Antibiotic resistance profiling and comparative genomics of cold-adapted Staphylococcus saprophyticus from the Southern Ocean

Abstract

This study provides the first comprehensive analysis of antibiotic resistance & genomic characterization of Staphylococcus saprophyticus isolated from Southern Ocean. Antibiotic susceptibility profiling of S. saprophyticus revealed complete resistance to Cefixime, Norfloxacin, Azithromycin, and Metronidazole, while susceptibility was observed for Ampicillin, Doxycycline, Tetracycline, Ciprofloxacin, and Co-trimoxazole. Whole-genome sequencing and comparative genomics analysis with 21 closely related strains identified antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes viz a viz vanY (in the vanM cluster), sdrM, sepA, norC, salE, fusD, and fosBx1. Among these, vanY exhibited the highest prevalence, followed by sdrM and sepA. Study also showed varying AMR gene distributions, with some strains harboring all seven resistance genes. The presence of antibiotic-resistant S. saprophyticus in the Southern Ocean highlights the potential anthropogenic influence on microbial communities leading to AMR among native microbial communities and highlights the urgent need for further studies on AMR in remote marine environments and its mitigation strategies. The study enhances understanding of the global dissemination of AMR by investigating S. saprophyticus in one of the pristine and isolated ecosystems on Earth. Our findings demonstrates that even remote environments are not immune to the spread of AMR. Furthermore, the study provides crucial insights into resistance mechanisms and the identification of resistance genes in a non-clinical, extreme environment puts light on microbial adaptability, and ecological resilience in response to environmental stressors.

Keywords

Antibiotic resistance / Staphylococcus saprophyticus / Southern ocean / Comparative genomics / AMR genes

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