Staphylococcus saprophyticus causing infections in humans is associated with high resistance to heavy metals

Research Areas: Microbiology ; Pharmacology & PharmacyStaphylococcus saprophyticus is a common pathogen of the urinary tract, a heavy metal-rich environment, but information regarding its heavy metal resistance is unknown. We investigated 422 S. saprophyticus isolates from human infection and colonization/contamination, animals, and environmental sources for resistance to copper, zinc, arsenic, and cadmium using the agar dilution method. To identify the genes associated with metal resistance and assess possible links to pathogenicity, we accessed the wholegenome sequence of all isolates and used in silico and pangenome-wide association approaches. The MIC values for copper and zinc were uniformly high (1,600mg/liter). Genes encoding copper efflux pumps (copA, copB, copZ, mco, and csoR) and zinc transporters (zinT, czrAB, znuBC, and zur) were abundant in the population (20 to 100%). Arsenic and cadmium showed various susceptibility levels. Genes encoding the ars operon (arsRDABC), an ABC transporter and a two-component permease, were linked to resistance to arsenic (MICs$1,600mg/liter; 14or cadC and cadD-cadX or czrC) and genes encoding multidrug efflux pumps and hyperosmoregulation in acidified conditions were associated with resistance to cadmium (MICs$ 200mg/liter; 20% [85/422]; P, 0.05). These resistance genes were frequently carried by mobile genetic elements. Resistance to arsenic and cadmium were linked to human infection and a clonal lineage originating in animals (P, 0.05). Altogether, S. saprophyticus was highly resistant to heavy metals and accumulated multiple metal resistance determinants. The highest arsenic and cadmium resistance levels were associated with infection, suggesting resistance to these metals is relevant for S. saprophyticus pathogenicityinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Usefulness and expectations on skills development and entrepreneurship among women of low socioeconomic status in Ogun State, Nigeria

The acquisition of vocational training skills and entrepreneurial know-how is acknowledged as an added advantage and a safety net to navigate poverty, especially in dwindling economic recession time and massive unemployment. This study examined the factors influencing the usefulness and perceived realization of skills development/empowerment to encourage more women's involvement in small scale businesses and promote its effect on poverty alleviation in households across Nigeria. Data collection involved a structured questionnaire and in-depth interviews conducted post-the vocational skill/empowerment training. The training was organized among Campus Keepers in a private university in Ogun State, Nigeria. Forty Campus Keepers were selected using the systematic sampling technique from a total population of 224, and 37 of the 40 selected voluntarily participated in this study. The Campus Keepers were women with low socioeconomic status who worked as cleaners on the university campus. Five of the Campus Keepers were purposively selected as key informants for the study. Results showed that respondents who had earlier knowledge and vocational skills training reported that it leads to self-employment. This view was higher for respondents who had more people in their household than those with fewer people (OR = 22.7 [CI= .56, 921.31]). The perception that the training can lead to additional income was lower for respondents who reported that either they or their spouses were sole breadwinners in their household than for those who reported that both/others/none were breadwinners (OR = .05 [CI=0, 1.2]). The odds that the skills development/empowerment training will result in perceived improved business was higher for respondents who gained more knowledge/information from the training than those who did not (OR=29.19 [CI = 1.1, 777.48]). Findings from the qualitative study suggest that key informants who participated in past training were yet to establish a profitable business of their dream fully. Governmental policy and program intervention that incorporates these findings will lead to increased participation of the target population in similar training in the future, leading to poverty alleviation towards achieving the SDGs for Nigeria

Staphylococcus saprophyticus from clinical and environmental origins have distinct biofilm composition

