LMB-1 producing Citrobacter freundii from Argentina, a novel player in the field of MBLs

Carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales expressing OXA-48, KPC, NDM, VIM or IMP enzymes are increasingly reported worldwide. We have characterized LMB-1, a novel metallo-β-lactamase (MBL) of Ambler class B3 from Citrobacter freundii 164 (Cf164) clinical isolate from Buenos Aires, Argentina. Cf164 displayed reduced susceptibility to carbapenems but gave inconsistent results with carbapenemase confirmatory tests, indicating the presence of a weak carbapenemase. Analysis of whole-genome sequencing (WGS) of Cf164 using Resfinder revealed four β-lactamase genes coding for CTX-M-8, PER-2, TEM-1 and CMY-150, a novel chromosomally-encoded CMY variant. Kinetic parameters of purified CMY-150 did not reveal any carbapenemase activity. However, CMY-150 conferred higher minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) to E. coli for ceftazidime and aztreonam compared with CMY-2. The in-house-developed β-lactamase search software (ResMiner) in WGS data revealed a novel subclass B3 MBL named LMB-1. LMB-1 conferred resistance to penicillins and expanded-spectrum cephalosporins and reduced susceptibility to carbapenems in E. coli. The bla_LMB-1 gene was located on a 176-kb IncA/C2 plasmid. LMB-1 shared 99% amino acid sequence identity with the MBL encoded in the chromosome of Rheinheimera pacifica, it's likely progenitor. Despite repeated attempts, LMB-1 could not be purified, thus only specific activities could indicate hydrolysis of carbapenems. Here we report on CMY-150, a novel CMY-2 variant that confers increased ceftazidime and aztreonam MICs to E. coli and the first description of LMB-1 in Argentina. This work underlines the need for several carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) confirmatory tests, as this novel enzyme might have been missed using only one.