Extended-Spectrum Cephalosporinases in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Abstract

ABSTRACT The characterization of AmpC-type β-lactamases was performed in a collection of 32 clinical Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates with intermediate susceptibility or resistance to imipenem and ceftazidime. Twenty-one out of those 32 isolates overexpressed AmpC β-lactamase, and the MICs of ceftazidime and imipenem were reduced after cloxacillin addition. Cloning and sequencing identified 10 AmpC β-lactamase variants. Reduced susceptibility to imipenem, ceftazidime, and cefepime was observed only with recombinant P. aeruginosa strains expressing an AmpC β-lactamase that had an alanine residue at position 105. The catalytic efficiencies ( k cat / K m ) of the AmpC variants possessing this residue were increased against oxyiminocephalosporins and imipenem. In addition, we show here that those AmpC variants constitute a favorable background for the in vitro selection of imipenem-resistant strains. This report identified a novel resistance mechanism that may contribute to imipenem resistance in P. aeruginosa .