The molecular mechanisms of reduced susceptibility to cefixime in clinical isolates of Neisseria gonorrhoeae, particularly amino acid substitutions in mosaic penicillin-binding protein 2 (PBP2), were examined. The complete sequence of ponA, penA, and por genes, encoding, respectively, PBP1, PBP2, and porin, were determined for 58 strains isolated in 2002 from Japan. Replacement of leucine 421 by proline in PBP1 and the mosaic-like structure of PBP2 were detected in 48 strains (82.8%) and 28 strains (48.3%), respectively. The presence of mosaic PBP2 was the main cause of the elevated cefixime MIC (4-to 64-fold). In order to identify the mutations responsible for the reduced susceptibility to cefixime in isolates with mosaic PBP2, penA genes with various mutations were transferred to a susceptible strain by genetic transformation. The susceptibility of partial recombinants and site-directed mutants revealed that the replacement of glycine 545 by serine (G545S) was the primary mutation, which led to a two-to fourfold increase in resistance to cephems. Replacement of isoleucine 312 by methionine (I312M) and valine 316 by threonine (V316T), in the presence of the G545S mutation, reduced susceptibility to cefixime, ceftibuten, and cefpodoxime by an additional fourfold. Therefore, three mutations (G545S, I312M, and V316T) in mosaic PBP2 were identified as the amino acid substitutions responsible for reduced susceptibility to cefixime in N. gonorrhoeae.

A total of 621 clinical isolates of Haemophilus influenzae collected in Japan between 1995 and 2003 were studied for their susceptibilities to several antimicrobial agents, ␤-lactamase production, and amino acid substitutions in penicillin-binding protein 3 (PBP 3). Over the four study periods (first period, 1995 to 1996; second period, 1997 to 1998; third period, 2000 to 2001; fourth period, 2002 to 2003), the susceptibilities to ␤-lactam agents decreased and the incidence of isolates with substitutions at positions 377, 385, 389, 517, and/or 526 in PBP 3 increased from 28.8% to 52.0%. Five hundred seventy-one ␤-lactamase-nonproducing isolates were grouped into 18 classes, based on the pattern of the five mutations in PBP 3. The Asp526Lys substitution led to 6.0-, 4.3-, 2.4-, and 5.4-fold increases in amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, cefdinir, cefditoren, and faropenem resistance, respectively. PBP 3 with multiple substitutions (Met377Ile, Ser385Thr, and/or Leu389Phe) together with Asp526Lys resulted in increased resistance compared to that for PBP 3 with the Asp526Lys substitution alone. These results indicate that mutations at these five positions increased resistance to most ␤-lactams. Although a significant change in the prevalence of ␤-lactamase-producing strains was not observed, the proportions of those possessing both PBP 3 alterations and ␤-lactamase production have slightly increased (from 1.4% to 5.0%). The ROB-1 ␤-lactamase was rare, but this is the first report of this ␤-lactamase in Japan.Haemophilus influenzae is an important pathogen that causes community-acquired infections such as pneumonia, otitis media, and meningitis and has become increasingly resistant to ␤-lactam antibiotics (5, 18). There are two major mechanisms involved in ␤-lactam resistance, one enzymatic and the other nonenzymatic. The enzymatic resistance mechanism is mainly mediated by the hydrolysis of ␤-lactams due to the production of TEM-1 ␤-lactamase (17, 24) and, in some cases, to a ROB-1 ␤-lactamase (10, 13). The nonenzymatic mechanism involves a decreased affinity of penicillin-binding protein 3 (PBP 3) for ␤-lactam antibiotics due to amino acid substitutions (17, 23). The ␤-lactam resistance phenotype mediated by the nonenzymatic mechanism is called "␤-lactamase-nonproducing ampicillin resistance (BLNAR)" in H. influenzae.Recently, the isolation frequency of BLNAR strains has been increasing exponentially among clinical isolates from patients with community-acquired infections in Japan (21, 25). A recent report also described an increased prevalence of the BLNAR phenotype in Europe (4). Strains with both resistance mechanisms were also found among clinical isolates, and such strains are termed ␤-lactamase-producing ampicillin-clavulanic acid-resistant (BLPACR) H. influenzae (6,12,22).Studies of ␤-lactam resistance caused by H. influenzae PBP 3 mutations have been reported by several investigators (1,6,16,20,23). From the genetic analysis of the ftsI gene encoding PBP 3 in BLNAR strains, the amino acid substitutions surroundi...

