (AR) by foodborne pathogens, such as Salmonella enterica, has emerged as a serious public health concern. The relationship between the two key survival mechanisms (i.e., antibiotic resistance and virulence) of bacterial pathogens is complex. However, it is unclear if the presence of certain virulence determinants (i.e., virulence genes) and AR have any association in Salmonella. In this study, we report the prevalence of selected virulence genes and their association with AR in a set of phenotypically tested antibiotic-resistant (n = 117) and antibiotic-susceptible (n = 94) clinical isolates of Salmonella collected from Tennessee, USA. Profiling of virulence genes (i.e., virulotyping) in Salmonella isolates (n = 211) was conducted by targeting 13 known virulence genes and a gene for class 1 integron. The association of the presence/absence of virulence genes in an isolate with their AR phenotypes was determined by the machine learning algorithm Random Forest. The analysis revealed that Salmonella virulotypes with gene clusters consisting of avrA, gipA, sodC1, and sopE1 were strongly associated with any resistant phenotypes. To conclude, the results of this exploratory study shed light on the association of specific virulence genes with drug-resistant phenotypes of Salmonella. The presence of certain virulence genes clusters in resistant isolates may become useful for the risk assessment and management of salmonellosis caused by drug-resistant Salmonella in humans. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Control and Detection of Multiple Antibiotic Resistant Pathogens)
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17 pages, 643 KiB  
Article
Mechanisms of Linezolid Resistance Among Enterococci of Clinical Origin in Spain—Detection of optrA- and cfr(D)-Carrying E. faecalis
by Laura Ruiz-Ripa, Andrea T. Feßler, Dennis Hanke, Inga Eichhorn, José Manuel Azcona-Gutiérrez, Mar Olga Pérez-Moreno, Cristina Seral, Carmen Aspiroz, Carla Andrea Alonso, Luis Torres, Juan-Ignacio Alós, Stefan Schwarz and Carmen Torres
Microorganisms 2020, 8(8), 1155; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/microorganisms8081155 - 30 Jul 2020
Cited by 28 | Viewed by 2924
Abstract
The mechanisms of linezolid resistance among 13 E. faecalis and 6 E. faecium isolates, recovered from six Spanish hospitals during 2017–2018, were investigated. The presence of acquired linezolid resistance genes and mutations in 23S rDNA and in genes encoding for ribosomal proteins was [...] Read more.
The mechanisms of linezolid resistance among 13 E. faecalis and 6 E. faecium isolates, recovered from six Spanish hospitals during 2017–2018, were investigated. The presence of acquired linezolid resistance genes and mutations in 23S rDNA and in genes encoding for ribosomal proteins was analyzed by PCR and amplicon sequencing. Moreover, the susceptibility to 18 antimicrobial agents was investigated, and the respective molecular background was elucidated by PCR-amplicon sequencing and whole genome sequencing. The transferability of the linezolid resistance genes was evaluated by filter-mating experiments. The optrA gene was detected in all 13 E. faecalis isolates; and one optrA-positive isolate also carried the recently described cfr(D) gene. Moreover, one E. faecalis isolate displayed the nucleotide mutation G2576T in the 23S rDNA. This mutation was also present in all six E. faecium isolates. All linezolid-resistant enterococci showed a multiresistance phenotype and harbored several antimicrobial resistance genes, as well as many virulence determinants. The fexA gene was located upstream of the optrA gene in 12 of the E. faecalis isolates. Moreover, an erm(A)-like gene was located downstream of optrA in two isolates recovered from the same hospital. The optrA gene was transferable in all but one E. faecalis isolates, in all cases along with the fexA gene. The cfr(D) gene was not transferable. The presence of optrA and mutations in the 23S rDNA are the main mechanisms of linezolid resistance among E. faecalis and E. faecium, respectively. We report the first description of the cfr(D) gene in E. faecalis. The presence of the optrA and cfr(D) genes in Spanish hospitals is a public health concern. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Control and Detection of Multiple Antibiotic Resistant Pathogens)
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17 pages, 4540 KiB  
Article
An Endolysin LysSE24 by Bacteriophage LPSE1 Confers Specific Bactericidal Activity against Multidrug-Resistant Salmonella Strains
by Yifeng Ding, Yu Zhang, Chenxi Huang, Jia Wang and Xiaohong Wang
Microorganisms 2020, 8(5), 737; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/microorganisms8050737 - 15 May 2020
Cited by 31 | Viewed by 3503
Abstract
Salmonella is responsible for a wide range of infections and is a constant threat to public health, particularly in light of emerging antibiotic resistance. The use of bacteriophages and phage endolysins as specific antibacterial agents is a promising strategy to control this bacterial [...] Read more.
