Closely related NDM-1-encoding plasmids from Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae in Taiwan.

• Main Authors: Chao-Ju Chen, Tsu-Lan Wu, Po-Liang Lu, Ying-Tsong Chen, Chang-Phone Fung, Yin-Ching Chuang, Jung-Chung Lin, L Kristopher Siu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2014-01-01
• Series: PLoS ONE
• Online Access: http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC4140731?pdf=render

OBJECTIVE: Two plasmids carrying blaNDM-1 isolated from carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CR-KP) and carbapenem-resistant Escherichia coli (CR-EC) were sequenced. CR-KP and CR-EC were isolated from two Taiwanese patients without travel histories. METHODS: Complete sequencing of the plasmids (pLK75 and pLK78) was conducted using a shotgun approach. Annotation of the contigs was performed using the RAST Server, followed by manual inspection and correction. RESULTS: These similar plasmids were obtained from two patients with overlapping stays at the same hospital. The pLK75 and pLK78 plasmids were 56,489-bp and 56,072-bp in length, respectively. Plasmid annotation revealed a common backbone similar to the IncN plasmid pR46. The regions flanking the blaNDM-1 genes in these plasmids were very similar to plasmid pNDM-HU01 in Japan, which contains a complex class 1 integron located next to an ISCR1 element. The ISCR1 element has been suggested to provide a powerful mechanism for mobilising antibiotic resistance genes. CONCLUSION: Two indigenous NDM-1-producing Enterobacteriaceae cases were identified for the first time in Taiwan, highlighting the alarming introduction of NDM-1-producing Enterobacteriaceae in this region.