Overexpression of OqxAB and MacAB efflux pumps contributes to eravacycline resistance and heteroresistance in clinical isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae

This study investigated the characteristics and mechanisms of eravacycline resistance and heteroresistance in clinical Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates. A total of 393 clinical K. pneumoniae isolates were collected and subjected to eravacycline and tigecycline MIC determinations using the agar dilution method. Eravacycline heteroresistance was assessed by a population analysis profile (PAP). The expression levels of efflux pumps and their regulators were determined by quantitative reverse-transcription PCR (qRT-PCR). This study identified 67 eravacycline-nonsusceptible isolates; among the extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-positive isolates, eravacycline-nonsusceptible isolates were detected more frequently than tigecycline-nonsusceptible isolates (21.7% vs. 9.4%, p = 0.001). The study sample was observed to include 20 K. pneumoniae isolates with eravacycline heteroresistance. Compared to the reference strain, oqxA or oqxB overexpression was observed in nine eravacycline-nonsusceptible isolates (range, 35.64–309.02-fold) and 13 eravacycline-heteroresistant isolates (8.42–296.34-fold). The overexpression of macA or macB was detected in 12 eravacycline-heteroresistant isolates (3.23–28.35-fold). Overexpression of the efflux pump regulator gene ramA was observed in 11 eravacycline-nonsusceptible isolates (3.33–94.05-fold) and 18 eravacycline-heteroresistant isolates (3.89–571.70-fold). The eravacycline MICs were increased by one–fourfold by overexpression of oqxAB or macAB in three eravacycline-sensitive isolates. In conclusion, the overexpression of OqxAB and MacAB efflux pumps and the transcriptional regulator RamA were suggested to be involved in K. pneumoniae eravacycline resistance and heteroresistance.