Emergence of Enterococcus gallinarum carrying vanA gene cluster displaying atypical phenotypes
- Author:
Loong, S.K.
;
Che Mat Seri, N.A.A.
;
Mahfodz, N.H.
;
Teoh, B.T.
;
AbuBakar, S.
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- From:Tropical Biomedicine
2016;33(4):837-841
- CountryMalaysia
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
Motile enterococci such as Enterococcus gallinarum has the ability to acquire
and transfer antibiotic resistance genes to other enterococci. Even though infections caused
by E. gallinarum are rare, the discovery of this bacteria in food sources and in clinical
environments is disturbing. Here, we report the isolation and identification of E. gallinarum
from the wound of a hospital in-patient. The isolate was identified using 16S rDNA sequencing.
Isolate 146 harboured the vanA and vanC1 gene clusters, was vancomycin-susceptible, and
displayed resistance to ampicillin, penicillin, erythromycin and teicoplanin. This isolate also
showed intermediate resistance to linezolid and sequencing of the 23S rRNA peptidyl
transferase region did not unveil any known mutations associated to the conferment of
linezolid resistance. The presence of vanA did not confer resistance to vancomycin. Structural
analyses into the Tn1546 transposon carrying the vanA gene revealed distinct genetic variations
in the vanS, vanY and vanS-vanH intergenic region that could be associated to the atypical
antibiotic resistance phenotypes of isolate 146. Finding from this study are suggestive of the
occurrence of interspecies horizontal gene transfer and that similarities in genotypic
characteristic may not necessarily correlate with actual antibiotic resistance pattern of E.
gallinarum.
- Full text:P020170124584999317723.pdf
