Identification of blaKPC-90 in Klebsiella pneumoniae associated with ceftazidime-avibactam resistance and the translocation & truncation of resistant genes mediated by IS26.

OBJECTIVES: In this study, we discovered blaKPC-90 in ceftazidime-avibactam resistant clinical isolates of K. pneumoniae from a patient with multiple comorbidities and investigated the resistance & transfer mechanism of blaKPC-90.

METHODS: K. pneumoniae strains carrying blaKPC-2 and blaKPC-90 were isolated from the patient. Antimicrobial susceptibility tests and whole genome sequencing were performed to investigate the phenotype & genotype of strains. Conjugation assays, cloning experiment, kinetic parameters measuring, outer membrane protein SDS-PAGE and qRT-PCR were performed to explore the spread and antimicrobial resistance mechanisms.

RESULTS: KPC-90 isolates had an insertion of two amino acids (Thr180_Ser181 ins Tyr Thr) compared to the wildtype KPC-2. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing of isolates with KPC-90 vs. KPC-2 showed ceftazidime-avibactam MICs of >128 vs. 1-2 mg/L, meropenem-vaborbactam MICs of 4 vs. 1 mg/L, meropenem MICs of 4-8 vs. >128 mg/L and imipenem MICs of 0.5-1 vs. 64 mg/L. Analysis of kinetic parameters of KPC-90 compared to KPC-2 showed decreased hydrolysis of carbapenems and increased IC50 of avibactam. Genetic characterization of the plasmid revealed that IS26 could mediate the intramolecular inversion, translocation and truncation of the resistance determinant region.

CONCLUSION: We have described the case of a patient infected with blaKPC-90-carrying K. pneumoniae strains and investigated the mechanism of resistance to carbapenems and ceftazidime-avibactam associated with blaKPC-2 and its variants. We have also focused on the functional diversity of IS26 in relation to antimicrobial resistance. In the future, it is crucial to pay more attention to the evolution and horizontal transmission of blaKPC.