Salmonella is responsible for a wide range of infections and is a constant threat to public health, particularly in light of emerging antibiotic resistance. The use of bacteriophages and phage endolysins as specific antibacterial agents is a promising strategy to control this bacterial infection. Endolysins are important proteins during the process of bacteria lysis by bacteriophages. In this study, we identify a novel endolysin, named LysSE24. LysSE24 was predicted to possess N-acetylmuramidases activity, with a molecular mass of ca. 17.4 kDa and pI 9.44. His-tagged LysSE24 was heterologously expressed and purified by Ni-NTA chromatography. LysSE24 exhibited optimal bactericidal activity against Salmonella Enteritidis ATCC 13076 at a concentration of 0.1 μM. Salmonella population (measured by OD600 nm) decreased significantly (p < 0.05) after 10 min of incubation in combination with the outer membrane permeabilizer in vitro. It also showed antibacterial activity against a panel of 23 tested multidrug-resistant Salmonella strains. Bactericidal activity of LysSE24 was evaluated in terms of pH, temperature, and ionic strength. It was very stable with different pH (4.0 to 10.0) at different temperatures (20 to 60 °C). Both K+ and Na+ at concentrations between 0.1 to 100 mM showed no effects on its bactericidal activity, while a high concentration of Ca2+ and Mg2+ showed efficacy. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that exposure to 0.1 μM LysSE24 for up to 5 min caused a remarkable modification of the cell shape of Salmonella Enteritidis ATCC 13076. These results indicate that recombinant LysSE24 represents a promising antimicrobial activity against Salmonella, especially several multidrug-resistant Salmonella strains. Further studies can be developed to improve its bactericidal activity without the need for pretreatment with outer membrane-destabilizing agents by synthetic biology methods. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Control and Detection of Multiple Antibiotic Resistant Pathogens)
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19 pages, 3399 KiB  
Article
Virulence Characteristics of mecA-Positive Multidrug-Resistant Clinical Coagulase-Negative Staphylococci
by Jung-Whan Chon, Un Jung Lee, Ryan Bensen, Stephanie West, Angel Paredes, Jinhee Lim, Saeed Khan, Mark E. Hart, K. Scott Phillips and Kidon Sung
Microorganisms 2020, 8(5), 659; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/microorganisms8050659 - 01 May 2020
Cited by 19 | Viewed by 3090
Abstract
Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) are an important group of opportunistic pathogenic microorganisms that cause infections in hospital settings and are generally resistant to many antimicrobial agents. We report on phenotypic and genotypic virulence characteristics of a select group of clinical, mecA-positive (encoding penicillin-binding [...] Read more.
Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) are an important group of opportunistic pathogenic microorganisms that cause infections in hospital settings and are generally resistant to many antimicrobial agents. We report on phenotypic and genotypic virulence characteristics of a select group of clinical, mecA-positive (encoding penicillin-binding protein 2a) CoNS isolates. All CoNS were resistant to two or more antimicrobials with S. epidermidis strain 214EP, showing resistance to fifteen of the sixteen antimicrobial agents tested. Aminoglycoside-resistance genes were the ones most commonly detected. The presence of megaplasmids containing both horizontal gene transfer and antimicrobial resistance genetic determinants indicates that CoNS may disseminate antibiotic resistance to other bacteria. Staphylococcus sciuri species produced six virulence enzymes, including a DNase, gelatinase, lipase, phosphatase, and protease that are suspected to degrade tissues into nutrients for bacterial growth and contribute to the pathogenicity of CoNS. The PCR assay for the detection of biofilm-associated genes found the eno (encoding laminin-binding protein) gene in all isolates. Measurement of their biofilm-forming ability and Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient analyses revealed that the results of crystal violet (CV) and extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) assays were significantly correlated (ρ = 0.9153, P = 3.612e-12). The presence of virulence factors, biofilm-formation capability, extracellular enzymes, multidrug resistance, and gene transfer markers in mecA-positive CoNS clinical strains used in this study makes them powerful opportunistic pathogens. The study also warrants a careful evaluation of nosocomial infections caused by CoNS and may be useful in studying the mechanism of virulence and factors associated with their pathogenicity in vivo and developing effective strategies for mitigation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Control and Detection of Multiple Antibiotic Resistant Pathogens)
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12 pages, 276 KiB  
Article
The Impact of Direct-Fed Microbials and Phytogenic Feed Additives on Prevalence and Transfer of Extended-Spectrum Beta-Lactamase Genes in Broiler Chicken
by Eva-Maria Saliu, Hao Ren, Farshad Goodarzi Boroojeni, Jürgen Zentek and Wilfried Vahjen
Microorganisms 2020, 8(3), 322; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms8030322 - 26 Feb 2020
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2534
Abstract
Poultry frequently account for the highest prevalence of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacteriaceae in livestock. To investigate the impact of direct-fed microbials (DFM) and phytobiotic feed additives on prevalence and conjugation of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacteriaceae, an animal trial was conducted. Lactobacillus agilis [...] Read more.
