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TransFLP — A Method to Genetically Modify Vibrio cholerae Based on Natural Transformation and FLP-recombination
Published on: October 8, 2012
Transferable quinolone resistance in Vibrio cholerae
Hong Bin Kim1, Minghua Wang, Sabeena Ahmed
1Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Republic of Korea.
Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy
|December 2, 2009
Summary
Ciprofloxacin resistance in Vibrio cholerae is increasing due to target mutations and the spread of qnrVC3 genes on mobile elements. This challenges cholera treatment, necessitating new therapeutic strategies.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Genetics
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Ciprofloxacin is used for cholera treatment in Bangladesh due to resistance to other drugs.
- Vibrio cholerae's susceptibility to ciprofloxacin has decreased over time, compromising treatment efficacy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To correlate ciprofloxacin resistance patterns in Vibrio cholerae with specific genetic mutations.
- To investigate the role of qnrVC3 in conferring transferable quinolone resistance.
Main Methods:
- Correlating ciprofloxacin susceptibility levels and temporal patterns with mutations in gyrA and parC.
- Analyzing the presence and transferability of the qnrVC3 gene.
- Investigating the genetic context of qnrVC3, including its association with SXT integrating conjugative elements.
Main Results:
- Progressive increases in quinolone resistance are linked to cumulative mutations in DNA gyrase (gyrA) and DNA topoisomerase IV (parC).
- The qnrVC3 gene confers transferable low-level quinolone resistance.
- qnrVC3 is found within SXT integrating conjugative elements, common in multidrug-resistant Vibrio cholerae.
Conclusions:
- Decreasing ciprofloxacin susceptibility in Vibrio cholerae is driven by target mutations and the acquisition of mobile qnr genes.
- The spread of qnrVC3 on mobile genetic elements poses a significant challenge to effective antimicrobial therapy for cholera.
- Further research is needed to understand and overcome emerging antimicrobial resistance in V. cholerae.
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