A novel pathogenic species of genus Stenotrophomonas: Stenotrophomonas pigmentata sp. nov.

Introduction: Stenotrophomonas is a prominent genus owing to its dual nature. Species of this genus have many applications in industry and agriculture as plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria and microbial biological control agents, whereas species such as Stenotrophomonas maltophilia are considered one of the leading gram-negative multi-drug-resistant bacterial pathogens because of their high contribution to the increase in crude mortality and significant clinical challenge. Pathogenic Stenotrophomonas species and most clinical isolates belong to the Stenotrophomonas maltophilia complex (SMc). However, a strain highly homologous to S. terrae was isolated from a patient with pulmonary tuberculosis (TB), which aroused our interest, as S. terrae belongs to a relatively distant clade from SMc and there have been no human association reports. Methods: The pathogenicity, immunological and biochemical characteristics of 610A2T were systematically evaluated. Results: 610A2T is a new species of genus Stenotrophomonas, which is named as Stenotrophomonas pigmentata sp. nov. for its obvious brown water-soluble pigment. 610A2T is pathogenic and caused significant weight loss, pulmonary congestion, and blood transmission in mice because it has multiple virulence factors, haemolysis, and strong biofilm formation abilities. In addition, the cytokine response induced by this strain was similar to that observed in patients with TB, and the strain was resistant to half of the anti-TB drugs. Conclusions: The pathogenicity of 610A2T may not be weaker than that of S. maltophilia. Its isolation extended the opportunistic pathogenic species to all 3 major clades of the genus Stenotrophomonas, indicating that the clinical importance of species of Stenotrophomonas other than S. maltophilia and potential risks to biological safety associated with the use of Stenotrophomonas require more attention.

Comparative Genomics of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia and Stenotrophomonas rhizophila Revealed Characteristic Features of Both Species.

Although Stenotrophomonas maltophilia strains are efficient biocontrol agents, their field applications have raised concerns due to their possible threat to human health. The non-pathogenic Stenotrophomonas rhizophila species, which is closely related to S. maltophilia, has been proposed as an alternative. However, knowledge regarding the genetics of S. rhizophila is limited. Thus, the aim of the study was to define any genetic differences between the species and to characterise their ability to promote the growth of plant hosts as well as to enhance phytoremediation efficiency. We compared 37 strains that belong to both species using the tools of comparative genomics and identified 96 genetic features that are unique to S. maltophilia (e.g., chitin-binding protein, mechanosensitive channels of small conductance and KGG repeat-containing stress-induced protein) and 59 that are unique to S. rhizophila (e.g., glucosylglycerol-phosphate synthase, cold shock protein with the DUF1294 domain, and pteridine-dependent dioxygenase-like protein). The strains from both species have a high potential for biocontrol, which is mainly related to the production of keratinases (KerSMD and KerSMF), proteinases and chitinases. Plant growth promotion traits are attributed to the biosynthesis of siderophores, spermidine, osmoprotectants such as trehalose and glucosylglycerol, which is unique to S. rhizophila. In eight out of 37 analysed strains, the genes that are required to degrade protocatechuate were present. While our results show genetic differences between the two species, they had a similar growth promotion potential. Considering the information above, S. rhizophila constitutes a promising alternative for S. maltophilia for use in agricultural biotechnology.

Carbapenemase producing bacteria in the food supply escaping detection.

Carbapenem antimicrobials are critically important to human health and they are often the only remaining effective antibiotics for treating serious infections. Resistance to these drugs mediated by acquired carbapenemase enzymes is increasingly encountered in gram-negative bacteria and is considered a public health emergency. Animal origin food products are recognized as a potential source of resistant organisms, although carbapenem resistance has only recently been reported. In western countries there are active resistance surveillance programs targeting food animals and retail meat products. These programs primarily target beef, pork and poultry and focus exclusively on E. coli, Salmonella, Campylobacter spp. and Enterococcus spp. This global surveillance strategy does not capture the diversity of foods available nor does it address the presence of resistance gene-bearing mobile genetic elements in non-pathogenic bacterial taxa. To address this gap, a total of 121 seafood products originating in Asia purchased from retail groceries in Canada were tested. Samples were processed using a taxa-independent method for the selective isolation of carbapenem resistant organisms. Isolates were characterized by phenotypic antimicrobial susceptibility testing, PCR and DNA sequencing. Carbapenemase producing bacteria, all blaOXA-48, were isolated from 4 (3.3%) of the samples tested. Positive samples originated from China (n=2) and Korea (n=2) and included squid, sea squirt, clams and seafood medley. Carbapenemase producing organisms found include Pseudomonas, Stenotrophomonas and Myroides species. These findings suggest that non-pathogenic bacteria, excluded from resistance surveillance programs, in niche market meats may serve as a reservoir of carbapenemase genes in the food supply.

Stenotrophomonas, Achromobacter, and nonmelioid Burkholderia species: antimicrobial resistance and therapeutic strategies.

Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Achromobacter xylosoxidans, and nonmelioid Burkholderia species, namely, Burkholderia cepacia complex, collectively are a group of troublesome nonfermenters. Although not inherently virulent organisms, these environmental Gram negatives can complicate treatment in those who are immunocompromised, critically ill in the intensive care unit and those patients with suppurative lung disease, such as cystic fibrosis. Through a range of intrinsic antimicrobial resistance mechanisms, virulence factors, and the ability to survive in biofilms, these opportunistic pathogens are well suited to persist, both in the environment and the host. Treatment recommendations are hindered by the difficulties in laboratory identification, the lack of reproducibility of antimicrobial susceptibility testing, the lack of clinical breakpoints, and the absence of clinical outcome data. Despite trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole often being the mainstay of treatment, resistance is widely encountered, and alternative regimens, including combination therapy, are often used. This review will highlight the important aspects and unique challenges that these three nonfermenters pose, and, in the absence of clinical outcome data, our therapeutic recommendations will be based on reported antimicrobial susceptibility and pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic profiles.

Stenotrophomonas comparative genomics reveals genes and functions that differentiate beneficial and pathogenic bacteria.

BACKGROUND: In recent years, the number of human infections caused by opportunistic pathogens has increased dramatically. Plant rhizospheres are one of the most typical natural reservoirs for these pathogens but they also represent a great source for beneficial microbes with potential for biotechnological applications. However, understanding the natural variation and possible differences between pathogens and beneficials is the main challenge in furthering these possibilities. The genus Stenotrophomonas contains representatives found to be associated with human and plant host. RESULTS: We used comparative genomics as well as transcriptomic and physiological approaches to detect significant borders between the Stenotrophomonas strains: the multi-drug resistant pathogenic S. maltophilia and the plant-associated strains S. maltophilia R551-3 and S. rhizophila DSM14405T (both are biocontrol agents). We found an overall high degree of sequence similarity between the genomes of all three strains. Despite the notable similarity in potential factors responsible for host invasion and antibiotic resistance, other factors including several crucial virulence factors and heat shock proteins were absent in the plant-associated DSM14405T. Instead, S. rhizophila DSM14405T possessed unique genes for the synthesis and transport of the plant-protective spermidine, plant cell-wall degrading enzymes, and high salinity tolerance. Moreover, the presence or absence of bacterial growth at 37°C was identified as a very simple method in differentiating between pathogenic and non-pathogenic isolates. DSM14405T is not able to grow at this human-relevant temperature, most likely in great part due to the absence of heat shock genes and perhaps also because of the up-regulation at increased temperatures of several genes involved in a suicide mechanism. CONCLUSIONS: While this study is important for understanding the mechanisms behind the emerging pattern of infectious diseases, it is, to our knowledge, the first of its kind to assess the risk of beneficial strains for biotechnological applications. We identified certain traits typical of pathogens such as growth at the human body temperature together with the production of heat shock proteins as opposed to a temperature-regulated suicide system that is harnessed by beneficials.

The versatility and adaptation of bacteria from the genus Stenotrophomonas.

The genus Stenotrophomonas comprises at least eight species. These bacteria are found throughout the environment, particularly in close association with plants. Strains of the most predominant species, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, have an extraordinary range of activities that include beneficial effects for plant growth and health, the breakdown of natural and man-made pollutants that are central to bioremediation and phytoremediation strategies and the production of biomolecules of economic value, as well as detrimental effects, such as multidrug resistance, in human pathogenic strains. Here, we discuss the versatility of the bacteria in the genus Stenotrophomonas and the insight that comparative genomic analysis of clinical and endophytic isolates of S. maltophilia has brought to our understanding of the adaptation of this genus to various niches.

A molecular biological protocol to distinguish potentially human pathogenic Stenotrophomonas maltophilia from plant-associated Stenotrophomonas rhizophila.

In recent years, the importance of the Gram-negative bacterium Stenotrophomonas as an opportunistic pathogen as well as in biotechnology has increased. The aim of the present study was to develop new methods for distinguishing between strains closely related to the potentially human pathogenic Stenotrophomonas maltophilia and those closely related to the plant-associated Stenotrophomonas rhizophila. To accomplish this, 58 strains were characterized by 16S rDNA sequencing and amplified ribosomal DNA restriction analysis (ARDRA), and the occurrence of specific functional genes. Based on 16S rDNA sequences, an ARDRA protocol was developed which allowed differentiation between strains of the S. maltophilia and the S. rhizophila group. As it was known that only salt-treated cells of S. rhizophila were able to synthesize the compatible solute glucosylglycerol (GG), the ggpS gene responsible for GG synthesis was used for differentiation between both species and it was confirmed that it only occurred in S. rhizophila strains. As a further genetic marker the smeD gene, which is part of the genes coding for the multidrug efflux pump SmeDEF from S. maltophilia, was used. Based on the results we propose a combination of fingerprinting techniques using the 16S rDNA and the functional genes ggpS and smeD to distinguish both Stenotrophomonas species.

[Pathogenic bacteria in cystic fibrosis]. / Bactéries pathogènes dans la mucoviscidose.

Since the CF gene identification in 1989 and despite the improvement of our knowledge in the physiopathology of the disease, bronchopulmonary infection determines the vital prognosis. Following Staphylococcus aureus infection, patients are colonized or colonized by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, greatly involved in the pulmonary deterioration. Other bacteria may be involved Burkholderia cepacia, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Alcaligenes sp. Intensive antibiotic treatment of primocolonisation helps to prevent or delay chronic colonisation. Chronic colonization needs a rational long term antibiotic strategy to prevent the occurrence of multiresistant germs; antibiotic cures are performed every 3 or 4 months before pulmonary exacerbation symptoms.