Poultry frequently account for the highest prevalence of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacteriaceae in livestock. To investigate the impact of direct-fed microbials (DFM) and phytobiotic feed additives on prevalence and conjugation of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacteriaceae, an animal trial was conducted. Lactobacillus agilis LA73 and Lactobacillus salivarius LS1 and two commercial phytogenic feed additives (consisting of carvacrol, cinnamaldehyde, and eugenol) were used as feed additives either alone or as a combination of DFM and phytogenic feed additive. An ESBL-producing E. coli donor and a potentially pathogenic Salmonella Typhimurium recipient were inoculated at 5 × 109 cells/mL in cecal contents from 2-week-old broilers. Conjugation frequencies were determined after 4 h aerobic co-incubation at 37 °C and corrected for the impact of the sample matrix on bacterial growth of donor and recipient. Surprisingly, indigenous Enterobacteriaceae acted as recipients instead of the anticipated Salmonella recipient. The observed increase in conjugation frequency was most obvious in the groups fed the combinations of DFM and phytogenic product, but merely up to 0.6 log units. Further, cecal samples were examined for ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae on five consecutive days in broilers aged 27–31 days. All samples derived from animals fed the experimental diet showed lower ESBL-prevalence than the control. It is concluded that Lactobacillus spp. and essential oils may help to reduce the prevalence of ESBL-harboring plasmids in broilers, while the effect on horizontal gene transfer is less obvious. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Control and Detection of Multiple Antibiotic Resistant Pathogens)
11 pages, 1955 KiB  
Article
A High Resolution DNA Melting Curve Analysis for the Rapid and Efficient Molecular Diagnostics of Extended Spectrum β-Lactamase Determinants from Foodborne Escherichia coli
by Patrick Murigu Kamau Njage and Elna Buys
Microorganisms 2020, 8(1), 90; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/microorganisms8010090 - 09 Jan 2020
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 5397
Abstract
The accurate identification of Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamase (ESBL) genes in Gram-negative bacteria is necessary for surveillance and epidemiological studies of transmission through foods. We report a novel rapid, cheap, and accurate closed tube molecular diagnostic tool based on two multiplex HRM protocols for analysis [...] Read more.
The accurate identification of Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamase (ESBL) genes in Gram-negative bacteria is necessary for surveillance and epidemiological studies of transmission through foods. We report a novel rapid, cheap, and accurate closed tube molecular diagnostic tool based on two multiplex HRM protocols for analysis of the predominant ESBL families encountered in foods. The first multiplex PCR assay targeted blaCTX-M including phylogenetic groups 1 (CTX-M-1-15, including CTX-M-1, CTX-M-3 and CTX-M-15), 2 (CTX-M-2), and 9 (CTX-M-9-14, including CTX-M-9 and CTX-M-14). The second assay involved blaTEM /bla CTX-M /blaSHV, including TEM variants (TEM-1 and TEM-2), SHV-1-56 (SHV-1, SHV-2 and SHV-56), and CTX-M-8-41 (CTX-M-8, CTX-M-25, CTX-M-26 and CTX-M-39 to CTX-M-41). The individual melting curves were differentiated by a temperature shift according to the type of ESBL gene. The specificity and sensitivity of the first assay were 100% and 98%, respectively. For the second assay, the specificity and sensitivity were 87% and 89%, respectively. The detection of ESBL variants or mutations in existing genes was also demonstrated by the subtyping of a variant of the CTXM-1-15. The HRM is a potential tool for the rapid detection of present β-lactamase genes and their characterization in a highly sensitive, closed-tube, inexpensive method that is applicable in high throughput studies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Control and Detection of Multiple Antibiotic Resistant Pathogens)
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Review

Jump to: Research

23 pages, 1681 KiB  
Review
The Role of Bacterial Membrane Vesicles in the Dissemination of Antibiotic Resistance and as Promising Carriers for Therapeutic Agent Delivery
by Md Jalal Uddin, Jirapat Dawan, Gibeom Jeon, Tao Yu, Xinlong He and Juhee Ahn
Microorganisms 2020, 8(5), 670; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/microorganisms8050670 - 05 May 2020
Cited by 39 | Viewed by 6155
Abstract
The rapid emergence and spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria continues to be an issue difficult to deal with, especially in the clinical, animal husbandry, and food fields. The occurrence of multidrug-resistant bacteria renders treatment with antibiotics ineffective. Therefore, the development of new therapeutic methods [...] Read more.
