Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Mbandaka (S. Mbandaka) represents an emerging public health threat due to its remarkable genomic adaptability, involvement in multinational foodborne outbreaks, and the ability to establish persistent infections. Here, we report the first documented isolation of a carbapenem-resistant S. Mbandaka strain, a significant public health concern given the critical role of carbapenems in treating multidrug-resistant infections. Five clonal S. Mbandaka isolates were obtained from a single patient, with three isolates (SMF22R, SMF28R, and SMB30R) exhibiting carbapenem resistance mediated by the blaNDM-1. The comprehensive genomic analysis uncovered a 1, 220 kb chromosomal inversion mediated by IS26 through intramolecular replicative transposition (in trans), generating the SMF28R and SMB30R variants. Using S1 pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, Southern blotting, and conjugation experiments, we demonstrated the transfer of blaNDM-1: chromosomal localization in SMF22R and plasmid-borne (IncC-type) carriage in SMF28R and SMB30R. Notably, the region carrying blaNDM-1 in both locations was flanked by IS26 and completely identical, indicating that IS26 may facilitate the transfer of blaNDM-1 between the chromosome and plasmid. Additionally, we detected the amplification of mph (A) on the chromosome and blaNDM-1 on the IncC plasmid. The expression level of blaNDM-1 in SMF22R was lower than that in SMF28R and SMB30R, consistent with SMF22R exhibiting lower carbapenem resistance compared to SMF28R and SMB30R. This study reported the IS26-mediated transfer of blaNDM-1 between the chromosome and a plasmid in S. Mbandaka, highlighting the critical role of transposable elements in disseminating carbapenem resistance. IMPORTANCEAs a clinically significant foodborne pathogen, carbapenem-resistant Salmonella presents a significant therapeutic challenge due to its extensive antibiotic resistance. While blaNDM-1 is conventionally plasmid-borne, our study elucidates its transfer between chromosomes and a conjugative IncC plasmid in Salmonella. Our findings demonstrate the pivotal involvement of IS26 and ISCR1 mobile genetic elements in orchestrating genomic rearrangements while concurrently mediating the horizontal transfer and subsequent amplification of antimicrobial resistance determinants. This study provides an important theoretical basis for an in-depth analysis of the horizontal transfer mechanism of bacterial resistance genes.
Song et al. (Fri,) studied this question.