Skip to main content
PMC home page
Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy logoLink to Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy
. 1995 May;39(5):1147–1153. doi: 10.1128/aac.39.5.1147

Tn5384, a composite enterococcal mobile element conferring resistance to erythromycin and gentamicin whose ends are directly repeated copies of IS256.

L B Rice 1, L L Carias 1, S H Marshall 1
PMCID: PMC162698  PMID: 7625803

Abstract

We have identified a 26-kb mobile element from Enterococcus faecalis CH116, designated Tn5384, which confers resistance to erythromycin and to high levels of gentamicin. Tn5384 is a composite element containing three copies of insertion element IS256. Two of the IS256 copies flank the aac6'-aph2" bifunctional aminoglycoside-modifying-enzyme gene in the inverted orientation, forming a structure similar to staphylococcal gentamicin resistance transposon Tn4001. One of the IS256 elements involved in the Tn4001-like structure also forms the left end of Tn5384, the right end of which is a directly repeated insertion of IS256 approximately 23 kb downstream of the leftmost insertion. Insertions of Tn5384 into enterococcal plasmid pLRM1 have been found associated with 8- and 9-bp duplications of the target sequence.

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (464.7 KB).

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Arthur M., Molinas C., Depardieu F., Courvalin P. Characterization of Tn1546, a Tn3-related transposon conferring glycopeptide resistance by synthesis of depsipeptide peptidoglycan precursors in Enterococcus faecium BM4147. J Bacteriol. 1993 Jan;175(1):117–127. doi: 10.1128/jb.175.1.117-127.1993. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Byrne M. E., Rouch D. A., Skurray R. A. Nucleotide sequence analysis of IS256 from the Staphylococcus aureus gentamicin-tobramycin-kanamycin-resistance transposon Tn4001. Gene. 1989 Sep 30;81(2):361–367. doi: 10.1016/0378-1119(89)90197-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Christie P. J., Korman R. Z., Zahler S. A., Adsit J. C., Dunny G. M. Two conjugation systems associated with Streptococcus faecalis plasmid pCF10: identification of a conjugative transposon that transfers between S. faecalis and Bacillus subtilis. J Bacteriol. 1987 Jun;169(6):2529–2536. doi: 10.1128/jb.169.6.2529-2536.1987. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Clewell D. B., Gawron-Burke C. Conjugative transposons and the dissemination of antibiotic resistance in streptococci. Annu Rev Microbiol. 1986;40:635–659. doi: 10.1146/annurev.mi.40.100186.003223. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Clewell D. B., Tomich P. K., Gawron-Burke M. C., Franke A. E., Yagi Y., An F. Y. Mapping of Streptococcus faecalis plasmids pAD1 and pAD2 and studies relating to transposition of Tn917. J Bacteriol. 1982 Dec;152(3):1220–1230. doi: 10.1128/jb.152.3.1220-1230.1982. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Dyke K. G., Aubert S., el Solh N. Multiple copies of IS256 in staphylococci. Plasmid. 1992 Nov;28(3):235–246. doi: 10.1016/0147-619x(92)90055-f. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Ehrenfeld E. E., Clewell D. B. Transfer functions of the Streptococcus faecalis plasmid pAD1: organization of plasmid DNA encoding response to sex pheromone. J Bacteriol. 1987 Aug;169(8):3473–3481. doi: 10.1128/jb.169.8.3473-3481.1987. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Ferretti J. J., Gilmore K. S., Courvalin P. Nucleotide sequence analysis of the gene specifying the bifunctional 6'-aminoglycoside acetyltransferase 2"-aminoglycoside phosphotransferase enzyme in Streptococcus faecalis and identification and cloning of gene regions specifying the two activities. J Bacteriol. 1986 Aug;167(2):631–638. doi: 10.1128/jb.167.2.631-638.1986. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Hanahan D. Studies on transformation of Escherichia coli with plasmids. J Mol Biol. 1983 Jun 5;166(4):557–580. doi: 10.1016/s0022-2836(83)80284-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Hodel-Christian S. L., Murray B. E. Characterization of the gentamicin resistance transposon Tn5281 from Enterococcus faecalis and comparison to staphylococcal transposons Tn4001 and Tn4031. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1991 Jun;35(6):1147–1152. doi: 10.1128/aac.35.6.1147. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Ike Y., Clewell D. B. Genetic analysis of the pAD1 pheromone response in Streptococcus faecalis, using transposon Tn917 as an insertional mutagen. J Bacteriol. 1984 Jun;158(3):777–783. doi: 10.1128/jb.158.3.777-783.1984. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Ike Y., Craig R. A., White B. A., Yagi Y., Clewell D. B. Modification of Streptococcus faecalis sex pheromones after acquisition of plasmid DNA. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1983 Sep;80(17):5369–5373. doi: 10.1073/pnas.80.17.5369. