Prevalence and plasmid characterization of the qnrD determinant in Morganella morganii isolates / 中华微生物学和免疫学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate the prevalence and plasmid size of qnrD determinant in Morganella morganii (M.morganii) isolates.Methods A total of 100 non-duplicated M.morganii clinical isolates were collected from inpatients.Standard ager dilution method was used to determine the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of fluoroquinolones against M.morganii isolates.PCR were performed to detect plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance determinants (PMQRs) in M.morganii isolates and the prevalence of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) genes and AmpC β-lactamase genes in PMQRs-positive M.morganii strains.The homology analysis among qnrD-positive M.morganii strains were conducted by using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE).The location of qnrD gene and the size of plasmid carrying it were determined by southern hybridization.The transferability of qnrD gene was determined by conjugation experiment.Results Thirty out of 100 M.morganii isolates (30％) were found carrying PMQRs including 17 qnrD-positive strains,14 aac (6')-Ib-cr-positive strains and 5 qepA-positive strains.PCR and sequencing confirmed that thirty PMQRs-positive isolates carried blaDHA-1.Among them,six isolates were positive for ESBLs genes (four for blaCTX-M-14,one for blaCTX-M-3 and one for blaCTX-M-24) and four isolates were positive for blaTEM-1.Almost all PMQRs-positive M.morganii isolates showed reduced susceptibility to fluoroquinolones.Moreover,seventeen qnrD-positive M.morganii isolates harbored blaDHA-1 including five (29.4％) harboring aac(6')-Ib-cr gene,four (23.5％) harboring blaCTX-M-14,two (11.8％) harboring blaTEM-1 and one harboring aac(6')-Ib-cr gene,blaCTX-M-14 and blaDHA-1.PFGE analysis showed that the 17 qnrD-positive M.morganii isolates were divergent from each other and not clone-related.Southern hybridization analysis showed that qnrD genes of all M.morganiiis isolates were mainly located in a 2.7 kb plasmid,but only a few of them were located in a size of 5.1 kb plasmid.M.morganiiis isolates failed to transfer qnrD gene to E.coli EC600 through conjugation.Conclusion PMQRs were widely distributed in M.morganiiis isolates.qnrD gene was the predominant determinants with a high prevalence rate of 17.0％,followed by aac(6')-Ib-cr gene.qnrD gene was located on a non-conjugative plasmid of approximately 2.7 kb or 5.1 kb.One qnrD-positive M.morganii isolate carrying aac(6')-Ib-cr gene,blaCTX-M-14 and blaDHA-1 was detected.