• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.197-207
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• 2012

This study investigated the role of plasmids and their relationship with the multiple antibiotic resistance of 30 Vibrios sp. isolated from molluscs and crustaceans sampled from the Kerala coastal waters of India. The biochemical identification and antibiotic resistance profiles were determined, followed by the plasmid profiles, conjugation and transformation efficiencies. The results showed a considerable difference in the level of bacterial resistance to various antibiotics; while all 30 strains were found to be MAR Vibrios sp. and their resistance patterns varied. All the strains were resistant to amoxycillin, ampicillin and carbeniciliin. 87% were resistant to rifampicin; 74% to cefuroxime; 67 to streptomycin; 53% to norfloxacin and ciprofloxacin and 47% to furazolidone and nalidixic acid. In addition to their antibiotic resistance, the plasmid DNA of the MAR Vibrios strains isolated from the molluscs and crustaceans was also studied. Nine strains isolated from crustaceans and molluscs were found to harbor 1-3 plasmids with sizes varying from 5. 98 kb to 19. 36 kb. The average transformation efficiency was about $5{\times}10^{-8}$ and the conjugation efficiency varied from $2.1{\times}10^{-3}$ to $10^{-9}$. A further study of antibiotic resistance patterns may be useful to test the extent of drug resistance in seafoods and help to devise a nationwide antibiotic policy.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.17-26
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• 1999

To evaluate the spreading possibilities of the marRAB mutation of E. coli Mar mutant among gram-negative bacilli, chromosomal marRAB mutations of Mar mutants were transduced by $\lambda$placMu9 into pUC19 (Lac$^{+}$, Ap$^{r}$) cloning site in another strains of E. coli or onto the chrmosome of S. typhimurium and P. aeruginosa, selected for transduction by Mar phenotype, Lac$^{-}$, or Ap$^{r}$, and tested for their antimicrobial resistance with or without addition of salicylate (SAL). Compared with wild type strains of JM109, NM522, harboring pUC19 or not, respectively, all strains of JM109 or NM522 carrying pUC19::marRAB mutation showed higher levels of antimicrobial resistance and SAL induction of Mar phenotype than those of wild type. However, in contrast to the original Mar mutants, there were some tendencies of decreased antimicrobial resistance of JM109 or NM522 harboring pUC19::marRAB mutation with SAL induction against chlorarnphenicol (Cm) and tetracycline (Tc), or Tc and ciprofloxacin (Cp), respectively. Almost the same results, as shown as the cases of E. coli JM109 or NM522, were obtained from all transductants of S. typhimurium and P. aeruginosa, except Cp, against which increased antimicrobial resistance with SAL induction was shown. This study, employed the methods of transformation or transduction among intercellular gene transfer methods between gram-negative bacteria, shows the evidences that suggest indirectly the spreading possibilities of marRAB mutation among gram-negative bacilli.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2006.04a
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• pp.119-122
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• 2006

In both untreated and conventionally stabilized swine manures antibiotic resistant (AR) microorganisms, Staphylococcus-like and Salmonella-like microorganisms were detected. Also pathogens with MAR phynotype were detected. Presence of such microorganisms suggest high level of pathogen-related health risk to farmers who may be in direct contact with the manure and its conventionally stabilized product In contrast the autothermal thermophilic aerobic digestion (ATAD) treatment have efficiently reduced AR and pathogenicity from the swine manure. When soil was fertilized using swine manure and its stabilized products, despite no detection of MAR-exhibiting pathogen-like microorganisms in fertilized soil, potential pathogen-related health risk could not be ruled out from the fertilized soil since the organic fertilization led to increase in AR and pathogenicity in the soil microbial communities. As conclusion, this microbiological study demonstrated that an ATAD process is applicable in control of pathogen-related health risk in livestock manure.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.153-161
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• 2004

Antibiotic resistance is often associated with the production of inner membrane proteins (for example, AcrAB/TolC efflux pump) that are capable to extrude antibiotics, detergents, dyes and organic solvents. In order to evaluate the unknown MarB function of Escherichia coli, especially focused on the function of OmpF porin, several mutants were construted by T4GT7 transduction. MarA plays a major roles in mar (multiple antibiotic resistance) phenotype with AcrAB/TolC efflux pump in E. coli K-12. Futhermore, MarA decreases OmpF porin expression via micF antisense RNA. Expression of acrAB is increased in strains containing mutation in marR, and in those carrying multicopy plasmid expressing marA. MarB protein of E. coli K-12 showed its activity at OmpF porin & TolC protein as target molecule. Some paper reported MarB positively regulates OmpF function. MarA shows mar phenotype, and MarB along with MarA show decreased MIC through OmpF function. By this experiment, MarB could decrease MIC through the OmpF porin & TolC protein as target.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.129-135
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• 2007