Biofilm formation has been shown to be critical to the success of uropathogens. Although Staphylococcus saprophyticus is a common cause of urinary tract infections, its biofilm production capacity, composition, genetic basis, and origin are poorly understood. We investigated biofilm formation in a large and diverse collection of S. saprophyticus (n = 422). Biofilm matrix composition was assessed in representative strains (n = 63) belonging to two main S. saprophyticus lineages (G and S) recovered from human infection, colonization, and food-related environment using biofilm detachment approach. To identify factors that could be associated with biofilm formation and structure variation, we used a pangenome-wide association study approach. Almost all the isolates (91%; n = 384/422) produced biofilm. Among the 63 representative strains, we identified eight biofilm matrix phenotypes, but the most common were composed of protein or protein-extracellular DNA (eDNA)-polysaccharides (38%, 24/63 each). Biofilms containing protein-eDNA-polysaccharides were linked to lineage G and environmental isolates, whereas protein-based biofilms were produced by lineage S and infection isolates (p < 0.05). Putative biofilm-associated genes, namely, aas, atl, ebpS, uafA, sasF, sasD, sdrH, splE, sdrE, sdrC, sraP, and ica genes, were found with different frequencies (3-100%), but there was no correlation between their presence and biofilm production or matrix types. Notably, icaC_1 was ubiquitous in the collection, while icaR was lineage G-associated, and only four strains carried a complete ica gene cluster (icaADBCR) except one that was without icaR. We provided evidence, using a comparative genomic approach, that the complete icaADBCR cluster was acquired multiple times by S. saprophyticus and originated from other coagulase-negative staphylococci. Overall, the composition of S. saprophyticus biofilms was distinct in environmental and clinical isolates, suggesting that modulation of biofilm structure could be a key step in the pathogenicity of these bacteria. Moreover, biofilm production in S. saprophyticus is ica-independent, and the complete icaADBCR was acquired from other staphylococci

Foodborne Origin and Local and Global Spread of Staphylococcus saprophyticus Causing Human Urinary Tract Infections

Staphylococcus saprophyticus is a primary cause of community-acquired urinary tract infections (UTIs) in young women. S. saprophyticus colonizes humans and animals but basic features of its molecular epidemiology are undetermined. We conducted a phylogenomic analysis of 321 S. saprophyticus isolates collected from human UTIs worldwide during 1997-2017 and 232 isolates from human UTIs and the pig-processing chain in a confined region during 2016-2017. We found epidemiologic and genomic evidence that the meat-production chain is a major source of S. saprophyticus causing human UTIs; human microbiota is another possible origin. Pathogenic S. saprophyticus belonged to 2 lineages with distinctive generic features that are globally and locally disseminated. Pangenome-wide approaches identified a strong association between pathogenicity and antimicrobial resistance, phages, platelet binding proteins, and an increased recombination rate. Our study provides insight into the origin, transmission, and population structure of pathogenic S. saprophyticus and identifies putative new virulence factors

Metagenomics of Wastewater Influent from Wastewater Treatment Facilities across Ontario in the Era of Emerging SARS-CoV-2 Variants of Concern

We report metagenomic sequencing analyses of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) RNA in composite wastewater influent from 10 regions in Ontario, Canada, during the transition between Delta and Omicron variants of concern. The Delta and Omicron BA.1/BA.1.1 and BA.2-defining mutations occurring in various frequencies were reported in the consensus and subconsensus sequences of the composite samples

Genomic and Phenotypic Analysis of Salmonella enterica Bacteriophages Identifies Two Novel Phage Species

Bacteriophages (phages) are potential alternatives to chemical antimicrobials against pathogens of public health significance. Understanding the diversity and host specificity of phages is important for developing effective phage biocontrol approaches. Here, we assessed the host range, morphology, and genetic diversity of eight Salmonella enterica phages isolated from a wastewater treatment plant. The host range analysis revealed that six out of eight phages lysed more than 81% of the 43 Salmonella enterica isolates tested. The genomic sequences of all phages were determined. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) data revealed that phage genome sizes ranged from 41 to 114 kb, with GC contents between 39.9 and 50.0%. Two of the phages SB13 and SB28 represent new species, Epseptimavirus SB13 and genera Macdonaldcampvirus, respectively, as designated by the International Committee for the Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) using genome-based taxonomic classification. One phage (SB18) belonged to the Myoviridae morphotype while the remaining phages belonged to the Siphoviridae morphotype. The gene content analyses showed that none of the phages possessed virulence, toxin, antibiotic resistance, type I–VI toxin–antitoxin modules, or lysogeny genes. Three (SB3, SB15, and SB18) out of the eight phages possessed tailspike proteins. Whole-genome-based phylogeny of the eight phages with their 113 homologs revealed three clusters A, B, and C and seven subclusters (A1, A2, A3, B1, B2, C1, and C2). While cluster C1 phages were predominantly isolated from animal sources, cluster B contained phages from both wastewater and animal sources. The broad host range of these phages highlights their potential use for controlling the presence of S. enterica in foods

