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Antibiotics
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Antibiotic Resistance and Virulence Mechanisms in Gram-Negative Bacteria: An Alliance...
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Antibiotic Resistance and Virulence Mechanisms in Gram-Negative Bacteria: An Alliance for Success

A special issue of Antibiotics (ISSN 2079-6382). This special issue belongs to the section "Mechanism and Evolution of Antibiotic Resistance".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 1 May 2025 | Viewed by 2465

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Francesco Imperi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Science, Roma Tre University, Rome, Italy
Interests: Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Acinetobacter baumannii; gram-negative bacteria; polymyxins; antimetabolites; antivirulence drugs; outer membrane biogenesis; essential genes; iron uptake; lipopolysaccharide

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the major challenges of this century. International organizations have been working to mitigate this phenomenon, and the first step in controlling it is to consider the issue within the One Health concept. In recent years, virulence has emerged as a growing threat in Gram-negative multi-drug-resistant pathogens. The association of AMR with virulence creates a perfect scenario for the success of these pathogens, whether by enabling their persistence in various environments or by making it difficult to achieve effective antibiotic treatment when they cause infections, among other factors. Therefore, it is important to assess the impact of this alliance within the One Health framework. The main focus of this Special Issue is AMR and virulence in Gram-negative bacteria across human and veterinary medicine, natural environments, the food industry, and agriculture.

Dr. Francesco Imperi
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Antibiotics is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • virulence
  • Gram-negative
  • antimicrobial resistance
  • One Health

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 2636 KiB  
Article
High-Risk Lineages of Hybrid Plasmids Carrying Virulence and Carbapenemase Genes
by Valeria V. Shapovalova, Polina S. Chulkova, Vladimir A. Ageevets, Varvara Nurmukanova, Irina V. Verentsova, Asya A. Girina, Irina N. Protasova, Victoria S. Bezbido, Victor I. Sergevnin, Irina V. Feldblum, Larisa G. Kudryavtseva, Sergey N. Sharafan, Vladislav V. Semerikov, Marina L. Babushkina, Inna R. Valiullina, Nikita S. Chumarev, Guzel S. Isaeva, Natalya A. Belyanina, Irina U. Shirokova, Tatiana M. Mrugova, Elena I. Belkova, Svetlana D. Artemuk, Aleksandra A. Meltser, Marina V. Smirnova, Tatyana N. Akkonen, Nataliya A. Golovshchikova, Oleg V. Goloshchapov, Alexey B. Chukhlovin, Lubov N. Popenko, Elena Y. Zenevich, Aleksandr A. Vlasov, Galina V. Mitroshina, Marina S. Bordacheva, Irina V. Ageevets, Ofeliia S. Sulian, Alisa A. Avdeeva, Vladimir V. Gostev, Irina A. Tsvetkova, Maria A. Yakunina, Ekaterina U. Vasileva, Alina D. Matsvay, Dmitry I. Danilov, Yulia A. Savochkina, German A. Shipulin and Sergey V. Sidorenkoadd Show full author list remove Hide full author list
Antibiotics 2024, 13(12), 1224; https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics13121224 - 17 Dec 2024
Viewed by 1011
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) are a global health threat due to their high morbidity and mortality rates and limited treatment options. This study examines the plasmid-mediated transmission of virulence and antibiotic resistance determinants in carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (Kpn) and Escherichia coli [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) are a global health threat due to their high morbidity and mortality rates and limited treatment options. This study examines the plasmid-mediated transmission of virulence and antibiotic resistance determinants in carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (Kpn) and Escherichia coli (E. coli) isolated from Russian hospitals. Methods: We performed short- and long-read whole-genome sequencing of 53 clinical isolates (48 Kpn and 5 E. coli) attributed to 15 genetic lineages and collected from 21 hospitals across nine Russian cities between 2016 and 2022. Results: The plasmid analysis identified 18 clusters that showed high concordance with replicon typing, with all clusters having a major replicon type. The majority of plasmids in the IncHI1B(pNDM-MAR)/IncFIB(pNDM-Mar)-like cluster (79.16%) carried both antibiotic resistance genes (e.g., blaNDM-1 and blaOXA-48) and virulence factors (VFs) such as siderophore genes. We hypothesized that hybrid plasmids could play a critical role in the dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes and VFs. Comparative analyses with global plasmid databases revealed high-risk lineages of hybrid plasmids that are predominantly spread throughout Russia at present. Conclusions: Our findings underscore the importance of monitoring plasmid backbones for clinical management, surveillance, and infection control activities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antibiotic Resistance and Virulence Mechanisms in Gram-Negative Bacteria: An Alliance for Success)
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21 pages, 1191 KiB  
Article
Tracking Multidrug Resistance in Gram-Negative Bacteria in Alexandria, Egypt (2020–2023): An Integrated Analysis of Patient Data and Diagnostic Tools
by Sascha D. Braun, Shahinda Rezk, Christian Brandt, Martin Reinicke, Celia Diezel, Elke Müller, Katrin Frankenfeld, Domenique Krähmer, Stefan Monecke and Ralf Ehricht
Antibiotics 2024, 13(12), 1185; https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics13121185 - 5 Dec 2024
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Abstract
Background: The rise in carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) in Egypt, particularly in hospital settings, poses a significant public health challenge. This study aims to develop a combined epidemiological surveillance tool utilizing the Microreact online platform (version 269) and molecular microarray technology to track and [...] Read more.
Background: The rise in carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) in Egypt, particularly in hospital settings, poses a significant public health challenge. This study aims to develop a combined epidemiological surveillance tool utilizing the Microreact online platform (version 269) and molecular microarray technology to track and analyze carbapenem-resistant Escherichia coli strains in Egypt. The objective is to integrate molecular diagnostics and real-time data visualization to better understand the spread and evolution of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria. Methods: The study analyzed 43 E. coli isolates collected from Egyptian hospitals between 2020 and 2023. Nanopore sequencing and microarray analysis were used to identify carbapenemase genes and other resistance markers, whereas the VITEK2 system was employed for phenotypic antibiotic susceptibility testing. Microreact was used to visualize epidemiological data, mapping the geographic and temporal distribution of resistant strains. Results: We found that 72.09% of the isolates, predominantly from pediatric patients, carried the blaNDM-5 gene, while other carbapenemase genes, including blaOXA-48 and blaVIM, were also detected. The microarray method demonstrated 92.9% diagnostic sensitivity and 87.7% diagnostic specificity compared to whole-genome sequencing. Phenotypic resistance correlated strongly with next-generation sequencing (NGS) genotypic data, achieving 95.6% sensitivity and 95.2% specificity. Conclusions: This method establishes the utility of combining microarray technology, NGS and real-time data visualization for the surveillance of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae, especially E. coli. The high concordance between genotypic and phenotypic data underscores the potential of DNA microarrays as a cost-effective alternative to whole-genome sequencing, especially in resource-limited settings. This integrated approach can enhance public health responses to MDR bacteria in Egypt. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antibiotic Resistance and Virulence Mechanisms in Gram-Negative Bacteria: An Alliance for Success)
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