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Seng, R.

Publications and source records attributed to Seng, R..

2 recordsLinked to original sources

Structure and dynamics of Burkholderia pseudomallei OXA-57, a distinctive low-efficiency class D β-lactamase with carbapenem-hydrolyzing activity

The Gram-negative bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei causes the severe disease melioidosis. {beta}-Lactams, including carbapenems, are the primary treatment, but are susceptible to chromosomal {beta}-lactamases, including the class D enzyme OXA-57. Here we show recombinant OXA-57 is active towards penicillins and first-generation cephalosporins, slowly hydrolyzes carbapenems including imipenem and meropenem, but is inactive towards oxyimino-cephalosporins (e.g., ceftazidime). Unlike many OXA enzymes, OXA-57 is sensitive to the mechanism-based inhibitor clavulanic acid, but less so to the diazabicyclooctane avibactam and not to the cyclic boronate vaborbactam. Crystal structures of covalent OXA-57:avibactam and OXA-57:meropenem complexes reveal limited hydrogen- bonding interactions with bound ligands. In molecular dynamics simulations, bound meropenem is mobile, while the water necessary for deacylation has only limited active site access. These observations are consistent with the low level of meropenem turnover, supporting proposals that OXA {beta}-lactamases generally possess limited carbapenemase activity, and highlight the potential importance of OXA-57 in B. pseudomallei {beta}-lactam resistance. Graphical Abstract O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=109 SRC="FIGDIR/small/630153v1_ufig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1000"> View larger version (24K): org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@d635d7org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@168d67borg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1d95733org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1ebeabb_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_FIG C_FIG

biochemistry↗

Genetic diversity, determinants, and dissemination of Burkholderia pseudomallei lineages implicated in melioidosis in northeast Thailand

Melioidosis is an often-fatal neglected tropical disease caused by an environmental bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei. However, our understanding of the disease-causing bacterial lineages, their dissemination, and adaptive mechanisms remains limited. To address this, we conducted a comprehensive genomic analysis of 1,391 B. pseudomallei isolates collected from nine hospitals in northeast Thailand between 2015 and 2018, and contemporaneous isolates from neighbouring countries, representing the most densely sampled collection to date. Our study identified three dominant lineages with unique gene sets enhancing bacterial fitness, indicating lineage-specific adaptation strategies. Crucially, recombination was found to drive lineage-specific gene flow. Transcriptome analyses of representative clinical isolates from each dominant lineage revealed heightened expression of lineage-specific genes in environmental versus infection conditions, notably under nutrient depletion, highlighting environmental persistence as a key factor in the success of dominant lineages. The study also revealed the role of environmental factors - slope of terrain, altitude, direction of rivers, and the northeast monsoons - in shaping B. pseudomallei geographical dispersal. Collectively, our findings highlight persistence in the environment as a pivotal element facilitating B. pseudomallei spread, and as a prelude to exposure and infection, thereby providing useful insights for informing melioidosis prevention and control strategies.

microbiology↗