Diverse aminoglycoside phosphotransferase types conferring aminoglycoside resistance in Enterobacteriaceae: A...

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Molecular Biology
• Genetics

Background:

• Aminoglycoside resistance is a growing public health concern.
• Understanding the genetic basis and spread of resistance is crucial for effective treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the molecular mechanisms of aph-mediated aminoglycoside resistance.
• To determine the transmission dynamics of these resistance genes in a tertiary care hospital in Northeast India.

Main Methods:

• Screening of bacterial isolates (Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae) for aminoglycoside resistance genes.
• Amplification of various aph types using polymerase chain reaction (PCR).
• Analysis of plasmid incompatibility, horizontal transferability, and ERIC-PCR based typing.

Main Results:

• Sixty-seven out of 241 isolates harbored aph genes.
• Aph (3")-IIIa and aph (3">-Via were the predominant and horizontally transferable types.
• Diverse aph types and 28 E. coli haplotypes were identified, linked to specific phenotypic traits.

Conclusions:

• Diverse aph genes conferring aminoglycoside resistance are present and transferable in a hospital setting.
• The study identified specific transferable aph types and their genetic diversity in E. coli.
• Findings contribute to understanding resistance spread and inform infection control strategies.