Molecular characteristics of mcr-1-carrying plasmids and new mcr-1 variant recovered from polyclonal clinical Escherichia coli from Argentina and Canada

We have characterized nine mcr-1-harboring plasmids from clinical Escherichia coli isolates previously described in Argentina and Canada. Three of these plasmids carried a mcr-1-variant called here mcr-1.5. All these E. coli isolates were not clonally related and were recovered in different years and locations. However, their mcr-1-harboring plasmids showed high identity among them and to others characterized in other countries, which strongly suggests that this plasmid-type is playing an important role in spreading this mechanism of resistance to polymyxins.