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High Level of Resistance to Antimicrobials and Heavy Metals in Multidrug-Resistant Pseudomonas sp. Isolated from Water Sources

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Abstract

Antimicrobial-resistant bacteria (ARB) carrying antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) have been increasingly detected in water sources. Pseudomonas sp. are opportunistic pathogens commonly reported in water samples and different antimicrobial resistance mechanisms have been described in Pseudomonas sp., producing multidrug-resistant (MDR) phenotype. Besides, the presence of heavy metal resistance genes (HMRGs) may select ARB, which is worrying. Therefore, this study aimed to characterize the genotypes of Pseudomonas sp. isolated from different water sources. Water samples (i.e., rivers, streams, lakes and sewage treatment plants) were collected from different cities in Brazil. The bacterial identification was performed by sequencing the 16S rDNA and the resistance profile to antimicrobials and heavy metals were determined by minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). Several ARGs, HMRGs, and plasmids were researched by PCR and the amplicons were sequenced for confirmation. A total of 23 Pseudomonas sp. isolates were obtained and identified as Pseudomonas saponiphila, Pseudomonas hunanensis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Pseudomonas asiatica. These isolates presented high MICs to antimicrobials and heavy metals, being the great majority (n = 21; 91%) classified as MDR. Different clinically important ARGs were detected, such as blaGES, qnrS, qepA, tetB, aac(3′)-IIa, and ant(2″)-Ia. The czcA gene was the only HMRG detected and no plasmids were found. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of the world of P. saponiphila carrying ARGs (i.e., blaGES, qnrS, aac(3′)-IIa, tetB) and QepA-producing P. hunanensis and the first time of P. saponiphila, P. asiatica, and P. hunanensis in Brazil.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) [Grant Number 2018/19539-0]. The authors thank the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (Grant Numbers 88882.180855/2018-01, 88887.314388/2019-00 and Finance Code 001) and the Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (Grant Number 2018/01890-3) for fellowships. The authors also thank the Companhia Ambiental do Estado de São Paulo (CETESB) for providing water samples from the São Paulo State.

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  1. Eliana Guedes Stehling

    Present address: Departamento de Análises Clínicas, Toxicológicas e Bromatológicas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo (USP), Av. do Café S/N. Monte Alegre, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, 14040-903, Brazil

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Análises Clínicas, Toxicológicas e Bromatológicas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo (USP), Ribeirão Preto, Brazil

    Micaela Santana Ramos, João Pedro Rueda Furlan, Inara Fernanda Lage Gallo, Lucas David Rodrigues dos Santos & Eliana Guedes Stehling

  2. Departamento de Biologia Celular, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade de Brasília (UnB), Brasília, Brazil

    Tatiana Amabile de Campos

  3. Companhia Ambiental do Estado de São Paulo (CETESB), Ribeirão Preto, Brazil

    Eduardo Angelino Savazzi

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  1. Micaela Santana Ramos
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Contributions

TAC and EAS provided the water samples and some isolates. MSR, JPRF, IFLG, and LDRS conducted the experiments. MSR and JPRF analyzed data and prepared the manuscript draft. EGS revised and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Eliana Guedes Stehling.

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Ramos, M.S., Furlan, J.P.R., Gallo, I.F.L. et al. High Level of Resistance to Antimicrobials and Heavy Metals in Multidrug-Resistant Pseudomonas sp. Isolated from Water Sources. Curr Microbiol 77, 2694–2701 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00284-020-02052-w

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