Veterinary Research Forum

Resistance gene profiles and expression patterns in Escherichia coli isolates from swine with colibacillosis

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Shima Kazemzadeh 1
Maria Rusinova 1
Inna Burakova 1
Yuliya Smirnova 1
Polina Morozova 1
Sergey Shabunin 2
Mikhail Syromyatnikov 1, 3

1 Laboratory of Metagenomics and Food Biotechnology, Voronezh State University of Engineering Technologies, Voronezh, Russia

2 FSBSI All-Russian Veterinary Research Institute of Pathology, Pharmacology and Therapy, Voronezh, Russia

3 Faculty of Medicine and Biology, Department of Genetics, Cytology and Bioengineering, Voronezh State University, Voronezh, Russia

https://doi.org/10.30466/vrf.2025.2066019.4846
Abstract
Swine colibacillosis, caused by colonization of the piglet small intestine with enterotoxigenic strains of Escherichia coli, imposes a significant economic burden on the swine industry. Due to high mortality rates and the emergence of antimicrobial resistance, it is considered one of the major welfare concerns in the livestock industry. This study elucidated the genetic basis and expression patterns of key antibiotic resistance genes in porcine E. coli isolates with colibacillosis. Intestinal contents from five affected piglets were subjected to high-throughput sequencing, revealing 26 resistance genes across seven antibiotic classes. Four strains (428, 430, 432, 433) were further analyzed for mRNA expression levels of six resistance genes (blaTEM, tetA, tetB, tetM, qnrB, and qnrS) under exposure to ampicillin, tetracycline and ciprofloxacin at three concentrations (0.01, 0.001, 0.0001% w/v). Our findings revealed five distinct expression patterns: (1) dose dependent upregulation/downregulation, (2) inverse response to concentration changes, (3) maximal downregulation at intermediate dose, (4) minimal down-regulation at intermediate dose, and (5) sustained upregulation. Strain 428 uniformly followed pattern one for all resistance genes, in strain 430, tetB followed pattern three while blaTEM matched pattern one, strain 432 exhibited patterns two for all tetracycline- and β-lactam-resistance genes, and pattern four for qnrB; strain 433 showed patterns three for both fluoroquinolone-resistance genes, pattern four for tetB, and pattern five for blaTEM. These findings highlighted strain-specific and dose-dependent gene expression responses in swine colibacillosis. This work underscored the need for tailored antibiotic strategies, targeted interventions and well-validated monitoring frameworks for antibiotic resistance in veterinary.

Keywords

Antibiotic resistance
Beta-Lactams
Fluoroquinolones
Pig
Tetracyclines
Subjects
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Veterinary Research Forum
Volume 17, Issue 9
September 2026
Pages 607-617

  • Receive Date 31 July 2025
  • Revise Date 27 September 2025
  • Accept Date 11 October 2025

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