Molecular and in silico analysis of a new plasmid-mediated AmpC β-lactamase (CMH-2) in clinical isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae

Two Klebsiella strains isolated from urine samples were positive for blaAmpC by PCR and showed sequence similarity with CMH-1 (98.6%) after sequencing. It also shares 82% similarity with ACT-1, 85% with MIR-1 and 81% with the chromosomal AmpC gene of Enterobacter cloacae. This gene was associated with the plasmid of IncK type. It has an open reading frame of 381 amino acid with four amino acid substitutions at position D144A, C189R, Q192E, and A195T as compared to CMH-1. When expressed in E.coli DH5α and E.coli strain B, this β-lactamase conferred resistance to cefotaxime, ceftriaxone and ceftazidime. In addition, both in vitro and in silico analysis revealed that this cephalosporinase was inhibited by cefepime and carbapenem group of drugs. Therefore, this new plasmid-encoded AmpC type β-lactamase gene was designated as CMH-2. •This study highlights the emergence of novel AmpC β-lactamase CMH-2 in clinical isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae.•Association of this β-lactamase gene within IncK type plasmid.