First Report and Comparative Genomics Analysis of a blaOXA-244-Harboring Escherichia coli Isolate Recovered in the American Continent

• Published in: Antibiotics (Basel) Vol. 8; no. 4; p. 222
• Main Authors: Abril, Deisy, Bustos Moya, Ingrid Gisell, Marquez-Ortiz, Ricaurte Alejandro, Josa Montero, Diego Fernando, Corredor Rozo, Zayda Lorena, Torres Molina, Isabel, Vanegas Gómez, Natasha, Escobar-Perez, Javier
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 13.11.2019; MDPI
• Subjects: Brief Report; Carbapenemase; Chromosomes; Comparative analysis; CRE bacteria; E coli; Escherichia coli; Genes; Genomes; Genomic analysis; Genomic islands; Genomics; Incompatibility; Nucleotide sequence; Nucleotides; Pandemics; Plasmids; Salmonella; Transposons; South America; United Kingdom > UK; Colombia
• ISSN: 2079-6382; 2079-6382
• DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics8040222

The carbapenemase OXA-244 is a derivate of OXA-48, and its detection is very difficult in laboratories. Here, we report the identification and genomic analysis of an Escherichia coli isolate (28Eco12) harboring the blaOXA-244 gene identified in Colombia, South America. The 28Eco12 isolate was identified during a retrospective study, and it was recovered from a patient treated in Colombia. The complete nucleotide sequence was established using the PacBio platform. A comparative genomics analysis with other blaOXA-244–harboring Escherichia coli strains was performed. The 28Eco12 isolate belonged to sequence type (ST) 38, and its genome was composed of two molecules, a chromosome of 5,343,367 bp and a plasmid of 92,027 bp, which belonged to the incompatibility group IncY and did not harbor resistance genes. The blaOXA-244 gene was chromosomally encoded and mobilized by an ISR1-related Tn6237 composite transposon. Notably, this transposon was inserted and located within a new genomic island. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a blaOXA-244–harboring Escherichia coli isolate in America. Our results suggest that the introduction of the OXA-244-producing E. coli isolate was through clonal expansion of the ST38 pandemic clone. Other isolates producing OXA-244 could be circulating silently in America.