Evolutionary genomics of Staphylococcus saprophyticus: origin and disease signatures of pathogenic clones

"Staphylococcus saprophyticus is the second only to Escherichia coli as the leading cause of uncomplicated urinary tract infection (UTI), and it is associated with 10-20% of this type of infection in young women. Besides being a uropathogen, S. saprophyticus is also known to be a common coloniser of the gut, vagina, perineum, and the rectum of humans. Moreover, it colonises food producing animals such as pigs, and is a frequent contaminant of meat and fermented food products. Although the source(s) of S. saprophyticus causing UTI in humans are considered to be endogenous, increased contact with animal production settings and consumption of contaminated meat products have been hypothesised to increase the risk of human colonisation and infection with this bacterium.(...)"N/

The Biology and the Evolutionary Dynamics of Diarrheagenic <em>Escherichia coli</em> Pathotypes

Escherichia coli is a commensal of the gastrointestinal tract of humans and animals, and a leading cause of gastroenteritis, bloodstream, and urinary tract infection, among others. Pathogenic E. coli causing diarrhea is delineated into six different types (pathotypes) based on the type of infection they cause. While these pathotypes have similar mechanisms to colonize the intestinal epithelial layers and cause diseases, they differ in their capacity to acquire virulence, resistance determinants, and other accessory genes essential for niche adaptation. The advent of whole-genome sequencing technologies has greatly enhanced our understanding of the physiology, emergence, and global spread of multidrug-resistant and pathogenic clones of E. coli. In this chapter, we provided a snapshot of the resistome and virulome, as well as their contributions to the ecological adaptation, evolution, and dissemination of E. coli pathotypes

Aberrant vascular anatomy associated with artifactual focal avidity in the liver on PSMA PET

68Ga–prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) PET/CT is a valuable tool for staging and restaging of prostate cancer. Prostate-specific membrane antigen expression is not specific to prostate cancer, as it is expressed in normal tissues as well as in neoplastic and nonneoplastic processes. Awareness of the broad possibility of lesions with PSMA avidity is necessary to recognize normal variants and avoid potential pitfalls in image interpretation. We present a series of cases showing physiologic focal PSMA avidity in hepatic segment IVb. We correlate this uptake with aberrant hepatic vasculature. The awareness of this variant is important for accurate image interpretation to prevent additional invasive procedures, undue treatment escalation, and denial of curative treatment to patients.https://journals.lww.com/nuclearmed/pages/default.aspxhj2023Nuclear Medicin

<i>Staphylococcus saprophyticus </i>causing infections in humans is associated with high resistance to heavy metals

Staphylococcus saprophyticus is a common pathogen of the urinary tract, a heavy metal-rich environment, but information regarding its heavy metal resistance is unknown. We investigated 422 S. saprophyticus isolates from human infection and colonization/contamination, animals, and environmental sources for resistance to copper, zinc, arsenic, and cadmium using the agar dilution method. To identify the genes associated with metal resistance and assess possible links to pathogenicity, we accessed the whole-genome sequence of all isolates and used in silico and pangenome-wide association approaches. The MIC values for copper and zinc were uniformly high (1,600 mg/liter). Genes encoding copper efflux pumps (copA, copB, copZ, mco, and csoR) and zinc transporters (zinT, czrAB, znuBC, and zur) were abundant in the population (20 to 100%). Arsenic and cadmium showed various susceptibility levels. Genes encoding the ars operon (arsRDABC), an ABC transporter and a two-component permease, were linked to resistance to arsenic (MICs ≥ 1,600 mg/liter; 14% [58/422]; P < 0.05). At least three cad genes (cadA or cadC and cadD-cadX or czrC) and genes encoding multidrug efflux pumps and hyperosmoregulation in acidified conditions were associated with resistance to cadmium (MICs ≥ 200 mg/liter; 20% [85/422]; P < 0.05). These resistance genes were frequently carried by mobile genetic elements. Resistance to arsenic and cadmium were linked to human infection and a clonal lineage originating in animals (P < 0.05). Altogether, S. saprophyticus was highly resistant to heavy metals and accumulated multiple metal resistance determinants. The highest arsenic and cadmium resistance levels were associated with infection, suggesting resistance to these metals is relevant for S. saprophyticus pathogenicity