Tracking bla transmission through transposable elements in uropathogenic and commensal E. coli

Authors

Denyss Guilcazo, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Colegio de Ciencias Biológicas Ambientales, Instituto de Microbiología, Quito, Ecuador.
Liseth Salinas, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Colegio de Ciencias Biológicas Ambientales, Instituto de Microbiología, Quito, Ecuador.
Cristina Chavez, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Colegio de Ciencias Biológicas Ambientales, Instituto de Microbiología, Quito, Ecuador.
Katherine Vasquez, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Colegio de Ciencias Biológicas Ambientales, Instituto de Microbiología, Quito, Ecuador.
Gabriela I. Mendez, Universidad Politécnica Salesiana del Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador.
Lance B. Price, Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA.
Jay P. Graham, Environmental Health Sciences, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA.
Joseph N. Eisenberg, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
Gabriel Trueba, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Colegio de Ciencias Biológicas Ambientales, Instituto de Microbiología, Quito, Ecuador.

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

1-29-2025

Journal

Future microbiology

DOI

10.1080/17460913.2025.2459526

Keywords

3rd generation cephalosporins; E. coli; Transposable elements; UPEC; antimicrobial resistance; blaCTX-M gene; commensal; plasmids

Abstract

AIM: To investigate the nucleotide sequences associated with transposable elements carrying bla allelic variants as potential markers for the transmission of antimicrobial resistance genes between domestic animals, humans and the environment. MATERIALS & METHODS: We conducted whole-genome sequencing and analyzed the nucleotide sequences of most abundant bla allelic variants (bla, bla, and bla) in commensal Escherichia coli (n = 20) from household members in Quito and uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC) (n = 149) isolated from nine clinics in Quito, Ecuador. RESULTS: The Ecuadorian commensal E. coli and UPEC displayed identical nucleotide sequences surrounding the bla gene and the synteny was similar to those found in other parts of the world; however phylogenetic analysis indicated that the genetic environments in Ecuadorian isolates were unique. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that the nucleotide sequences flanking the bla genes may be useful for resolving ARG transmission pathways, especially inter-regional analyses.

APA Citation

Guilcazo, Denyss; Salinas, Liseth; Chavez, Cristina; Vasquez, Katherine; Mendez, Gabriela I.; Price, Lance B.; Graham, Jay P.; Eisenberg, Joseph N.; and Trueba, Gabriel, "Tracking bla transmission through transposable elements in uropathogenic and commensal E. coli" (2025). GW Authored Works. Paper 6310.
https://hsrc.himmelfarb.gwu.edu/gwhpubs/6310

Department

Environmental and Occupational Health