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Jacob A. E., Hobbs S. J. Conjugal transfer of plasmid-borne multiple antibiotic resistance in Streptococcus faecalis var. zymogenes. J Bacteriol. 1974 Feb;117(2):360–372. doi: 10.1128/jb.117.2.360-372.1974. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Kao S. M., Olmsted S. B., Viksnins A. S., Gallo J. C., Dunny G. M. Molecular and genetic analysis of a region of plasmid pCF10 containing positive control genes and structural genes encoding surface proteins involved in pheromone-inducible conjugation in Enterococcus faecalis. J Bacteriol. 1991 Dec;173(23):7650–7664. doi: 10.1128/jb.173.23.7650-7664.1991. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Kaufhold A., Podbielski A., Horaud T., Ferrieri P. Identical genes confer high-level resistance to gentamicin upon Enterococcus faecalis, Enterococcus faecium, and Streptococcus agalactiae. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1992 Jun;36(6):1215–1218. doi: 10.1128/aac.36.6.1215. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. LeBlanc D. J., Inamine J. M., Lee L. N. Broad geographical distribution of homologous erythromycin, kanamycin, and streptomycin resistance determinants among group D streptococci of human and animal origin. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1986 Apr;29(4):549–555. doi: 10.1128/aac.29.4.549. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Leblanc D. J., Lee L. N. Rapid screening procedure for detection of plasmids in streptococci. J Bacteriol. 1979 Dec;140(3):1112–1115. doi: 10.1128/jb.140.3.1112-1115.1979. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Lyon B. R., Gillespie M. T., Skurray R. A. Detection and characterization of IS256, an insertion sequence in Staphylococcus aureus. J Gen Microbiol. 1987 Nov;133(11):3031–3038. doi: 10.1099/00221287-133-11-3031. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Lyon B. R., May J. W., Skurray R. A. Tn4001: a gentamicin and kanamycin resistance transposon in Staphylococcus aureus. Mol Gen Genet. 1984;193(3):554–556. doi: 10.1007/BF00382099. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Rice L. B., Eliopoulos G. M., Wennersten C., Goldmann D., Jacoby G. A., Moellering R. C., Jr Chromosomally mediated beta-lactamase production and gentamicin resistance in Enterococcus faecalis. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1991 Feb;35(2):272–276. doi: 10.1128/aac.35.2.272. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Rice L. B., Marshall S. H., Carias L. L. Tn5381, a conjugative transposon identifiable as a circular form in Enterococcus faecalis. J Bacteriol. 1992 Nov;174(22):7308–7315. doi: 10.1128/jb.174.22.7308-7315.1992. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Rice L. B., Marshall S. H. Evidence of incorporation of the chromosomal beta-lactamase gene of Enterococcus faecalis CH19 into a transposon derived from staphylococci. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1992 Sep;36(9):1843–1846. doi: 10.1128/aac.36.9.1843. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Rice L. B., Marshall S. H. Insertions of IS256-like element flanking the chromosomal beta-lactamase gene of Enterococcus faecalis CX19. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1994 Apr;38(4):693–701. doi: 10.1128/aac.38.4.693. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Rice L. B., Thorisdottir A. S. The prevalence of sequences homologous to IS256 in clinical enterococcal isolates. Plasmid. 1994 Nov;32(3):344–349. doi: 10.1006/plas.1994.1076. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Sahm D. F., Gilmore M. S. Transferability and genetic relatedness of high-level gentamicin resistance among enterococci. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1994 May;38(5):1194–1196. doi: 10.1128/aac.38.5.1194. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Shaw J. H., Clewell D. B. Complete nucleotide sequence of macrolide-lincosamide-streptogramin B-resistance transposon Tn917 in Streptococcus faecalis. J Bacteriol. 1985 Nov;164(2):782–796. doi: 10.1128/jb.164.2.782-796.1985. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Thomas W. D., Jr, Archer G. L. Mobility of gentamicin resistance genes from staphylococci isolated in the United States: identification of Tn4031, a gentamicin resistance transposon from Staphylococcus epidermidis. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1989 Aug;33(8):1335–1341. doi: 10.1128/aac.33.8.1335. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Thorisdottir A. S., Carias L. L., Marshall S. H., Green M., Zervos M. J., Giorgio C., Mermel L. A., Boyce J. M., Medeiros A. A., Fraimow H. IS6770, an enterococcal insertion-like sequence useful for determining the clonal relationship of clinical enterococcal isolates. J Infect Dis. 1994 Dec;170(6):1539–1548. doi: 10.1093/infdis/170.6.1539. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Yagi Y., Clewell D. B. Recombination-deficient mutant of Streptococcus faecalis. J Bacteriol. 1980 Aug;143(2):966–970. doi: 10.1128/jb.143.2.966-970.1980. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES