Prevalence and Contribution of the Carbapenem Resistance blaVIM, blaKPC, and blaSPM Genes in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Author: Sophia A. Smith
Affiliation: Cambridge Center of International Research (CCIR)

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Abstract:

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Antibiotic resistance is an increasingly critical problem for researchers and clinicians. Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa), a ubiquitous opportunistic pathogen, poses a particular threat to patients with cystic fibrosis, as it is rapidly becoming extensively resistant to drugs, including carbapenems. This study investigated the prevalence of three carbapenemase genes found in P. aeruginosa, blaVIM, blaSPM, and blaKPC, and their associated proteins, outside of P. aeruginosa. BLAST was used to identify species possessing genes and proteins with significant homologies to the genes and proteins found in P. aeruginosa. Secondary databases and analysis tools, including Interpro, the Worldwide Protein Data Bank (wwPDB), AlphaFold, and Phobius, were then used to investigate the proteins found in those other species. Analysis indicated that several bacterial species express proteins that are likely to function similarly to the proteins found in P. aeruginosa and revealed surprising homologies between the P. aeruginosa proteins and proteins found in eukaryotic and archaic species. Some species seemed to possess the genes without expressing them, while others seemed to possess despite apparently lacking corresponding genes. It was also revealed that some bacterial species in addition to P. aeruginosa possess and express all three genes and associated proteins or a combination, including species which are not currently considered especially dangerous. The findings of this study suggest it would be prudent to further explore carbapenem resistance in potentially problematic but somewhat neglected pathogens and the acquisition and use of carbapenemase proteins by eukaryotic and archaic species that have no clear need of them.

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Keywords: antibiotics, resistance, carbapenemase, bioinformatics, sequence​

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ISSN 3069-8200