Horizontal gene transfer has been identified in only a small number of genes in Haemophilus influenzae, an organism which is naturally competent for transformation. This report provides evidence for the genetic transfer of the ftsI gene, which encodes penicillin-binding protein 3, in H. influenzae. Mosaic structures of the ftsI gene were found in several clinical isolates of H. influenzae. To identify the origin of the mosaic sequence, complete sequences of the corresponding gene from seven type strains of Haemophilus species were determined. Comparison of these sequences with mosaic regions identified a homologous recombination of the ftsI gene between H. influenzae and Haemophilus haemolyticus. Subsequently, ampicillin-resistant H. influenzae strains harboring identical ftsI sequences were genotyped by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Divergent PFGE patterns among ␤-lactamase-nonproducing ampicillin-resistant (BLNAR) strains from different hospitals indicated the potential for the genetic transfer of the mutated ftsI gene between these isolates. Moreover, transfer of the ftsI gene from BLNAR strains to ␤-lactamase-nonproducing ampicillin-susceptible (BLNAS) H. influenzae strains was evaluated in vitro. Coincubation of a BLNAS strain (a rifampin-resistant mutant of strain Rd) and BLNAR strains resulted in the emergence of rifampin-and cefdinir-resistant clones at frequencies of 5.1 ؋ 10 ؊7 to 1.5 ؋ 10 ؊6 . Characterization of these doubly resistant mutants by DNA sequencing of the ftsI gene, susceptibility testing, and genotyping by PFGE revealed that the ftsI genes of BLNAR strains had transferred to BLNAS strains during coincubation. In conclusion, horizontal transfer of the ftsI gene in H. influenzae can occur in an intraspecies and an interspecies manner.

Background Nacubactam (NAC) is a novel serine β-lactamase inhibitor in clinical development, and inhibits Ambler class A, class C, and some class D β-lactamases. In addition, it has penicillin-binding protein (PBP) 2-dependent antibacterial activity and an ‘enhancer’ effect when combined with β-lactams bound to PBP3. This study assessed the in vitro activity of NAC alone and in combination with β-lactams against IMP-type metallo-β-lactamase-producing and ESBL-producing Enterobacterales isolated in Japan. Methods The MICs for the clinical isolates in Japan were determined and time kill studies were performed. IMP and ESBL genes were detected by PCR. The MICs were determined by broth microdilution method following CLSI methodology. β-lactams and NAC were tested as a ratio of 1:1. Time kill profiles were also studied according to CLSI methodology. Results The MIC50/MIC90s of NAC alone against 112 IMP-producing Enterobacterales and 154 ESBL-producing Enterobacterales were 2/ >32 and 2/8 mg/L, respectively. Regarding the MICs of cefepime (FEP)/NAC and aztreonam (ATM)/NAC against IMP-producing isolates, the MIC90s were 2 and 1 mg/L and the MIC ranges were 0.06 - 32 and 0.06 - 4 mg/L, respectively. The MIC90s of FEP/NAC and ATM/NAC against ESBL-producing isolates were 0.5 and 1 mg/L. These MIC90s of β-lactam/NAC against IMP-producing and ESBL-producing isolates were significantly lower than those of β-lactam alone (>128 mg/L). The highest MIC of ATM/NAC against IMP-producing isolates was lower than that of FEP/NAC. In addition, bactericidal activities of β-lactam/NAC were observed at the lower concentration of β-lactam compared to that of β-lactam alone. Conclusion NAC in combination with β-lactams showed excellent in vitro activities against not only ESBL-producing Enterobacterales but also IMP-producing Enterobacterales isolated in Japan. ATM/NAC tended to show higher antimicrobial effect against IMP-producing isolates by the enzyme stability of ATM. These results support the complex activities of NAC which works as a β-lactamase inhibitor, an antibacterial agent and also an enhancer when combined with β-lactams. Furthermore, these will be useful for selecting a partner β-lactam for NAC. Disclosures Yu Nagira, MS, Meiji Seika Pharma Co., Ltd. (Employee) Keiko Yamada, BS, Meiji Seika Pharma Co., Ltd. (Employee) Hayato Okade, Ph.D, Meiji Seika Pharma Co., Ltd. (Employee) Nami Senju, BS, Meiji Seika Pharma Co., Ltd. (Employee) Yuko Tsutsumi, MS, Meiji Seika Pharma Co., Ltd. (Employee) Yuji Tabata, Ph.D, Meiji Seika Pharma Co., Ltd. (Employee)