Analyses of a Ceftazidime-Avibactam-Resistant Citrobacter freundii Isolate Carrying bla KPC-2 Reveals a Heterogenous Population and Reversible Genotype

Abstract

The development of ceftazidime-avibactam resistance among KPC-producing isolates during treatment with this agent has been reported. Usually isolates that become resistant have a mutated bla KPC gene that confers resistance to ceftazidime-avibactam and susceptibility to meropenem. We report a Citrobacter freundii isolate that developed ceftazidime-avibactam resistance due to mutations within the coding region of the bla KPC-2 Ω-loop previously reported; however, in this case, only 11% of the whole-genome sequencing reads had mutations, making this alteration difficult to detect and the treatment of these isolates more challenging. In addition to bla KPC , the initial and the follow-up patient isolates displayed hyperexpression of the AcrAB-TolC efflux system and disruption of the outer membrane protein (OMP) OmpF, which contribute to carbapenem resistance. Experiments performed to confirm our findings included generating mutant isolates from the initial patient isolate, passaging the isolates for purity in drug-free medium, resulting in a reversible phenotype, and cloning the mutations to demonstrate the resistance conferred.