Genomic Differences Associated with Resistance and Virulence in Pseudomonas aeruginosa Isolates from Clinical and Environmental Sites
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Updated: Jun 22, 2025
Replication of the Ordered, Nonredundant Library of Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain PA14 Transposon Insertion Mutants
Published on: May 4, 2018
Kelly J Aroca Molina1, Sonia Jakeline Gutiérrez1, Neyla Benítez-Campo1
1Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural and Exact Sciences, Universidad del Valle, Cali 760042, Colombia.
Abstract:
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a pathogen that causes healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) worldwide. It is unclear whether P. aeruginosa isolated from the natural environment has the same pathogenicity and antimicrobial resistance potential as clinical strains. In this study, virulence- and resistance-associated genes were compared in 14 genomic sequences of clinical and environmental isolates of P. aeruginosa using the VFDB, PATRIC, and CARD databases. All isolates were found to share 62% of virulence genes related to adhesion, motility, secretion systems, and quorum sensing and 72.9% of resistance genes related to efflux pumps and membrane permeability. Our results indicate that both types of isolates possess conserved genetic information associated with virulence and resistance mechanisms regardless of the source. However, none of the environmental isolates were associated with high-risk clones (HRCs). These clones (ST235 and ST111) were found only in clinical isolates, which have an impact on human medical epidemiology due to their ability to spread and persist, indicating a correlation between the clinical environment and increased virulence. The genomic variation and antibiotic susceptibility of environmental isolates of P. aeruginosa suggest potential biotechnological applications if obtained from sources that are under surveillance and investigation to limit the emergence and spread of antibiotic resistant strains.
Insights
Pseudomonas aeruginosa from the environment shares virulence and resistance genes with clinical strains. However, environmental strains lack high-risk clones, suggesting distinct epidemiological impacts.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Genomics
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a significant cause of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) globally.
- The pathogenic and antimicrobial resistance potential of environmental P. aeruginosa strains compared to clinical strains remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare virulence and resistance genes in clinical and environmental P. aeruginosa isolates.
- To investigate the presence of high-risk clones (HRCs) in environmental isolates.
Main Methods:
- Comparative genomic analysis of 14 P. aeruginosa isolates (clinical and environmental).
- Utilized VFDB, PATRIC, and CARD databases for gene identification.
- Assessed virulence factors, resistance genes, and high-risk clone (HRC) markers.
Main Results:
- Both clinical and environmental isolates shared a significant percentage of virulence (62%) and resistance (72.9%) genes.
- Environmental isolates did not harbor HRCs (ST235, ST111), which were exclusively found in clinical isolates.
- Clinical isolates showed a correlation with increased virulence and HRCs, impacting medical epidemiology.
Conclusions:
- P. aeruginosa possesses conserved virulence and resistance genetic information irrespective of its source (clinical vs. environmental).
- The absence of HRCs in environmental isolates suggests a lower immediate epidemiological threat compared to clinical counterparts.
- Genomic and antibiotic susceptibility profiles of environmental P. aeruginosa indicate potential for biotechnological applications under controlled surveillance.
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