Mercury resistance operon in carbapenemase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae

The role of environmental reservoirs in nosocomial outbreaks are increasing and the presence of heavy metals in such environmental reservoirs may exert selective pressure on plasmids containing heavy metal tolerance and carbapenemases genes. The present study evaluates the presence of the mer operon in different CP-Kp and the role of mercury (Hg) in the co-selection of bla carbapenemase genes

环境储库在医院内暴发中的作用日益凸显，此类环境储库中存在的重金属可对携带重金属耐受基因与碳青霉烯酶基因的质粒施加选择压力。本研究针对不同产碳青霉烯酶肺炎克雷伯菌（CP-Kp）中的汞操纵子（mer operon）分布情况进行评估，并探究汞（Hg）在bla碳青霉烯酶基因共选择过程中所发挥的作用。