The Genetic Characteristics and Carbapenem Resistance Mechanism of ST307 Klebsiella pneumoniae Coharbouring bla(CMY-6), bla(OXA-48), and a Truncated bla(NDM-1)

Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) is a common nosocomial pathogen causing severe infectious diseases, and ST307 CRKP is an emerging clone. In this study, we collected five ST307 CRKP isolates, evaluated their antimicrobial susceptibility using microbroth dilution, and their clonality and population structure by PFGE, cgMLST, and SNP-based phylogenetic analysis. Then, the genome characteristics, such as antimicrobial resistance genes and plasmid profiles, were studied by subsequent genomic analysis. The plasmid transfer ability was evaluated by conjugation, and the carbapenem resistance mechanism was elucidated by gene cloning. The results showed that all five ST307 CRKP isolates harboured bla(CMY-6), bla(OXA-48), and bla(NDM-1); however, the end of the bla(NDM-1) signal peptide was interrupted and truncated by an IS10 element, resulting in the deactivation of carbapenemase. The ST307 isolates were closely related, and belonged to the globally disseminated clade. bla(OXA-48) and bla(NDM-1) were located on the different mobilisable IncL/M- and IncA/C2-type plasmids, respectively, and either the pOXA-48 or pNDM-1 transconjugants were ertapenem resistant. Gene cloning showed that bla(CMY-6) could elevate the MICs of carbapenems up to 64-fold and was located on the same plasmid as bla(NDM-1). In summary, ST307 is a high-risk clone type, and its prevalence should be given additional attention.