The rapid emergence and spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria continues to be an issue difficult to deal with, especially in the clinical, animal husbandry, and food fields. The occurrence of multidrug-resistant bacteria renders treatment with antibiotics ineffective. Therefore, the development of new therapeutic methods is a worthwhile research endeavor in treating infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Recently, bacterial membrane vesicles (BMVs) have been investigated as a possible approach to drug delivery and vaccine development. The BMVs are released by both pathogenic and non-pathogenic Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, containing various components originating from the cytoplasm and the cell envelope. The BMVs are able to transform bacteria with genes that encode enzymes such as proteases, glycosidases, and peptidases, resulting in the enhanced antibiotic resistance in bacteria. The BMVs can increase the resistance of bacteria to antibiotics. However, the biogenesis and functions of BMVs are not fully understood in association with the bacterial pathogenesis. Therefore, this review aims to discuss BMV-associated antibiotic resistance and BMV-based therapeutic interventions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Control and Detection of Multiple Antibiotic Resistant Pathogens)
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21 pages, 10360 KiB  
Review
Quorum-Sensing Regulation of Antimicrobial Resistance in Bacteria
by Xihong Zhao, Zixuan Yu and Tian Ding
Microorganisms 2020, 8(3), 425; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/microorganisms8030425 - 17 Mar 2020
Cited by 223 | Viewed by 17724
Abstract
Quorum sensing is a cell-to-cell communication system that exists widely in the microbiome and is related to cell density. The high-density colony population can generate a sufficient number of small molecule signals, activate a variety of downstream cellular processes including virulence and drug [...] Read more.
Quorum sensing is a cell-to-cell communication system that exists widely in the microbiome and is related to cell density. The high-density colony population can generate a sufficient number of small molecule signals, activate a variety of downstream cellular processes including virulence and drug resistance mechanisms, tolerate antibiotics, and harm the host. This article gives a general introduction to the current research status of microbial quorum-sensing systems, focuses on the role of quorum-sensing systems in regulating microbial resistance mechanisms, such as drug efflux pump and microbial biofilm formation regulation, and discusses a new strategy for the treatment of drug-resistant bacteria proposed by using quorum quenching to prevent microbial resistance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Control and Detection of Multiple Antibiotic Resistant Pathogens)
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22 pages, 1563 KiB  
Review
Bacteriophages as Potential Tools for Detection and Control of Salmonella spp. in Food Systems
by Shuai Wei, Ramachandran Chelliah, Momna Rubab, Deog-Hwan Oh, Md Jalal Uddin and Juhee Ahn
Microorganisms 2019, 7(11), 570; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/microorganisms7110570 - 17 Nov 2019
Cited by 30 | Viewed by 9968
Abstract
The global problem of antibiotic resistance in bacteria is quickly developing in most antibiotics used in hospitals and livestock. Recently, the infections with multi-drug resistant (MDR) bacteria become a major cause of death worldwide. Current antibiotics are not very effective in treating MDR [...] Read more.
The global problem of antibiotic resistance in bacteria is quickly developing in most antibiotics used in hospitals and livestock. Recently, the infections with multi-drug resistant (MDR) bacteria become a major cause of death worldwide. Current antibiotics are not very effective in treating MDR Salmonella infections, which have become a public health threat. Therefore, novel approaches are needed to rapidly detect and effectively control antibiotic-resistant pathogens. Bacteriophages (phages) have seen renewed attention for satisfying those requirements due to their host-specific properties. Therefore, this review aims to discuss the possibility of using phages as a detection tool for recognizing bacterial cell surface receptors and an alternative approach for controlling antibiotic-resistant pathogens in food systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Control and Detection of Multiple Antibiotic Resistant Pathogens)
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