Genetic and Molecular Characterization of Biofilm Formation in Multidrug-Resistant Strains Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus

Abstract

The virulence and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) of biofilm-forming bacteria pose a growing threat to public health. The aim of this study was to identify molecular determinants of resistance and biofilm formation in P. aeruginosa and S. aureus. A total of 120 strains consisting of P. aeruginosa (60) and S. aureus (60) were isolated from animal products. These strains underwent phenotypic, biochemical, and molecular identification. The molecular determinants of resistance (blaSHV, blaIMP, and blaTEM) and biofilm formation (PpyR, PslA, and PelA) were detected using the PCR method. In descending order of importance, the prevalence of resistance genes detected in P. aeruginosa was 63.3% (blaSHV), 53.3% (blaIMP), and 35.0% (blaTEM). S. aureus strains producing coagulase (83.33%) and DNase (75%) harbored blaIMP (48.3%) and blaSHV (36.7%) resistance genes with varying prevalences. The PpyR gene (93.3%) was predominantly detected in P. aeruginosa, followed by the PslA (80.0%) and PelA (71.7%) genes. Only the PslA (48.3%) and PelA (38.3%) genes were detected in S. aureus, with prevalences below 50.0%. Detecting and controlling the determinants of resistance and biofilm formation can guide improved diagnosis and contribute to the fight against bacterial biofilm infections.