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Updated: Jun 2, 2026

Replication of the Ordered, Nonredundant Library of Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain PA14 Transposon Insertion Mutants
11:35

Replication of the Ordered, Nonredundant Library of Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain PA14 Transposon Insertion Mutants

Published on: May 4, 2018

A novel VIM-type metallo-beta-lactamase (VIM-14) in a Pseudomonas aeruginosa clinical isolate from a neonatal

A Mazzariol1, C Mammina, R Koncan

  • 1Dipartimento di Patologia e Diagnostica, Università di Verona, Verona, Italy. annarita.mazzariol@univr.it

Clinical Microbiology and Infection : the Official Publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases
|April 28, 2011
PubMed

Insights

A new carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain was found in Italy. It carries a novel VIM-14 enzyme, a carbapenemase, within a unique class 1 integron.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen.
  • Carbapenem resistance is a significant global health threat.
  • Neonatal intensive care units are vulnerable to multidrug-resistant organism outbreaks.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To characterize a novel carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolate.
  • To identify the genetic mechanisms conferring carbapenem resistance.
  • To investigate the genetic environment of the resistance genes.

Main Methods:

  • Bacterial isolation and identification.
  • Antimicrobial susceptibility testing.
  • Whole-genome sequencing.
  • Plasmid analysis.
  • Gene sequencing and characterization of resistance determinants.

Main Results:

  • A Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain highly resistant to carbapenems was isolated from a neonatal intensive care unit.
  • The strain harbored a novel VIM-type carbapenemase, designated VIM-14.
  • VIM-14 differs from VIM-4 by a single amino acid substitution (G31S).
  • The blaVIM-14 gene was located within a class 1 integron with a novel gene cassette arrangement (aacA7-blaVIM-14-blaOXA-20-aacC4).

Conclusions:

  • A new carbapenem resistance mechanism mediated by VIM-14 has emerged in Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
  • The novel integron structure may facilitate the spread of carbapenem resistance.
  • This finding highlights the need for enhanced surveillance of carbapenem-resistant bacteria in healthcare settings.

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