Beta-lactamases in the multidrug resistance opportunistic bacterial pathogen Elizabethkingia anophelis

Abstract

Beta-lactamases are bacterial enzymes that pose a serious threat within the healthcare field due to their antibiotic resistance towards commonly prescribed antibiotics, including penicillins, cephalosporins, and cephamycins. Elizabethkingia anophelis, originally discovered from the Anopheles mosquito gut, is the most healthcare relevant species of Elizabethkingia due to the severity of the diseases it causes in humans, including meningitis and respiratory infections in populations with weakened immune systems. The work presented here is the beginning stages of identifying unknown beta-lactamases within E. anophelis. In this study, we have examined the genome of E. anophelis R26 and found 3 known beta-lactamases and 17 additional putative beta-lactamases that we will use for further identification testing. In addition, we have started the cloning process with the native promoter in each of the putative beta-lactamases.