Genetic characterization and transmission of the multidrug resistance gene cfr in fecal and environmental pathways on a chicken farm in China

The emergence and spread of the multidrug-resistant gene cfr have raised significant public health concerns worldwide. To investigate its prevalence and dissemination dynamics, 18 cfr-positive strains were isolated in 2021 from fecal and environmental samples. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing sh...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Yiming Feng, Tiantian Li, Shiyun Zhao, Xuexue Li, Yajun Zhai, Li Yuan, Jianhua Liu, Gongzheng Hu, Dandan He, Yushan Pan
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-06-01
Series:Poultry Science
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0032579125003189
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849471667455131648
author Yiming Feng
Tiantian Li
Shiyun Zhao
Xuexue Li
Yajun Zhai
Li Yuan
Jianhua Liu
Gongzheng Hu
Dandan He
Yushan Pan
author_facet Yiming Feng
Tiantian Li
Shiyun Zhao
Xuexue Li
Yajun Zhai
Li Yuan
Jianhua Liu
Gongzheng Hu
Dandan He
Yushan Pan
author_sort Yiming Feng
collection DOAJ
description The emergence and spread of the multidrug-resistant gene cfr have raised significant public health concerns worldwide. To investigate its prevalence and dissemination dynamics, 18 cfr-positive strains were isolated in 2021 from fecal and environmental samples. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing showed that all strains were 100 % multidrug-resistant. Conjugation experiments demonstrated that a cfr- carrying IncFII(K)-IncR-IncFIB multi-replicon plasmid could transfer to E. coli J53. S1-nuclease digestion and Southern blotting identified cfr on plasmids of varying sizes, while whole-genome sequencing confirmed its presence on multiple plasmid types: IncX4, IncN, IncFII(K)-IncR-IncFIB, IncFIB-IncFII-IncR-IncHI2-IncHI2A multi-replicon plasmids, and two plasmids of unknown types. Genetic environment analysis revealed that cfr is categorized into five distinct structures (Types I-V). Reverse PCR results showed that Types I, II, and IV can form three circular intermediates of varying lengths (cfr-IS26). Network analysis further indicated strong association between cfr, tet(M), and dfrA14 mediated by IS26. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the four ST1140 E. coli strains and all nine K. pneumoniae strains showed minimal genetic divergence. These findings suggest both clonal and horizontal transmission of cfr within the poultry farm. Continuous monitoring of cfr in animal-related environments is essential to mitigate its potential transfer to humans.
format Article
id doaj-art-e7e95678050d402cb07a11801be9ebc0
institution Kabale University
issn 0032-5791
language English
publishDate 2025-06-01
publisher Elsevier
record_format Article
series Poultry Science
spelling doaj-art-e7e95678050d402cb07a11801be9ebc02025-08-20T03:24:44ZengElsevierPoultry Science0032-57912025-06-01104610507910.1016/j.psj.2025.105079Genetic characterization and transmission of the multidrug resistance gene cfr in fecal and environmental pathways on a chicken farm in ChinaYiming Feng0Tiantian Li1Shiyun Zhao2Xuexue Li3Yajun Zhai4Li Yuan5Jianhua Liu6Gongzheng Hu7Dandan He8Yushan Pan9College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, PR ChinaCollege of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, PR ChinaCollege of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, PR ChinaCollege of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, PR ChinaCollege of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, PR China; Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Animal Pathogens and Biosafety, Zhengzhou, Henan Province, PR China; Henan Province Key Laboratory of Animal Food Pathogens Surveillance, PR ChinaCollege of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, PR China; Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Animal Pathogens and Biosafety, Zhengzhou, Henan Province, PR China; Henan Province Key Laboratory of Animal Food Pathogens Surveillance, PR ChinaCollege of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, PR ChinaCollege of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, PR China; Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Animal Pathogens and Biosafety, Zhengzhou, Henan Province, PR China; Henan Province Key Laboratory of Animal Food Pathogens Surveillance, PR ChinaCollege of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, PR China; Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Animal Pathogens and Biosafety, Zhengzhou, Henan Province, PR China; Henan Province Key Laboratory of Animal Food Pathogens Surveillance, PR China; Correspondence authors.College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, PR China; Correspondence authors.The emergence and spread of the multidrug-resistant gene cfr have raised significant public health concerns worldwide. To investigate its prevalence and dissemination dynamics, 18 cfr-positive strains were isolated in 2021 from fecal and environmental samples. