Studying the Phenotypic and Genotypic Expression of Antibiotic Resistance in Campylobacter jejuni under Stress Conditions

Specific features for the development of resistance in Campylobacter jejuni strains were studied after treatment with antibiotics of 6 pharmacological groups. Populations of 18 native strains of C. jejuni (isolated from raw poultry products) and their subcultures (obtained after 2-3-fold stress exposures to antimicrobial agents in subinhibitory doses) were examined to evaluate the expression of phenotypic antibiotic resistance. Genotypic properties of strains were studied by the PCR with primers that detect the presence of genes for resistance to aminoglycosides (aphA-1, aphA-3, and aphA-7), tetracyclines (tetO), and quinolones (GZgyrA). The majority of test strains of C. jejuni exhibited a high resistance to nalidixic acid, ciprofloxacin, and tetracycline, which reached the maximum value after numerous passages. The expression of antibiotic resistance was greatest in the presence of nalidixic acid and tetracycline. Ciprofloxacin resistance of 33% strains, which were initially resistant to this antibiotic, was increased after 2-3-fold treatment. We revealed a high degree of correspondence between phenotypic and genotypic profiles of antibiotic resistance in food isolates of Campylobacter. One, two, or more genes of aphA were identified in 85% strains phenotypically resistant to aminoglycosides. The tetO gene was found nearly in all strains resistant to tetracycline. Studying the biofilm matrix in C. jejuni after culturing with antibiotics in subinhibitory doses showed that quinolones (particularly nalidixic acid) and tetracyclines potentiate the formation of biofilms and increase the tolerance of Campylobacter to stress exposures. The intensity of biofilm growth was shown to depend little on the effect of macrolides and aminoglycosides. Therefore, the presence of these agents in residual concentrations is associated with a lower risk for the development of antibiotic resistance in C. jejuni populations.