This study evaluated microbial risk that could develop within soil microbial communities after amended with organic fertilizers from stabilized swine manure waste. For this purpose, we assessed the occurrences and competitiveness of antibiotic resistance and pathogenicity in soil microbial communities that were amended with swine manure wastes stabilized by a traditional lagoon fermentation process and an autothermal thermophilic aerobic digestion process, respectively. According to laboratory cultivation detection analysis, soil applications of the stabilized organic fertilizers resulted in increases in absolute abundances of antibiotic resistant bacteria and of two tested pathogenic bacteria indicators. The increase in occurrences might be due to the overall growth of microbial communities by the supplement of nutrients from the fertilizers. Meanwhile, the soil applications were found to reduce competitiveness for various types of antibiotic resistant bacteria in the soil microbial communities, as indicated by the decrease in relative abundances (of total viable heterotrophic bacteria). However, competitiveness of pathogens in response to the fertilization was pathogens-specific, since the relative abundance of Staphylococcus was decreased by the soil applications, while the relative abundance of Salmonella was increased. Further testes revealed that no MAR (multiple antibiotic resistance) occurrence was detected among cultivated pathogen colonies. These findings suggest that microbial risk in the soil amended with the fertilizers may not be critical to public health. However, because of the increased occurrences of antibiotic resistance and pathogenicity resulted from the overall microbial growth by the nutrient supply from the fertilizers, potential microbial risk could not be completely ruled out in the organic-fertilized soil samples.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.51 no.3
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• pp.268-279
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• 2023

The pharmaceutical industry in Bangladesh produces a diverse range of antibiotics for human and animal use, however, waste disposal management is inadequate. This results in substantial quantities of antibiotics being discharged into water bodies, which provide suitable environment for the growth of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, capable of spreading resistance genes. This study intended for exploring the bacterial antibiotic resistance profile in adjoining aquatic environmental sources of pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities in Bangladesh. Seven surface water samples were collected from the vicinity of two pharmaceutical industries located in the Savar area and 51 Escherichia coli isolates were identified using both phenotypic and genotypic methods. Antibiotic susceptibility tests revealed the highest percentage of resistance against ampicillin, azithromycin, and nalidixic acid (100%) and the lowest resistance against meropenem (1.96%) out of sixteen different antibiotics tested. 100% of the study E. coli isolates were observed with Multidrug resistance phenotypes, with the Multiple Antibiotic Resistance (MAR) value ranging from 0.6-1.0. Furthermore, 69% of the isolates were Extended Spectrum Beta-Lactamases (ESBL) positive as per the Double Disk Diffusion Synergy Test (DDST). ESBL resistance genes bla_TEM, bla_CTX-M-13, bla_CTX-M-15, and bla_SHV were detected in 70.6% (n = 36), 60.8% (n = 32), 54.9% (n = 28), and 1.96% (n = 1) of the isolates, respectively, by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). Additionally, 15.68% (n = 8) of the isolates were positive for E. coli specific virulence genes in PCR. These findings suggest that pharmaceutical wastewater, if not properly treated, could be a formidable source of antibiotic resistance spread in the surrounding aquatic environment. Therefore, continued surveillance for drug resistance among bacterial populations around drug manufacturing facilities in Bangladesh is necessary, along with proper waste disposal management.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.27-40
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• 1999

This study was focused on the evaluation of MarB alongside with MarA for its regulatory effects upon the efflux function of AcrAB pump, which were induced or not, perhaps as a target. Transductions of marR and/or acrAB mutation which were derived from Mar and/or AcrAB mutants of wild type E. coli K-12, respectively, into the multicopy plasmid in wild type E. coli backgrounds or into the chromosome of isogenic parents were done. Minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of transduced mutants was compared with their original mutants. This study reports the indirect evidences that suggests a model in which MarB along with MarA have a putative negative regulatory effect upon the efflux function of AcrAB/TolC pump while MarA alone have a positive regulatory effect to the expression of acrRAB operon at transcription level. The target of MarB with MarA for its putative negative regulator might be the AcrAB efflux pump. Another efflux system (s) might be negatively regulated by MarB with MarA, and be involved in the efflux of antibiotics which were otherwise extruded preferentially by AcrAB efflux pump.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.56 no.2
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• pp.188-195
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• 2023

Antimicrobial resistance patterns of Escherichia coli strains isolated from 30 seawater samples and 30 Korean rockfish Sebastes schlegelii collected from fish farms off the South Coast of Korea in 2018-2019, were investigated. The isolated E. coli (154 strains) showed the highest antimicrobial resistance to tetracycline (44.8%) followed by chloramphenicol (38.3%), streptomycin (37.6%), and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (35.7%). The antimicrobial resistance rate was higher in E. coli strains isolated from Korean rockfish than those from seawater. Multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR) against at least three antimicrobials (MAR index: ≥0.2) was observed in 35.6% and 79.2% of the seawater and Korean rockfish isolates, respectively. In conclusion, continuous monitoring is required to identify changes in antimicrobial resistance and their correlations in the aquatic environment and products.