Insertion sequence transpositions and point mutations in mgrB causing colistin resistance in a clinical strain of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae from Vietnam

Abstract

Resistance among Klebsiella pneumoniae to the last-resort antibiotics carbapenems and colistin is increasing worldwide. In this study, whole-genome sequencing was used to determine the colistin resistance mechanisms in clinical isolates of carbapenem- and colistin-resistant K. pneumoniae from Vietnam. Alterations in the regulatory gene mgrB, via mutations and insertion sequence transpositions, were found in 30 of 31 isolates, emphasising the importance of this resistance mechanism in colistin-resistant K. pneumoniae.

Keywords: Antibiotic resistance; Colistin; Insertion sequence; Klebsiella; mgrB.