Description of a Rare Pyomelanin-Producing Carbapenem-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii Strain Coharboring Chromosomal OXA-23 and NDM-1.

Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB), which belonged to global clones 1 (GC1) or 2 (GC2), has been widely reported and become a global threat. However, non-GC1 and non-GC2 CRAB strains are not well-studied, especially for those with rare phenotype. Here, one pyomelanin-producing CRAB strain (A. baumannii DETAB-R21) was isolated from oral swab in the ICU. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing showed it was resistant to carbapenems, ceftazidime, levofloxacin, and ciprofloxacin. DETAB-R21 was ST164 Pas and ST1418 Oxf with KL47 and OCL5, respectively. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) analysis revealed chromosome contained three copies of bla OXA-23 on three 4,805-bp Tn 2006 composite transposons with various novel 9-bp target site duplications (TSD). A Tn 125 -like structure, including bla NDM-1 , a novel 4,343 bp composite transposon encoding bla CARB-16, and three prophage regions were also identified. Importantly, hmgA was interrupted by a Tn 2006 and contributed to pyomelanin production and further confirmed by hmgA overexpression. Furthermore, A. baumannii irradiated with UV light, DETAB-R21 showed a higher relatively survival rate compared to a control strain that did not produce pyomelanin. No effects of pyomelanin were observed on disinfectants susceptibility, growth, or virulence. In conclusion, pyomelanin-producing CRAB carrying the bla NDM-1 and bla OXA-23 genes embedded in the bacterial chromosome is of grave concern for health care settings, highlighting the need for effective measures to prevent further dissemination. IMPORTANCE Pyomelanin production is a quite rare phenotype in A. baumannii. Moreover, the mechanisms leading to the pyomelanin production was still unclear. Here, we for the first time, confirmed the mechanism of pyomelanin production, and further investigated the impact of pyomelanin on disinfectants susceptibility, growth, virulence, and UV irradiation. More importantly, many mobile genetic elements (MGEs), including three copies of Tn 2006 composite transposons, one copy of bla NDM-1 on the Tn 125 -like structure and three prophage regions, were identified in the chromosome, demonstrated strong plasticity of A. baumannii genome. Our study provides important insights into the new rare ST164 Pas A. baumannii strain with high level carbapenem resistance, which is of great threat for patients. These findings will provide important insights into the resistance gene transfer via transposition events and further spread in the clinic.