Genomic Analysis of Ocular Pseudomonas aeruginosa Isolates: Insights From a Predominantly Asian, Multi-Regional Dataset.

PURPOSE: This study characterized the genomic features, population structure, and evolutionary mechanisms of antimicrobial resistance and virulence in ocular Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) isolates, with a primary focus on the predominantly represented Asian strains within an international context.

METHODS

A dataset of 102 human ocular P. aeruginosa whole-genome sequences, comprising 67 isolates from Asia and 35 from other international regions, was retrieved from the National Center of Biotechnology Information (NCBI) database. Isolates were categorized by geographic origin and, where metadata were available, by clinical or environmental source. Systematic bioinformatic analyses were conducted to determine sequence types, phylogenetic relationships, mobile genetic elements, and pangenome functional characteristics.

RESULTS

Ocular isolates exhibited high genetic diversity with 60 distinct sequence types identified. Reflecting the dataset's geographic composition, sequence type (ST)308 emerged as a dominant high-risk lineage in Asia, whereas the emerging ST1203 displayed the highest antimicrobial resistance gene burden. Multidrug-resistant clones carrying the blaNDM gene were detected, and their dissemination was significantly associated with IncR and IncFIA plasmids. A significant negative correlation was observed between the counts of resistance and virulence genes. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that, within the current collection, clonal clusters are geographically restricted, with no evidence of international transmission detected.

CONCLUSIONS

Ocular P. aeruginosa possesses complex evolutionary potential. The rise of high-risk lineages like ST1203 and critical resistance-carrying plasmids pose severe clinical challenges. Given the observed regional dominance of certain resistant clones, the evolutionary plasticity of these lineages warrants proactive cross-regional molecular surveillance to monitor the potential for future international dissemination.