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing showed that all strains were 100 % multidrug-resistant. Conjugation experiments demonstrated that a cfr- carrying IncFII(K)-IncR-IncFIB multi-replicon plasmid could transfer to E. coli J53. S1-nuclease digestion and Southern blotting identified cfr on plasmids of varying sizes, while whole-genome sequencing confirmed its presence on multiple plasmid types: IncX4, IncN, IncFII(K)-IncR-IncFIB, IncFIB-IncFII-IncR-IncHI2-IncHI2A multi-replicon plasmids, and two plasmids of unknown types. Genetic environment analysis revealed that cfr is categorized into five distinct structures (Types I-V). Reverse PCR results showed that Types I, II, and IV can form three circular intermediates of varying lengths (cfr-IS26). Network analysis further indicated strong association between cfr, tet(M), and dfrA14 mediated by IS26. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the four ST1140 E. coli strains and all nine K. pneumoniae strains showed minimal genetic divergence. These findings suggest both clonal and horizontal transmission of cfr within the poultry farm. Continuous monitoring of cfr in animal-related environments is essential to mitigate its potential transfer to humans.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0032579125003189ChickenFarm environmentcfrTransmissionPlasmid
spellingShingle Yiming Feng
Tiantian Li
Shiyun Zhao
Xuexue Li
Yajun Zhai
Li Yuan
Jianhua Liu
Gongzheng Hu
Dandan He
Yushan Pan
Genetic characterization and transmission of the multidrug resistance gene cfr in fecal and environmental pathways on a chicken farm in China
Poultry Science
Chicken
Farm environment
cfr
Transmission
Plasmid
title Genetic characterization and transmission of the multidrug resistance gene cfr in fecal and environmental pathways on a chicken farm in China
title_full Genetic characterization and transmission of the multidrug resistance gene cfr in fecal and environmental pathways on a chicken farm in China
title_fullStr Genetic characterization and transmission of the multidrug resistance gene cfr in fecal and environmental pathways on a chicken farm in China
title_full_unstemmed Genetic characterization and transmission of the multidrug resistance gene cfr in fecal and environmental pathways on a chicken farm in China
title_short Genetic characterization and transmission of the multidrug resistance gene cfr in fecal and environmental pathways on a chicken farm in China
title_sort genetic characterization and transmission of the multidrug resistance gene cfr in fecal and environmental pathways on a chicken farm in china
topic Chicken
Farm environment
cfr
Transmission
Plasmid
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0032579125003189
work_keys_str_mv AT yimingfeng geneticcharacterizationandtransmissionofthemultidrugresistancegenecfrinfecalandenvironmentalpathwaysonachickenfarminchina
AT tiantianli geneticcharacterizationandtransmissionofthemultidrugresistancegenecfrinfecalandenvironmentalpathwaysonachickenfarminchina
AT shiyunzhao geneticcharacterizationandtransmissionofthemultidrugresistancegenecfrinfecalandenvironmentalpathwaysonachickenfarminchina
AT xuexueli geneticcharacterizationandtransmissionofthemultidrugresistancegenecfrinfecalandenvironmentalpathwaysonachickenfarminchina
AT yajunzhai geneticcharacterizationandtransmissionofthemultidrugresistancegenecfrinfecalandenvironmentalpathwaysonachickenfarminchina
AT liyuan geneticcharacterizationandtransmissionofthemultidrugresistancegenecfrinfecalandenvironmentalpathwaysonachickenfarminchina
AT jianhualiu geneticcharacterizationandtransmissionofthemultidrugresistancegenecfrinfecalandenvironmentalpathwaysonachickenfarminchina
AT gongzhenghu geneticcharacterizationandtransmissionofthemultidrugresistancegenecfrinfecalandenvironmentalpathwaysonachickenfarminchina
AT dandanhe geneticcharacterizationandtransmissionofthemultidrugresistancegenecfrinfecalandenvironmentalpathwaysonachickenfarminchina
AT yushanpan geneticcharacterizationandtransmissionofthemultidrugresistancegenecfrinfecalandenvironmentalpathwaysonachickenfarminchina